What do two revolutionaries, a backwoods boy from Illinois, a samurai, two Roman generals, a Caesar, and a young French mystic have in common? All eight fought for justice and lasting peace. All enjoyed a string of political or military successes, and all were betrayed or murdered after their greatest victories.

In "War, Justice, and Infamy," Ernesto Hernandez-Cata recounts the moving stories of seven extraordinary men and one woman marked by history for greatness. The lives of Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, Jeanne d'Arc, and others come to life in these pages, as do their struggles,...