William Somerset Maugham; (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s. "The Hero" is the story of a war hero returning home only to find his beliefs formed from direct experiences in direct conflict with the beliefs held by his folks and his society. Bewildered at being crowned a hero for committing murder of fellow human beings and with no one to confide his feelings with Jamie turns to despair. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)