A version of me can wrap around your wrists. Historically, i symbolized authority. What am I?

I have a back, but I cannot stand. I hold heavy weight, but have no hands. I hold stories of history, fiction, and crime, Just standing against the wall all of the time.

I have crowned heroes, Decorated generals, Sold illusions, And clarified lies. Some chase me their entire lives. Some earn me for a job well done. Some print me beside conditions they hope you'll ignore. Yet every morning, One of my kind rises without applause. What am I?

A scarlet ace, a daring sight, He soared the skies in fierce delight, Who was this pilot, bathed in light?

I swallow rivers, vast and deep, My layered walls, ancient secrets keep. What am I, where echoes sleep?