Publication year 2013
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Indigenous Identity, Education, Nation, War, Justice
Tags World History, Biography, Military & War
Memorial Day Reads
Our selection of Memorial Day Reads highlights the voices of writers with experience serving in the military or living through conflict. Exploring the concepts of war and peace, these selections expound on the nature of conflict and its impacts on the people affected by it.
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Perseverance, Love, The Past, War
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, American Civil War, Military & War, Literary Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Survival Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction
Cold Mountain (1997) is a novel by Charles Frazier. It tells the story of W.P. Inman, a deserter from the Confederate Army who attempts to return home to his romantic partner, Ada. The novel won the National Book Award and was adapted into an Academy Award–winning film of the same name. This guide refers to the 2011 Sceptre edition. Content Warning: The source text contains discussions of racism, violence, abuse of women and children, and... Read Cold Mountain Summary
Publication year 1836
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Military & War, American Revolution
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Gender Identity, Race, The Past, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice
Tags US History, American Civil War, Military & War, World History, Politics & Government
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes The Past, Grief
Tags Sociology, Action & Adventure, US History, American Civil War, Military & War, World History, Travel Literature, Humor, Politics & Government
Confederates in the Attic is a non-fiction book written by Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz. The book is a mixture of ethnography—the study of a specific group of people in a specific place—and travel writing, where Horwitz attempts to dive deeply into his childhood fascination for the American Civil War by traveling through the deep South, visiting Confederate battlefields, museums, and monuments, and interviewing the locals that he comes into contact with about their relationship to... Read Confederates In The Attic Summary
Publication year 1934
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Free Verse, Military & War
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes War, Science & Technology, Politics & Government
Tags US History, World War II, Politics & Government, Military & War, World History
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, Animals, War, Perseverance
Tags Military & War, Historical Fiction, Animals, Action & Adventure
Cynthia Kadohata’s Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam is a work of historical fiction that centers around a dog, Cracker, and her handler, Rick Hanski, during their deployment in Vietnam. It is aimed at an audience of middle-grade readers but is also an enjoyable and educational read for adults. Told from the perspective of both the canine and human main characters, Kadohata reveals the vitally important work conducted by military dogs and their handlers during... Read Cracker Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Fear, Family, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military & War, Action & Adventure
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Memory, Coming of Age, Family, Death
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, World History
Carol Matas is the author of the 1993 novel for young readers, Daniel’s Story, and she published the book in conjunction with the United States Holocaust Museum Memorial exhibit Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story. Like the museum exhibit, Daniel’s Story presents a researched account of what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany and live through the Holocaust. Before she wrote Daniel’s Story, Matas published two historical novels about the Dutch resistance during... Read Daniel's Story Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Family, Race, Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Justice
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Animals, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History
Publication year 1960
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Guilt, Memory, Fate, Good & Evil, War
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Military & War, Relationships, Jewish Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Family
Tags Western, Historical Fiction, Military & War, LGBTQ+, American Civil War, Race & Racism, World History, Irish Literature
Days Without End (2016) is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry. Days Without End is Barry’s ninth novel and received considerable critical acclaim. The novel won the 2017 Walter Scott Prize, was listed at number 74 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century (2019 edition), and made BBC News’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The novel also won the 2016 Costa Book Award, making Barry... Read Days Without End Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Tags Politics & Government, World History, World War I, European History, US History, Military & War, Biography
In Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, writer Erik Larson traces the Lusitania’s final journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The Lusitania is a British passenger liner owned by the Cunard Steamship Company. First sailing in 1907, the Lusitania quickly sets records for the fastest journey across the Atlantic Ocean, stealing the coveted Blue Riband away from Germany.Dead Wake follows the Lusitania’s final journey, which took place during the first week of May 1915... Read Dead Wake Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Forgiveness, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Dramatic Literature, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Dear John is a novel published in 2006 by Nicholas Sparks, a best-selling American romance writer. In 2010, the book was adapted into a feature film starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. Dear John tells the story of star-crossed lovers: John Tyree, a soldier on leave, falls for Savannah Lynn Curtis, a visiting college student. After 9/11, John must choose between duty to his country and the people who love him, both of whom he... Read Dear John Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Family, Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Coming of Age, Military & War, World History
Publication year 1959
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
The narrator and protagonist, Sergeant Nathan Marx, sets the stage in the early paragraphs of the short story. The year is 1945, and he has just arrived to Camp Crowder, Missouri, after fighting in the war in Germany. Marx explains that he has undergone significant changes since his time as a combatant began, and he describes his transformation as beneficial: “I had been fortunate enough to develop an infantryman’s heart, which, like his feet, at... Read Defender Of The Faith Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Family
Tags Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, US History, Race & Racism, World War II, Military & War, World History, Biography
Desert Exile tells the story of the author Yoshiko Uchida and the Uchida family’s experience as Japanese-Americans interned in concentration camps by the U.S. government after the Pearl Harbor attacks during World War II. The book follows a linear narrative arc that details the Uchidas’ experience, while Uchida often reflects discursively, using one point in her life as a vortex for connecting that moment to another memory and in turn creating a larger impression of... Read Desert Exile Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Wins & Losses, War, Conflict
Tags US History, Military & War, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government
Diplomacy (1994) is a book by the scholar and diplomat Henry Kissinger. After leaving the government in 1977, Kissinger wrote a series of memoirs such as White House Years (1979) and Years of Upheaval (1982). Diplomacy was the first of what would be many books offering a broader view of international affairs and US foreign policy. It has lessons for policymakers but is also accessible to general readers. The book received many positive reviews for... Read Diplomacy Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes War
Tags Military & War, US History, Journalism, World History, Biography
First published in 1977, Dispatches is Michael Herr’s account of his time spent as a war correspondent in Vietnam. The conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia started on November 1, 1955. President Kennedy escalated U.S. involvement in 1961, followed by President Johnson, who committed even more resources and men in 1963. 58,220 U.S. soldiers and approximately 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers lost their lives during the conflict. Michael Herr was a correspondent for Esquire Magazine... Read Dispatches Summary