Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Politics & Government, War, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses
Tags Iraq War, Military & War, US History, Middle Eastern History, Politics & Government, Journalism, World History
Military Reads
Our Military Reads Collection features works that examine military service, conflict, and peace. Representing global perspectives and a broad range of literary genres, these selections explore the impacts of wars both real and imagined on civilians and service members alike.
The Afghanistan Papers
The Alice Network
The Art of War
The Assault
The Attack
Thebaid
The Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Maldon
The Beach
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
The Berlin Boxing Club
The Bite of the Mango
The Black Echo
The Blazing World
The Bletchley Riddle
The Bomber Mafia
The Book of Lost Friends
The Book of Lost Names
The Book Thief
The Boy at The Top of the Mountain
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Politics & Government, War, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses
Tags Iraq War, Military & War, US History, Middle Eastern History, Politics & Government, Journalism, World History
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History
The Alice Network is the seventh novel by author Kate Quinn. First published in 2017, the book is classified as historical fiction. It became a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and was also listed as a Summer Pick by Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, and Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. Quinn has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga and two books set during the Italian Renaissance. The Alice Network and her... Read The Alice Network Summary
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes War, Power & Greed, Teamwork
Tags World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction, Military & War, Business & Economics, Politics & Government, Asian History, Chinese Literature
The Art of War, written in China during the fifth century BCE by military expert Sun Tzu, has been favored reading among soldiers and strategists for two millennia. Its concise 13 chapters, studied to this day by world leaders and generals from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, teach victory through studying the opponent, building impregnable defenses, confusing the enemy with diversions, and attacking forcefully its weak spots. The book... Read The Art of War Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags World War II, Education, Education, Military & War, Dutch Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Assault is an historical fiction novel written by Dutch author Harry Mulisch. First published in 1982 under the Dutch title De Aanslag, the novel was translated and published in English in 1985 and later translated into over a dozen languages. Mulisch was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, the same setting in which The Assault occurs. The story is based on actual events and Mulisch’s experiences during German occupation in World War II. The narrative is... Read The Assault Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War
Tags Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Classical Period, Iraq War
The Attack is a 2005 book written by Yasmina Khadra, translated in 2006 by John Cullen and published by Anchor Books. It describes the aftermath of a suicide bomb attack in Tel Aviv and a man’s struggle to accept his wife’s involvement in the attack. Plot SummaryThe Introduction of the novel describes an unnamed narrator (later revealed as Dr. Amin Jaafari) watching a religious figure get into a car in a busy crowd. An explosion rocks... Read The Attack Summary
Publication year 92
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Politics & Government, Hate & Anger
Tags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Narrative Poem, Military & War, Ancient Rome
Publication year 1798
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Wins & Losses, Memory, Aging, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Place, Grandparents, War
Tags Narrative Poem, Military & War, European History
“The Battle of Blenheim,” also known as “After Blenheim,” is a satirical, antiwar poem by English Romantic poet Robert Southey, written in 1798 and published in the Morning Post newspaper on August 9 of that year. The poem, which is in the form of a ballad, looks back at the Battle of Blenheim, which was fought around the Bavarian town of Blindheim, in southern Germany, on August 2, 1704, during the War of the Spanish... Read The Battle of Blenheim Summary
Publication year 1726
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes War, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Revenge, Masculinity, Conflict, Shame & Pride, Nation, Perseverance
Tags Narrative Poem, Military & War, European History, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Medieval, British Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction
“The Battle of Maldon” is a heroic poem, also classified as an epic, dating from the 10th century. Originally written in Old English, the text details a violent battle between the Anglo-Saxon warriors and the raiding Vikings. The Anglo-Saxons are led by Earl Byrhtnoth, who held land in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Essex and fought for his ruler, King Æthelred the Unready. The poem depicts some of the central tenets of Anglo-Saxon culture, praising loyalty... Read The Battle of Maldon Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mental Health, Safety & Danger, Globalization, Community, Death, War, Conflict
Tags Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Travel Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Beach is an adventure fiction novel written by Alex Garland and originally published in 1996. Garland wrote the book during his time in the Philippines and was inspired by the landscape there, as well as historical events such as the Vietnam War. It was adapted into a successful major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Danny Boyle in 2000, and the novel was included on a BBC list of most-read novels in... Read The Beach Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Immigration, War, Grief
Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, Sports, World History
The Berlin Boxing Club is the second novel by Robert Sharenow, also the author of My Mother the Cheerleader. It was published in 2011 and won the Association of Jewish Libraries Sidney Taylor Award.While a work of fiction, The Berlin Boxing Clubis based on a true story: that of the German boxing champion Max Schmeling, who sheltered two Jewish children during Kristallnacht—the night of Nazi-sponsored rioting against Jews that many see as the beginning of... Read The Berlin Boxing Club Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Childhood & Youth
Tags Military & War, Children`s Literature, World History, Biography
Eleven-year-old Mariatu lives in a small village in Sierra Leone. There are growing reports of rebels attacking villagers nearby but, for over a year, the villagers avoid attack by hiding in the bush.One night, Mariatu dreams of palm oil—a sign that blood will be spilled the next day. Sure enough, the following day, Mariatu is captured by rebel soldiers. She prays for death but instead has her hands cut from her body by child soldiers... Read The Bite of the Mango Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, War, Teamwork, Mental Health
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, US History, Asian History, Military & War
The Black Echo (1992) is Michael Connelly’s first novel and the first book in the long-running series featuring Los Angeles police detective Harry Bosch. It won the 1993 Edgar Award for Best First Novel and is now a classic in the modern crime genre. Connelly, who worked as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times while starting his career as a novelist, has written over 37 novels, including 24 featuring Detective Bosch. His works... Read The Black Echo Summary
Publication year 1666
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Politics & Government, Science & Technology, Perseverance, Femininity, Friendship, Nation, War, Fame, Order & Chaos, Equality
Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Gender & Feminism, European History, Military & War, Politics & Government, Science & Nature, Age of Enlightenment, Restoration
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, War, Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, British Literature, Children`s Literature, Military & War
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Science & Technology, Death, Good & Evil, Wins & Losses, War, Conflict, Perseverance
Tags World War II, Military & War, Technology, US History, Technology, World History
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Literature, Mothers, The Past, Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, American Civil War, World History
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Truth & Lies, Guilt, Perseverance, Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Love & Sexuality, European History, Holocaust, Military & War, World History, Romance
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History, Classic Fiction
The Book Thief (December 2007) is a young adult novel by Australian author Markus Zusak. Other titles by Zusak include Underdogs (1999), I am the Messenger (2002), and Bridge of Clay (2018). All his works have received multiple literary prizes and reader’s choice awards from countries around the world.When first published, The Book Thief became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was a nominee of PBS’s The Great American Read as one of America’s... Read The Book Thief Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Children`s Literature, Irish Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction
John Boyne’s juvenile historical novel The Boy at the Top of the Mountain (2016, Henry Holt and Company) weaves real-life figures and events into the fictional story of a boy named Pierrot Fischer, who becomes corrupted after falling under the direct influence of the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler. The novel’s central themes involve the conflicts and struggles of life under Nazi rule, as well as Pierrot’s move from innocence and naïveté to violence and abuse—and... Read The Boy at The Top of the Mountain Summary