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 Breadwinner

by Deborah Ellis

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, War, Family, Gender Identity

Tags Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, Military & War, World History

The Breadwinner, also known as Parvana, is a 2000 children’s novel by Canadian author and activist Deborah Ellis. It centers on an 11-year-old girl named Parvana who, due to her family’s circumstances, is forced to defy the Taliban and their repressive laws to become the breadwinner for her family. Exploring themes of human connection, maturation and bravery, and the repression of women, The Breadwinner was critically acclaimed upon its release and has had over 40... Read The Breadwinner Summary

The Bridge on the Drina

by Ivo Andric

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, Classic Fiction

The Bridge on the Drina is a 1945 historical fiction novel by Ivo Andrić, translated from Serbo-Croat by Lovett F. Edwards. It tells the story of a bridge built in Višegrad that linked disparate communities from the east and west.  Plot Summary The novel opens with a description of the scenery surrounding Višegrad, a fertile valley with high forested mountains on either side. The bridge spans the Drina, the largest river, and a second smaller bridge... Read The Bridge on the Drina Summary

The Cage

by Ruth Minsky Sender

Publication year 1986

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Mothers

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Education, Education, Jewish Literature, World War II, Military & War, Biography

The Cage is the 1986 memoir of Ruth Minsky Sender, nee Riva Minska, detailing her family’s struggle to survive the Holocaust. Born in Lodz, Poland, Riva inhabits a close-knit community that integrates both Jews and non-Jews through shared traditions and intergenerational spaces. When Hitler’s Nazis invade Poland, thirteen-year-old Riva watches this peace crumble, as non-Jewish friends accept her family’s persecution and as Jews themselves adopt positions of power that hurt others in the community.After Riva’s... Read The Cage Summary

The Cellist of Sarajevo

by Steven Galloway

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, Music

The Cellist of Sarajevo focuses on the struggles of four people during the long and brutal Siege of Sarajevo. For the citizens of Sarajevo at this time, life is torturous. There are snipers in the hills encircling the city with their guns trained on the people below. These snipers, who the characters refer to as “the men in the hills,” are picking off the townspeople one by one whenever they venture outside for food or... Read The Cellist of Sarajevo Summary

The Charterhouse of Parma

by Marie-Henri Beyle

Publication year 1839

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, European History, Politics & Government, Social Class, Military & War, French Literature, Italian Literature

Marie-Henri Beyle, writing under his penname Stendhal, published his last complete work, the novel The Charterhouse of Parma, in French in 1839. It tells the story of an Italian nobleman who fights in the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and then navigates the fraught political dynamics of the era known as the Italian Restoration (1814-1848). This was a time when the memory of revolution was repressed and power seemed to many to operate on caprice and intrigue... Read The Charterhouse of Parma Summary

The Clay Marble

by Minfong Ho

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Perseverance, Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, World History

... Read The Clay Marble Summary

The Code Book

by Simon Singh

Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Politics & Government, War, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War, Horror & Suspense, Science & Nature, Technology, Technology

... Read The Code Book Summary

The Coming of the Third Reich

by Richard J. Evans

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Race, The Past, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War, World War II, European History, Politics & Government

... Read The Coming of the Third Reich Summary

The Crossing

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope, Gratitude, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil

Tags Action & Adventure, Immigration & Refugeeism, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Poverty, Military & War, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Gary Paulsen’s The Crossing is a young adult novel published in 1987. This realistic work of fiction highlights the hope and opportunity Manny, a Mexican teenager, envisions waiting for him in America, and the desperation that propels him to attempt the border crossing from Mexico into the United States.Paulsen (1939-2021) was a celebrated author of middle grade and young adult fiction, best known for writing the award-winning Hatchet series. His work often depicts wilderness settings... Read The Crossing Summary

The Demon in the Freezer

by Richard Preston

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Safety & Danger

Tags Science & Nature, Military & War, Health, Horror & Suspense, World History

Richard Preston’s The Demon in the Freezer is a nonfiction account of the recent history of bioweapons and epidemic diseases; his focus for much of the book is smallpox, the “demon” of the title. The book begins with a discussion of the lethal bioweapons attack that took place early in October of 2001. In this instance, letters containing anthrax were mailed to publications and Senate offices in the United States. However, researchers at the United... Read The Demon in the Freezer Summary