War

From the Trojan War to World War II to the Iraq War, history has been shaped by humanity's tragic capacity to wage war. In this thematic collection, we have gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that investigate both the lessons and the senselessness crystallized in the aftermath of military conflict.

Fallen Angels

by Walter Dean Myers

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Mental Health, Friendship

Tags Military & War, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Vietnam War, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History

Prolific children’s author Walter Dean Myers published his novel Fallen Angels in 1988. The young adult novel tells the story of a 17-year-old African American teenager from Harlem named Richie Perry who enlists in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. The novel follows Perry as he faces the realities of war with his fellow soldiers and transitions into adulthood on the battlefield. The novel contemplates racial and socio-economic issues in the US, the... Read Fallen Angels Summary

Fallen Gods

by Rachel Van Dyken

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Self Discovery, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Mythology

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Fall Of Giants

by Ken Follett

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Politics & Government, Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World War I, World History, Relationships, Politics & Government, Poverty, Grief & Death, Russian Literature, Narrative Poem

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett, published in 2010, is a historical novel and the first installment of the Century Trilogy. The trilogy takes place during the 20th century and is told through the points of view of five interconnected families from Wales, Germany, America, and Russia. Fall of Giants spans World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the women’s suffrage movement. Winter of the World, the second book in the trilogy, takes place against... Read Fall Of Giants Summary

Family of Spies

by Christine Kuehn

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, The Past, Family, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags US History, European History, World War II, Memoir & Autobiography, Politics & Government, Espionage

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Fatherland

by Robert Harris

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Race, Midlife, Future, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Military & War, World War II

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Fearless

by Eric Blehm

Publication year 2012

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Religion & Spirituality, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, War

Tags Military & War, Iraq War

... Read Fearless Summary

Finding Junie Kim

by Ellen Oh

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Coming of Age, The Past, Food, Family, Friendship, Grandparents, Immigration, War, Justice

Tags Children`s Literature, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Korean War

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Fireborne

by Rosaria Munda

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Memory, Revenge, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Order & Chaos

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

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Firefight

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Revenge, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Order & Chaos

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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Flying Home

by Ralph Ellison

Publication year 1953

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Race, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, African American Literature, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“Flying Home” is the titular story of Ralph Ellison’s collection published in 1944. It tells the story of Todd, a Black Air Force candidate in flight training school in Macon County, Alabama, during World War II. As one of the first Black people accepted into the school, Todd is determined to prove that his capabilities are equal to those of his white counterparts. The story addresses themes of Fear of Judgment, Opportunities and the American... Read Flying Home Summary

Forty Autumns

by Nina Willner

Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, War

Tags European History, Cold War

Published in 2016, Forty Autumns is a work of narrative nonfiction by Nina Willner. A New York Times bestseller, this family memoir chronicles the true story of Willner’s family, which was divided for four decades by the Berlin Wall. It centers on the experience of Hanna, Willner’s mother, who made a daring escape from Soviet-occupied East Germany in 1948 to build a new life in America. Hanna’s parents and eight siblings remained behind the Iron... Read Forty Autumns Summary

For Whom the Bell Tolls

by Ernest Hemingway

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Marriage, War, Loyalty & Betrayal

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

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) is a novel by the Modernist American author Ernest Hemingway. The novel tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American volunteer working as a demolition specialist for the Republican army during the Spanish Civil War. Robert, sent to blow up a bridge to aid a Republican offensive, enlists the aid of a band of guerrilla fighters in the mountains. Robert falls in love with a woman in their care... Read For Whom the Bell Tolls Summary

Four Perfect Pebbles

by Lila Perl, Marion Blumenthal Lazan

Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Love, Race, Death, The Past, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags World War II, Holocaust

Four Perfect Pebbles is a Holocaust memoir written by Marion Blumenthal Lazan and co-authored by Lila Perl. It was originally published in 1996, 51 years after Marion and her family were liberated from the death train by Russian troops in Nazi Germany. Marion was five years old when she and her family moved to a refugee camp in Holland, which was later converted into a transit camp for Auschwitz. The Blumenthals also lived at the... Read Four Perfect Pebbles Summary