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.

Going After Cacciato

by Tim O'Brien

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Shame & Pride, Guilt

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

Going After Cacciato, by Tim O’Brien, is a novel about a young soldier’s experiences in the Vietnam War. However, as the New York Times noted in its initial review of the novel upon its publication in 1978, “call[ing] Going After Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby Dick a novel about whales.” The novel does not simply recount the events of the war; it dives into the inner life of its protagonist, Paul... Read Going After Cacciato Summary

Going Solo

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1986

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Memory, Nostalgia, Mothers, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, War

Tags Social Science, Sociology, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Self-Improvement, World War II, Military & War, Action & Adventure

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Goodbye to All That

by Robert Graves

Publication year 1929

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes War, Mothers

Tags Military & War, World War I, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

English poet and classicist Robert Graves wrote his autobiography, Good-Bye to All That, in 1929, at the age of 34. Graves undertook the writing of his autobiography with the hope of crafting a best-selling book that would support his career as a writer. Good-Bye to All That details Graves’s life from his upper-middle-class childhood in England to his service as a military officer in World War I, and on to his first few years as... Read Goodbye to All That Summary

Goodnight Mister Tom

by Michelle Magorian

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Gratitude, Love, Childhood & Youth, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Community, War, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World War II

Goodnight Mister Tom is a work of historical fiction written by Michelle Magorian and published in 1981. The novel is aimed at an audience of middle grade readers. It tells the story of eight-year-old William Beech, who, at the start of WWII, has to move with his abusive mother from an impoverished suburb of London to the countryside, where they are in the care of an elderly recluse, Thomas Oakley. The novel explores the impact... Read Goodnight Mister Tom Summary

Gravity's Rainbow

by Thomas Pynchon

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, World War II, Satirical Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Military & War, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Gravity’s Rainbow is a 1973 historical satire by American novelist Thomas Pynchon, who is known for complex narratives that are often dense, fragmented, and episodic. The story is set during the last days of World War II as characters search for a mysterious rocket developed by the German military. The novel has been hailed as one of the most important English language works of the 20th century.Pynchon, disinclined to engage with the press or public... Read Gravity's Rainbow Summary

Greater Love

by Wilfred Owen

Publication year 1918

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, War, Death, Masculinity, Truth & Lies

Tags Lyric Poem, Military & War, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, European History, World War I, British Literature, The Lost Generation

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Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

by Suzanne Collins

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Revenge, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Animals, Science Fiction

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Grenade

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, War, Siblings, Place, Race, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, World War II, Military & War, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Asian History, US History, Religion & Spirituality, Children`s Literature, World History

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Ground Zero

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Teamwork, War

Tags 9/11, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, Realistic Fiction, World History, Action & Adventure

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Gunga Din

by Rudyard Kipling

Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Masculinity, Race, Death, Colonialism, War, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Military & War

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