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.

Gone Tomorrow

by Lee Child

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Perseverance, Death, Place, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense

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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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Hana's Suitcase

by Karen Levine

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Justice, War, Love, Family, The Past

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

Originally published in 2002 by Second Story Press, Hana’s Suitcase is a historical text by Karen Levine that weaves together the story of two young children in the Holocaust with the narrative of a Japanese museum curator in the early 21st century. Levine, a radio journalist and producer, first heard about Hana Brady’s suitcase from a news article and subsequently produced a radio show about the story. This launched what would become Hana’s Suitcase and... Read Hana's Suitcase Summary

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Climate, Environment, Place, Friendship, Community, Immigration, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, World War I

Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky is a 2006 young adult historical fiction novel that won the Newbery Honor Award. Larson is a young adult author who specializes in writing historical fiction centering on strong female protagonists. Set during World War I, the novel follows Hattie Brooks as she travels to Montana to work on the farm that her uncle leaves to her after he dies. The novel explores themes of community, overcoming adversity, and issues... Read Hattie Big Sky Summary

Heart of a Dog

by Mikhail Bulgakov

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Coming of Age, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Social Class, Nation, War, Science & Technology

Tags Satirical Literature, Science Fiction, Russian Literature, Symbolic Narrative

The Heart of a Dog (1925) is a novella by Russian author and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov. During his lifetime, Bulgakov was celebrated as a playwright in the Soviet Union, but his works often faced censorship by authorities due to their satirical critiques of Soviet life and government. The Heart of a Dog is a satirical science fiction tale of a surgeon who uses organ transplants to transform a stray dog into a man. It deals... Read Heart of a Dog Summary

Heavenly Bodies

by Imani Erriu

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Survival Fiction

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