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.

Lavinia

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Military & War, Italian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

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Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

by Wess Roberts

Publication year 1987

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Perseverance, Teamwork, Nation, War, Politics & Government

Tags Business & Economics, World History, Leadership, Creative Nonfiction, Self-Improvement, Military & War, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun is a self-improvement and business leadership book by Wess Roberts, who was a human resources manager at Fireman’s Fund Insurance when he published the book in 1989. Using the historical figure of Attila the Hun as his mouthpiece, Roberts outlines his management style and approach to business. This guide refers to Attila’s “persona” when quoting words that Roberts imagines Attila might have said. In the introduction, Roberts discusses Attila... Read Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun Summary

Leadership

by Henry Kissinger

Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Politics & Government, War

Tags Philosophy, Biography, Politics & Government, Leadership, World History, Business & Economics, Philosophy

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Legends of the Fall

by Jim Harrison

Publication year 1979

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes War, Masculinity

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Relationships, World War II, American Literature, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

Legends of the Fall is a collection of three novellas by Jim Harrison, including “Revenge,” “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” and the titular novella, “Legends of the Fall.” First published in 1979 by Collins, Legends of the Fall remains one of Harrison’s most highly regarded works. Harrison wrote across a range of genres such as fiction, poetry, essay, and film and was the recipient of several awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship. His work... Read Legends of the Fall Summary

Lemons

by Melissa Savage

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Death, Grandparents, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

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Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed

by Philip Paul Hallie

Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Race, Death, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

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Life After Life

by Kate Atkinson

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Family, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, World War II, Science Fiction, Military & War, World History

Life After Life is a work of adult historical fiction written by acclaimed British author Kate Atkinson and published in 2013. Atkinson’s debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize and her subsequent novels have all been international bestsellers, including the mystery series featuring Jackson Brodie, which has been adapted to a BBC show. Other works by this author include Case Histories, A God in Ruins, and... Read Life After Life Summary

Like Water for Chocolate

by Laura Esquivel

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Food, Family, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Siblings, Marriage, Self Discovery, War

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Food, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Like Water for Chocolate is the debut novel of Laura Esquivel, published in Mexico in 1989 and then translated into English by Carol and Thomas Christensen. Esquivel has sold over four million copies of the novel worldwide. She is a novelist and active politician serving in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies. She collaborated with her husband at the time to adapt the novel into a film in 1992, which was then nominated for a Golden... Read Like Water for Chocolate Summary

Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Community, Forgiveness, Memory, Guilt, War, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, American Civil War, Religion & Spirituality, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary

Little Princes

by Conor Grennan

Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes War, Guilt, Family, Friendship, Teamwork

Tags Travel Literature, Inspirational, Trauma & Abuse, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, Social Justice, Biography

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Lives of the Saints

by Nino Ricci

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Immigration, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Community, War, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Education, Education, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Lives of the Saints (1990) by Nino Ricci is the first in a trilogy of novels about an Italian immigrant to Canada, Vittorio Innocente, and his family. The author, Nino Ricci, is the son of Italian immigrants who grew up in Leamington, Ontario, home to a large community of Italian immigrants. The novel is a coming-of-age story told in first-person narration that details Vittorio’s life growing up in an impoverished small town in Italy, and... Read Lives of the Saints Summary

Living Downstream

by Sandra Steingraber

Publication year 1997

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Environment, Animals, Food, Place, Politics & Government, Economics, Education, War, Nation

Tags Science & Nature, Health, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Gender & Feminism

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Lost Horizon

by James Hilton

Publication year 1933

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Race, Politics & Government, War, Art, Literature

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Travel Literature

Lost Horizon by James Hilton is a utopian novel that introduces the fictional setting of Shangri-La, which would feature in several later utopian works of fiction by other writers. Originally published in 1933, the book was adapted for the screen in 1937 and 1973, as well as for television in 1997. The novel won the Hawthornden Prize, a cash prize awarded for imaginative fiction, and it became an international bestseller under Pocket Books, sometimes credited... Read Lost Horizon Summary