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.

A Few Good Men

by Aaron Sorkin

Publication year 1989

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes War, Shame & Pride, Truth & Lies

Tags Military & War, Drama, Crime & Law, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Arts & Culture, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

A Few Good Men is a play written by Aaron Sorkin and first performed in 1989. The story involves a military lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. The play was well-received, and Sorkin adapted it into a screenplay for the film of the same name (released in 1992), which was a popular and critical success.Plot SummaryA Few Good Men opens as two Marines, Downey and Dawson, recall the details of a nighttime incident... Read A Few Good Men Summary

A Fire Upon the Deep

by Vernor Vinge

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Fear, Race, Animals, Teamwork, Community, Politics & Government, War, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Gender Identity

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Vernor Vinge’s epic space opera A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and is the first installment in the Zones of Thought series. The story is set in a galaxy where physical laws change depending on location. In a high-tech region called the Transcend, a human research team awakens an ancient, malevolent superintelligence known as the Blight, which begins consuming entire civilizations. A single ship escapes, carrying hundreds of... Read A Fire Upon the Deep Summary

After

by Morris Gleitzman

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Safety & Danger, War, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, Holocaust, World War II, Children`s Literature, World History, Action & Adventure

... Read After Summary

Afterlives

by Abdulrazak Gurnah

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Marriage, War, Femininity, Race

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, World History

... Read Afterlives Summary

A Game of Thrones

by George R. R. Martin

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Femininity, Grief, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Justice, Social Class, War, Economics, Siblings, Mothers, Fathers, Marriage, Family, Daughters & Sons, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Disability, Gender Identity, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Death, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Social Class, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Trauma & Abuse, Grief & Death

A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary

A Girl Called Samson

by Amy Harmon

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Colonialism, War, Justice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags US History, Military & War, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution

... Read A Girl Called Samson Summary

Alchemised

by SenLinYu

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Nation, War, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

... Read Alchemised Summary

A Little History of the World

by E.H. Gombrich

Publication year 1936

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Equality, War, Politics & Government

Tags World History, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

First published in German in 1935, A Little History of the World tells the story of human history to children. Historian E.H. Gombrich was first inspired to write this book at age 26, when he attempted to describe the complicated nature of his studies to a child and found the challenge interesting. Though Gombrich is most famous for his expertise in the field of art history, this early work has impacted generations of children and... Read A Little History of the World Summary

All But My Life

by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Publication year 1957

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Hope, Memory, War

Tags World History, Biography

First published in 1957, All but My Life is a celebrated Holocaust memoir by Gerda Weissmann Klein (1924-2022). The narrative begins in 1939, when Gerda was 15 years old, and details the Nazi invasion of her hometown, Bielitz, Poland, and the subsequent six years of persecution she endured. Gerda recounts her family’s separation, her experiences in a series of forced-labor camps, and her survival of a brutal 300-mile death march that ended with her liberation... Read All But My Life Summary

Allies

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Race, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, World War II, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

Allies is a novel by American author Alan Gratz that was originally published in 2019. It belongs to the genre of young adult historical fiction and is set during World War II. Gratz is the author of 17 novels for children/young adults as of 2021 and has won awards from Random House Books and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. His novel Refugee won the National Jewish Book Award and the Young Hoosier... Read Allies Summary

All My Sons

by Arthur Miller

Publication year 1947

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Family, War, Truth & Lies

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

All My Sons is a play by Arthur Miller, first performed in 1947. Based on a true story, All My Sons tells the story of a munitions factory owner who is accused of producing defective engines for aircraft. The play received many awards, ran for 328 shows on Broadway, and has been twice adapted as a film. This guide is based on the 2015 Penguin Classics edition of Miller’s Collected Plays. Plot SummaryJoe Keller is... Read All My Sons Summary

All Quiet on the Western Front

by Erich Maria Remarque

Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Safety & Danger, Justice, Friendship, Death

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

All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque which details the experiences of German soldiers at the frontlines of World War I. At the heart of the novel are graphic portrayals of trench warfare and the psychological trauma inflicted on the soldiers as a result. The novel presents a realistic portrait of a horrific war and provides unflattering accounts of the elite classes responsible for such mass destruction. The... Read All Quiet on the Western Front Summary

All the Glimmering Stars

by Mark Sullivan

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Food, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction

... Read All the Glimmering Stars Summary

A Long Way Gone

by Ishmael Beah

Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes War

Tags History: African

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a memoir published in 2007 by the Sierra Leonean author and activist Ishmael Beah. The book recounts the author’s experiences as a 12-year-old boy in war-torn Sierra Leone. Forced to serve as a child soldier for three years in the 1990s during the Sierra Leone Civil War, Beah wrote the book to highlight the horrific impact of war on children. Nominated for a 2007 Quill... Read A Long Way Gone Summary