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.

Resist

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2019

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Children`s Literature

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Rhythm of War

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Mental Health, Environment, Place, Teamwork, War, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Science & Technology, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Narrative Poem

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Rifleman Dodd

by C. S. Forester

Publication year 1932

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War

Tags Military & War, Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Rifleman Dodd, a 1932 historical novel by C.S. Forester, describes the adventures of an English soldier trapped behind enemy lines in 1810 during the Peninsular War, when Britain fights alongside Portugal and Spain against Napoleon’s invading French army. Rifleman Dodd employs guerrilla tactics to harass and kill French troops as he treks across a scorched and starving land to rejoin his regiment. The novel’s descriptions of battle tactics, improvisation under fire, and relentless determination make... Read Rifleman Dodd Summary

Rise To Rebellion

by Jeff Shaara

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Power & Greed

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

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Royal Assassin

by Robin Hobb

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Disability, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

Royal Assassin, the second installment of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, continues the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, the illegitimate grandson of King Shrewd and a trained royal assassin in the medieval fantasy kingdom of the Six Duchies. Fitz possesses two rare abilities: the Skill, a telepathic magic tied to the royal bloodline, and the Wit, a forbidden Beast magic that lets him bond mentally with animals. The novel opens with Fitz recovering in the Mountain Kingdom... Read Royal Assassin Summary

Runner

by Carl Deuker

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Fathers, Friendship, Social Class, War, Truth & Lies

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Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

by Eleanor Coerr

Publication year 1977

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, War, Hope, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Dramatic Literature, Grief & Death, Education, Education, World History, Japanese Literature, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1977, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a middle-grade historical fiction novel written by Eleanor Coerr based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl living in Hiroshima, Japan, when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. At age 12, Sadako is diagnosed with leukemia, often called “the atom bomb disease.” Inspired by a Japanese legend, Sadako sets out to fold 1,000 origami cranes, hoping she will be granted... Read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Summary

Salt Houses

by Hala Alyan

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Family, Immigration, War

Tags Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

Salt Houses is a 2017 novel by Palestinian-American author Hala Alyan. A multi-generational saga that begins in 1963 and concludes in 2014, the narrative traces the family’s experiences during key events of 20th- and 21st-century Palestinian history. The novel is polyvocal; multiple family members act as narrators. Although the novel provides an in-depth character study of the way that war, displacement, and diaspora impact each family member, it is also a portrait of the Palestinian... Read Salt Houses Summary

Samson Agonistes

by John Milton

Publication year 1671

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Conflict, Gender Identity, Disability, Marriage, War, Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Narrative Poem, Dramatic Literature, British Literature, Restoration, Religion & Spirituality, Trauma & Abuse, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Famed 17th-century English poet and pamphleteer John Milton published Samson Agonistes (a Greek word that can mean “struggle”) in 1671. The work is a dramatic poem and a tragic drama—though Milton announces that it isn’t for the stage. Milton’s work is informed by one episode in a story from the Old Testament, in which the superhuman hero Samson is betrayed by his wife Dalila, loses his strength, and is imprisoned by his foes, the Philistines... Read Samson Agonistes Summary