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.

The Elite

by Kiera Cass

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Regret, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Literature

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Memory, The Past, Race, Community, Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, Classic Fiction, Romance, World War II

The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary

The Fifth Of March

by Ann Rinaldi

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, American Revolution

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The Fighting Ground

by Avi

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Coming of Age, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, American Revolution, World History

The Fighting Ground, a novel by children’s writer Avi, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who runs away from home to join the American Revolution. The book gives a minute-by-minute account of one day in the boy’s life and the hard lessons he learns about war. First published in 1984, the novel won several honors, including the Scott O’Dell Award, but it was also challenged or banned in some school districts for its use... Read The Fighting Ground Summary

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Aging, Fate, Friendship, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Hate & Anger, Love, War, Grief, Marriage, Fathers, Nostalgia, Hope, Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary

The Forever War

by Joe Haldeman

Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Science & Technology, Politics & Government, Space

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Technology, American Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Joe Haldeman’s science fiction novel The Forever War was published in 1974 and is considered a classic of the genre: Along with Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, The Forever War invented the science fiction war novel. It won the 1975 Nebula Award as well as the 1976 Hugo and Locus awards. Haldeman, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a Purple Heart recipient, infuses his firsthand knowledge of war and military protocols into his futuristic setting... Read The Forever War Summary