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 Paris Agent

by Kelly Rimmer

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Memory, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Nation, War, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History

... Read The Paris Agent Summary

The Passage

by Justin Cronin

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Good & Evil, War

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

The Passage is a 2010 novel by Justin Cronin. It is the first novel in a post-apocalyptic horror series that includes The Twelve and City of Mirrors. The Passage is Cronin’s take on the vampire genre. He uses world-building to examine themes of Passages and Transitions, Vampirism as a Metaphor, and The Value of Life. The Passage was well-received and was adapted into a television series for the Fox Network, which aired its final episode... Read The Passage Summary

The Persians

by Aeschylus

Publication year -1

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Fathers, War, Politics & Government, Wins & Losses

Tags Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Historical Drama, Military & War, European History, Politics & Government

Written and first performed in 472 BC, the ancient Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus is the oldest extant example of the genre. Known as the father of Greek tragedy, Aeschylus was also a veteran of the Greco-Persian wars, on which The Persians is based. Because it depicts recent events, The Persians stands out from other plays of the genre, which for the most part focus on the distant past or mythological heroes. The approach was a... Read The Persians Summary

The Port Chicago 50

by Steve Sheinkin

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes War

Tags Military & War, Social Justice, World War II, Children`s Literature, US History, World History, Arts & Culture

In The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights, historian Steve Sheinkin traces the story of the Port Chicago 50, a group of African-American sailors charged with mutiny for disobeying orders during World War II. Sheinkin’s history opens, however, with the story of Dorie Miller, a black mess attendant stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attack in 1942. Though not trained for battle, Miller courageously begins fighting with an anti-aircraft... Read The Port Chicago 50 Summary

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

by Daniel Yergin

Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Power & Greed, Environment

Tags Military & War, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary

The Pursuit of Love

by Nancy Mitford

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Social Class, Perseverance, Hope, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Economics, War

Tags Romance, Satirical Literature, Humor, Historical Fiction, British Literature

... Read The Pursuit of Love Summary

The Queen of Nothing

by Holly Black

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Conflict, Forgiveness, Love, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Self Discovery, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Gender & Feminism, Leadership, Relationships, Parenting, Trauma & Abuse, Fairy Tale & Folklore

... Read The Queen of Nothing Summary

The Quiet American

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Death, Trust & Doubt, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Military & War, Vietnam War, British Literature, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction

The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a... Read The Quiet American Summary

The Rape of Lucrece

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1594

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes War, Masculinity

Tags Elizabethan Era, Narrative Poem, Trauma & Abuse, Grief & Death, Education, Education, British Literature, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

“The Rape of Lucrece,” written by William Shakespeare, was originally published in 1594 by Richard Field. This poem comes early in Shakespeare’s canon, with its original publication near the end of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, shortly after Taming of the Shrew and around the time of A Midsummer Nights’ Dream. As a companion piece to “Venus and Adonis,” Shakespeare dedicates “The Rape of Lucrece” to the Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley, his patron. It went... Read The Rape of Lucrece Summary

The Rebel

by Albert Camus

Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes War, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Power & Greed

Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Absurdism, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

... Read The Rebel Summary

The Reckoning

by John Grisham

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, War, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Race, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Femininity, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Nation

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism, Military & War, World History

... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Reckoning

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, War, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Published in 2019, The Reckoning is a dark-fantasy romance novel by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It’s the third installment in their popular Zodiac Academy series, which belongs to the subgenres of dark academia and bully romance, and follows Ruthless Fae (2019). Peckham and Valenti are #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling authors known for their interconnected fantasy worlds, with the Zodiac Academy series gaining significant popularity with reader communities on social-media platforms... Read The Reckoning Summary

The Red Badge of Courage

by Stephen Crane

Publication year 1895

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Fear, Shame & Pride

Tags Military & War, American Literature, Historical Fiction, US History, American Civil War, Naturalism, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

The Red Badge of Courage was written in 1895 by Stephen Crane, a novelist, poet, and journalist well known for his naturalist style and for incorporating the inner lives of common and marginalized people. The novel won wide acclaim for Crane, though his life after the book’s publication was distinguished by scandal and money troubles. Its themes reframe the concept of military duty as a rite of passage, detailing a highly individual and self-searching act... Read The Red Badge of Courage Summary

The Red Convertible

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 1974

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Siblings, War, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age

Tags Mental Illness, American Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Content Warning: This guide contains references to war-related trauma, suicide, and systemic racism and violence against Indigenous Americans.“The Red Convertible” is a short story that explores themes of Coming of Age and The Trauma of War through the lives of two young Chippewa men. Protagonist Lyman Lamartine reflects on his relationship with his brother, Henry Junior, before, during, and after Henry’s time serving in the Vietnam War. Lyman focuses on the period when he and... Read The Red Convertible Summary

The Red Pencil

by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Family, War, Art, Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Military & War, Arts & Culture, Education, Gender & Feminism, Coming of Age, African Literature, History: African , Children`s Literature

... Read The Red Pencil Summary