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.

This Strange Eventful History

by Claire Messud

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Indigenous Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Military & War, World History, French Literature, Historical Fiction

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Three Day Road

by Joseph Boyden

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Safety & Danger

Tags Military & War, World History, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, World War I

Three Day Road is a harrowing war narrative that details the interconnected lives of several Cree Indians during World War One. Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack are best friends who have lived as bush Indians for most of their lives. They live with Xavier’s aunt, Niska, who has taught Xavier how to live in the old ways. Xavier, in turn, has shown Elijah. One day, the boys hear about a great war taking place in... Read Three Day Road Summary

Toliver's Secret

by Esther Wood Brady

Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, War

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, US History, World History, Historical Fiction, American Revolution, Action & Adventure

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Torpedoed

by Deborah Heiligman

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Nation, War, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Military & War, Children`s Literature

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Translation State

by Ann Leckie

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Love, Gender Identity, Conflict, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Disability, Language, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Education, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, LGBTQ+, Fantasy

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Troilus and Cressida

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1601

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, War, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, British Literature, Military & War

Troilus and Cressida (1602) by William Shakespeare is one of his lesser-known works, often categorized as a “problem play” due to its ambiguous tone that blends elements of tragedy, comedy, and history. Set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, the play traces the doomed love story of Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Cressida, whose loyalty is tested when she is traded to the Greeks. Through its themes of infidelity, romantic disenchantment, and the futility... Read Troilus and Cressida Summary

Troilus and Criseyde

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Publication year 1385

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Marriage, Social Class, War, Beauty, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Medieval, Narrative Poem, Romance, Military & War, Education, Education, World History

Troilus and Criseyde is an epic poem by Geoffrey Chaucer written between 1382 and 1386 in Middle English. The poem is divided into five books and features Chaucer’s innovation, the Rhyme royal stanza form, which is a seven-line stanza in iambic pentameter with an ABABBCC rhyme scheme. The poem is set during the Trojan War and tells the tragic story of Troilus, a prince of Troy who falls in love with a young woman named... Read Troilus and Criseyde Summary

True Grit

by Charles Portis

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Regret, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Teamwork, Nation, War, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

True Grit is a 1968 western novel by Charles Portis that tells the story of Mattie Ross, a determined and headstrong 14-year-old girl from Arkansas who seeks vengeance for her father’s murder. With the unlikely help of Rooster Cogburn, a tough US Marshal, and LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger, Mattie sets out to capture the killer, Tom Chaney. True Grit was an instant bestseller, adapted as a film in 1969 and in 2010. This guide uses the... Read True Grit Summary

Truman

by David McCullough

Publication year 1992

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, War, Nation, Perseverance

Tags Politics & Government, US History, World War II, Crime & Law, World History, Biography

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Unbroken

by Laura Hillenbrand

Publication year 2010

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes War, Shame & Pride

Tags Military & War, World War II, World History, Biography

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a biography by Laura Hillenbrand that tells the life story of Louie Zamperini, an Italian-American from Torrance, California who lived from 1917 to 2014. Published in 2010, Unbroken was a The New York Times bestseller for over four years.Plot SummaryIn his youth, Louie Zamperini was the town troublemaker, a boy who used his cunning to commit acts of petty theft and public nuisance... Read Unbroken Summary

Upheaval

by Jared Diamond

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Mental Health, Economics, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, War

Tags Political Science, Social Science, World History, Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Sociology, Anthropology

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V.

by Thomas Pynchon

Publication year 1963

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Apathy, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Disability, The Past, Future, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Fathers, Colonialism, War, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Addiction & Substance Abuse, European History, US History, Military & War, Crime & Law, Postmodernism, Post-War Era

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