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 Yellow Birds

by Kevin Powers

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, War, Memory

Tags Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Told as a retrospective narrative after the narrator, Bart (John Bartle’s), part in the Iraq war is over, The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, published in 2012 and Finalist for the National Book Award, begins with Bart and the rest of his platoon holding a position atop a building outside of a town called Al Tafar, Iraq, the locale at the novel’s center. Over the course of the novel, subsequent chapters will move backward and... Read The Yellow Birds Summary

They Went Left

by Monica Hesse

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Death, Marriage, Siblings, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies

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

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The Zookeeper's Wife

by Diane Ackerman

Publication year 2007

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, War, Animals

Tags World War II, Holocaust, European History, Animals, Military & War, World History, Biography

The Zookeeper’s Wife, by Diane AckermanThe Zookeeper’s Wife is a non-fiction narrative recounting the heroic efforts of Antonina Żabińska and her husband, Jan Żabiński, during World War II. When soldiers of the Third Reich invade Poland on September 1, 1939, Jan is the ambitious director of the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina is an amazingly gifted woman who connects emotionally with all the animals in the zoo and the multitudes of human visitors and officials drawn to... Read The Zookeeper's Wife Summary

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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Tree of Smoke

by Denis Johnson

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Masculinity, War, Order & Chaos

Tags Military & War, Historical Fiction, Vietnam War

Tree of Smoke (2007) is a novel by Denis Johnson. Set primarily during the Vietnam War, the narrative follows a wide cast of characters, including CIA operatives, soldiers, missionaries, nurses, and double agents. At its center is Colonel Francis X. Sands, a larger-than-life figure who oversees covert psychological warfare operations, while his nephew Skip and others are drawn into the moral and physical chaos of the conflict. Tree of Smoke won the 2007 National Book... Read Tree of Smoke Summary

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

... Read Truman Summary