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.

Bull Run

by Paul Fleischman

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, War, Siblings

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

Bull Run is a middle-grade historical fiction novel published in 1993. Written by Paul Fleischman, winner of the Newbery Medal and nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award Book, the novel uses 16 alternating Union and Confederate narrators to describe the Battle of Bull Run in the Civil War. Bull Run won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, was named a Best Book by the School Library Journal, and received several other awards. The... Read Bull Run Summary

Burn

by Peter Heller

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Death, Environment, Fathers, Friendship, Politics & Government, War, Safety & Danger

Tags Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure

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Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

by Dee Brown

Publication year 1970

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Politics & Government, Nation, War, Indigenous Identity, Place, Environment

Tags US History, Military & War, Race & Racism, Politics & Government, World History, Classic Fiction

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, a nonfiction history by librarian and historian Dee Brown, was published in 1970 and became a widely influential bestseller. Dee Brown (full name Dorris Alexander Brown) was the author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books. As a librarian at the University of Illinois, he had access to the primary historical records from the late 19th century that became the main... Read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Summary

By the Waters of Babylon

by Stephen Vincent Benét

Publication year 1937

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Science & Technology, War

Tags Science Fiction, Technology, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Stephen Vincent Benét lived from 1898 to 1943. Much of his writing examines subjects from American history, including his highly acclaimed narrative poem John Brown’s Body. Benét won four Pulitzer Prizes, including one for “By the Waters of Babylon.” First published in 1937 in The Saturday Evening Post as “The Place of the Gods,” the postapocalyptic story follows a young man’s journey for truth and explores the themes of The Destruction of War, Coming of... Read By the Waters of Babylon Summary

Caliban's War

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Love, Disability, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Future, Climate, Environment, Objects & Materials, Family, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Military & War

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Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History

by Bill Schutt

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Nature Versus Nurture, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Science & Nature, World History, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Animals

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Captive Prince

by C. S. Pacat

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Romance

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Ceremony

by Leslie Marmon Silko

Publication year 1977

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Grief, War

Tags Western, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko is a 1977 historical novel that won the American Book Award in 1980; it was Silko’s first novel and is now regarded as a classic piece of literature. Ceremony follows Tayo, a young Laguna Pueblo veteran who is now struggling to cope with Alienation and Isolation in Post-WWII America. Traditional Laguna Pueblo legends parallel Tayo’s journey and explore themes of The Power of Stories and Adapting Tradition to the Present.Ceremony... Read Ceremony Summary

Channel Firing

by Thomas Hardy

Publication year 1914

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes War, Religion & Spirituality, Conflict

Tags Lyric Poem, Satirical Literature, Military & War, Victorian Period, Christian

English poet and novelist Thomas Hardy wrote “Channel Firing” in May of 1914, only three months before the beginning of WWI. Eerily prophetic, the poem depicts the global chaos and destruction that soon followed. Overlaid by tones of satire and irony, the poem details the violence of war and humanity’s age-old proclivity toward it through a conversation between God and the dead. Hardy, although best known for his earlier novels, received positive reception concerning war... Read Channel Firing Summary

Chapterhouse: Dune

by Frank Herbert

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Femininity, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, Future, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

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Chip War

by Chris Miller

Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Future, Teamwork, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Science & Technology

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

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Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition

by Álvar Núñez Cabeza De Vaca

Publication year 1542

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, War, Nation, Race, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed

Tags World History, Latin American Literature, Christian, Creative Nonfiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism, Renaissance

The Chronicle of the Narváez Expedition by Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was originally written in 1542, with a reprint in 1555. The chronicle follows Cabeza de Vaca’s memories of his survival after the expedition (led by Pánfilo de Narváez) failed and broke apart, and his subsequent peregrinations through the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. His chronicle stands as an important primary document of the age of the conquistadores. Of particular importance are Cabeza... Read Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition Summary

Chronicles

by Jean Froissart

Publication year 1400

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes War, Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Social Class

Tags European History, Medieval, Military & War, Social Class, Religion & Spirituality, World History, French Literature, Classic Fiction

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