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.

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

... Read Chapterhouse: Dune Summary

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

... Read Chip War Summary

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

... Read Chronicles Summary

Churchill's Secret Messenger

by Alan Hlad

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Disability, Femininity, Mental Health, Death, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger

Tags British Literature, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Military & War, Espionage

... Read Churchill's Secret Messenger Summary

Civilization

by Niall Ferguson

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Colonialism, Globalization, Nation, Immigration, Politics & Government, War

Tags World History, Politics & Government, Sociology, Philosophy, Business & Economics, Philosophy

... Read Civilization Summary

Civil Peace

by Chinua Achebe

Publication year 1971

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes War, Colonialism, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, African Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“Civil Peace” is a 1971 short story by Chinua Achebe, one of Africa’s most prominent authors and often considered the father of the modern African novel. The story explores the period that followed the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War (1967-1970). The Igbo people of southeast Nigeria wanted freedom from the Hausa people and proclaimed independence forming the Republic of Biafra. Achebe investigates the period through the lens of his character Jonathan... Read Civil Peace Summary

Cleopatra

by Saara El-Arifi

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Politics & Government, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy

... Read Cleopatra Summary

Clytemnestra

by Costanza Casati

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Femininity, Family, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice

Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, World History

... Read Clytemnestra Summary

Cold Mountain

by Charles Frazier

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Perseverance, Love, The Past, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, American Civil War, Military & War, Literary Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Survival Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction

Cold Mountain (1997) is a novel by Charles Frazier. It tells the story of W.P. Inman, a deserter from the Confederate Army who attempts to return home to his romantic partner, Ada. The novel won the National Book Award and was adapted into an Academy Award–winning film of the same name. This guide refers to the 2011 Sceptre edition. Content Warning: The source text contains discussions of racism, violence, abuse of women and children, and... Read Cold Mountain Summary

Coming Up for Air

by George Orwell

Publication year 1939

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nostalgia, Social Class, The Past, War, Nation, Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Satirical Literature, British Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Coming Up For Air is an interwar novel written by British author George Orwell shortly before the outbreak of World War II. Originally published in 1939, the novel was written in Morocco while Orwell was recovering from injuries received while fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Set in the late 1930s, the novel follows a middle-aged insurance salesman named George Bowling as he struggles with anxieties about the coming war. Like Orwell’s more famous novels... Read Coming Up for Air Summary