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.

Cosmos

by Carl Sagan

Publication year 1980

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Space, Environment, Place, Perseverance, Hope, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Education, Globalization, War

Tags Science & Nature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

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Cracker

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, Animals, War, Perseverance

Tags Military & War, Historical Fiction, Animals, Action & Adventure

Cynthia Kadohata’s Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam is a work of historical fiction that centers around a dog, Cracker, and her handler, Rick Hanski, during their deployment in Vietnam. It is aimed at an audience of middle-grade readers but is also an enjoyable and educational read for adults. Told from the perspective of both the canine and human main characters, Kadohata reveals the vitally important work conducted by military dogs and their handlers during... Read Cracker Summary

Cross Down

by James Patterson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Family, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military & War, Action & Adventure

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Crossed

by Ally Condie

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Death, Self Discovery, War, Art, Justice, Literature, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Social Justice

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Cryptonomicon

by Neal Stephenson

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction, World War II

Cryptonomicon (1999) is a science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson. Describing events in two different time periods—World War II and an unspecified period in the 1990s—the novel tells the interconnected stories of a large cast of characters. One timeline follows Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse, a mathematician and naval captain who is assigned to a 1942 secret, anti-Nazi cryptographic mission, and the other follows his grandson, Randy, a crypto-hacker uncovering a decades-old conspiracy in the present day... Read Cryptonomicon Summary

Cymbeline

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1623

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Regret, Femininity, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Nation, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, Romance

Cymbeline is a play by William Shakespeare. Its first recorded performance was in 1611, and it was published in the First Folio in 1623. Some scholars have posited that sections may have been written collaboratively. The play is loosely inspired by accounts of the historical British king Cunobeline, but also draws on other sources. It has never been considered a history play, reflecting the looseness of this connection.Cymbeline is king of ancient Britain. His sons... Read Cymbeline Summary

Cyrano de Bergerac

by Edmond Rostand

Publication year 1897

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Beauty, Truth & Lies, Grief, Shame & Pride, War, Literature

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Romance, Life-Inspired Fiction, French Literature, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death, Finance, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction

Cyrano de Bergerac: An Heroic Comedy in Five Acts by Edmond Rostand was originally published in 1898. Rostand was a popular poet and playwright in France during his lifetime. Cyrano de Bergerac is a five-act verse drama—a tragic romance, set in France in the mid-1600s. It was far more popular than all of Rostand’s other works and has been performed and adapted countless times since its initial successful run.Cyrano de Bergerac explores themes of Unrequited... Read Cyrano de Bergerac Summary

Dawn

by Elie Wiesel

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Guilt, Memory, Fate, Good & Evil, War

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Military & War, Relationships, Jewish Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

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Days Without End

by Sebastian Barry

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Family

Tags Western, Historical Fiction, Military & War, LGBTQ+, American Civil War, Race & Racism, World History, Irish Literature

Days Without End (2016) is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry. Days Without End is Barry’s ninth novel and received considerable critical acclaim. The novel won the 2017 Walter Scott Prize, was listed at number 74 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century (2019 edition), and made BBC News’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The novel also won the 2016 Costa Book Award, making Barry... Read Days Without End Summary

Dead Lions

by Mick Herron

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Grandparents, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense

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