Military Reads

Our Military Reads Collection features works that examine military service, conflict, and peace. Representing global perspectives and a broad range of literary genres, these selections explore the impacts of wars both real and imagined on civilians and service members alike.

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Sports


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science / Nature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Education, Technology, Military / War


Publication year 1963

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Satire, Addiction / Substance Abuse, History: European, History: U.S., Military / War, Crime / Legal, Post Modernism, Post-War Era


Publication year 2011

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Immigration

Tags Vietnam War, Military / War, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1865

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, Modernism, American Literature


Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment

Tags History: European, Journalism, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Agriculture, Business / Economics, Food, Education, Grief / Death, History: World, Military / War, Poverty, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Biography

Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich is a collection of 35 first-person oral accounts of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union. Originally published in Russian in 1997, the book was translated into English by Keith Gessen in 2005; it has been translated into almost every European language. Alexievich, a Belarusian investigative journalist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for Voices from Chernobyl in... Read Voices from Chernobyl Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Military / War, History: Middle Eastern, Journalism, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Creative Nonfiction, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government

War, a battle journal by best-selling reporter and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, describes a year in the rugged highlands of Afghanistan with a platoon of American soldiers who face the worst fighting and toughest conditions of any unit in the US military. Published in 2010, the book describes months of mind-numbing danger, multiple firefights per day, injuries and deaths, and matter-of-fact heroism. The men display extreme toughness, gallows humor, and intense mutual loyalty despite the nearly... Read War Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Military / War


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags History: World, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Education, Education, Military / War, History: European


Publication year 1867

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, History: European, Military / War, Philosophy, Relationships, Realism, Russian Literature, History: World

War and Peace is a historical fiction novel by Russian author Leo Tolstoy that was first published between 1865 and 1869. The story charts the alliances and wars between Russia and France at the beginning of the 19th century, following the lives of characters swept along by historical events and examining key themes like Living a Meaningful Life, The Purpose of Suffering, and History and Free Will. Heralded as one of the most important novels... Read War and Peace Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Military / War, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Military / War, Historical Fiction, Animals, Class, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

War Horse is a children’s historical fiction novel by Michael Morpurgo. The book was first published in Great Britain in 1982 by Kaye & Ward and was a runner-up for the Whitbread Book Award in the same year. The book is told from the point of view of a young horse named Joey and chronicles his journey and the relationships he builds with his various owners during World War I. The beloved novel is a... Read War Horse Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 1986

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: World, Japanese Literature

In his 1986 nonfiction work War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian John W. Dower investigates the racism between the United States and the Empire of Japan, as it existed before, during, and after the Second World War. The very nature and understanding of who the enemy was, for both the Anglo-Americans and the Japanese, presented in many forms. On the American side, there was an important... Read War Without Mercy Summary


Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2012

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Education, Education, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy

Water by the Spoonful is a play by Quiara Alegría Hudes. First produced in 2011, it is the secondplay of a series, known as “The Elliot Trilogy.” Water by the Spoonful tells the story of multiple characters connected by familial bonds and online community, and their experiences with trauma and recovery.The play opens with Elliot and Yaz Ortiz, two cousins, meeting at the college where Yaz works as an adjunct music instructor. Yaz has found... Read Water By The Spoonful Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers

Tags Military / War, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Published in 2014, Laura McBride’s first novel, We Are Called to Rise, narrates the story of four Las Vegas residents with different backgrounds whose lives become interconnected after a series of unexpected events leads to a family tragedy. Though they experience seemingly unrelated situations, they eventually play a role in each other’s lives to help heal the trauma created by loss, grief, and family abuse. This guide references the Scribd version of the Simon &... Read We Are Called to Rise Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Asian Literature, Race / Racism, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Japanese Literature, Arts / Culture, WWII / World War II, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary