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.
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Latin American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
2666 (2004) is a novel by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, published one year after Bolaño's death. Centering around a reclusive German author and his role in investigating the ongoing unsolved murders in the fictional city of Santa Teresa, Mexico, 2666 jumps in location, narrative style, location, and characters over its five sections. The novel is widely acclaimed and was adapted into stage plays three times. The New York Times Book Review ranked 2666 as the... Read 2666 Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2005) is a young adult novel by French author and translator Valérie Zenatti. It was first published in French as Une bouteille dans la mer de Gaza. The novel begins when 17-year-old Israeli Tal Levine learns about a bombing at a neighborhood café. She is moved to send a letter in a bottle, which reaches 20-year-old Palestinian Naïm Al-Farjouk. Tal included her email address, and they begin corresponding. Initially... Read A Bottle in the Gaza Sea Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: War, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Space & The Universe
Tags Free verse, Lyric Poem, Spoken Word Poetry, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, Grief / Death, American Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government
Published in 2014, A Brief History of Seven Killings is a literary crime novel by Jamaican writer Marlon James. To serve as the foundation for his novel, James builds the narrative around a singular historical event: the 1976 assassination attempt on Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, whom he fictionalizes as the Singer for thematic effect. James draws on his experiences growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, and on his parents’ careers in law... Read A Brief History of Seven Killings Summary
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Gothic, American Civil War, Southern Literature, American Literature, History: World
William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! (1936) is one of the many texts in Faulkner’s oeuvre that is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. Faulkner is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, a designation earned due to his innovative and stylistic modernist techniques, which he uses to investigate the history and identity of the American South. Faulkner, who grew up in Mississippi and spent the majority of his life there, was deeply... Read Absalom, Absalom Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Military / War, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, British Literature
Written in 2017 by Ken Follett, A Column of Fire is a historical fiction/historical romance novel and the third book in his Kingsbridge series, following The Pillars of the Earth (1989) and World Without End (2007). This novel is a loose sequel to the previous two books and is set against the backdrop of 16th-century Europe. Spanning both decades and continents, it follows the lives of a cast of characters who are caught in the... Read A Column of Fire Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 1964
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, American Civil War, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction
Across Five Aprils (1964) is a young adult (YA) historical novel written by the American children’s book author Irene Hunt. A coming-of-age story, the novel follows young Jethro Creighton through four years of his life from the beginning to the end of the American Civil War. Irene Hunt based the novel largely on the experiences of her own grandfather who, like Jethro, was only nine years old when the Civil War began.The book was Hunt’s... Read Across Five Aprils Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Biography, Politics / Government, History: Middle Eastern
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Military / War, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 1962
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: War, Identity: Language, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, History: African , Afro-Caribbean Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1989
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Military / War, Play: Drama, Crime / Legal, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Arts / Culture, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
A Few Good Men is a play written by Aaron Sorkin and first performed in 1989. The story involves a military lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. The play was well-received, and Sorkin adapted it into a screenplay for the film of the same name (released in 1992), which was a popular and critical success.Plot SummaryA Few Good Men opens as two Marines, Downey and Dawson, recall the details of a nighttime incident... Read A Few Good Men Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage, Society: War, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death
A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government, History: World