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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 2022
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community
Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, Social Science, Sociology
Publication year 1973
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War
Tags Military / War, Vietnam War, History: World, Biography
If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home is an autobiographical account of writer Tim O'Brien's tour of duty in the Vietnam War. Published in 1973, it was one of the first major autobiographical accounts of the Vietnam War and has been praised extensively for its unflinching look at the horrors of armed conflict. Many critics have called it among the greatest pieces of literature to come out of... Read If I Die in a Combat Zone Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War
Tags History: European, Incarceration, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Italian Literature
If This Is a Man is a Holocaust memoir written by Primo Levi, first published by the small publishing house Francesco de Silva in 1947. The text was out of print by 1952. In June 1958, however, the publisher Enaudi, which had previously rejected the manuscript, republished it with slight revisions, and translations began to appear. Re-publication secured Levi’s status as a canonical writer of the Holocaust.This study guide refers to the English translation of... Read If This Is a Man Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1967
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” is one of Harlan Ellison’s most enduring and popular short stories. It explores themes of dystopia, religion, and technological progress, as well as the dangers of technology. Ellison is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning author and screenwriter whose work often tackles the darker, grittier sides of speculative and science fiction. “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,” a story about a cruel artificial intelligence torturing... Read I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream Summary
Publication year 1864
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: War
Tags Lyric Poem, American Civil War
Publication year 1925
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: War, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Education, Education, Military / War, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“In Another Country” is a short story by Ernest Hemingway first published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1927. Hemingway was one of the most celebrated writers of his time and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. His works include short stories and novels as well as journalism and non-fiction studies, such as Death in the Afternoon (1932), about bullfighting. This guide refers to the version of “In Another Country” reprinted in the 1938... Read In Another Country Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Education, Education, American Literature, Southern Literature
In Country, published in 1985, is Bobbie Ann Mason's debut novel. The story takes place in Hopewell, Kentucky, in 1984, 10 years after the end of US involvement in Vietnam. Mason grew up on a dairy farm outside Mayfield, Kentucky, and is thus well-acquainted with the rural South and its people. The classic coming-of-age story follows protagonist Samantha Hughes (known as Sam) as she seeks to discover the truth about her father and his death... Read In Country Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Immigration, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Play: Drama, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Jewish Literature, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Auto/Biographical Fiction, History: U.S., Colonial America, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Military / War, WWI / World War I
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton is an examination of the infamous Salem witch trials. It analyzes the social, political, and religious factors that caused the crisis to reach unprecedented levels. Norton argues that the English colonists’ war with the Wabanaki confederacy on the Maine frontier was the catalyst that created the conditions for the crisis. Norton, Professor Emeritus of American History at Cornell University, has written... Read In the Devil's Snare Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: African
“In the Shadow of War,” a fictional short story by Nigerian author Ben Okri, was first published in the London magazine West Africa in 1983. Five years later, Okri included a revised version in his collection Stars of the New Curfew, which has been out of print since 2004. This anthology marked a point in Okri’s career during which he began to incorporate more magical and fantastical elements into his otherwise realist writing. Okri was... Read In the Shadow of War Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War
Tags WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Crime / Legal, Military / War, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Biography
Publication year 410
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community, Society: War
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Military / War, Mythology, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1946
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Politics / Government, Military / War, History: European
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: War
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1988
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, African American Literature