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 1997
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Nation
Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 1933
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Travel Literature
Lost Horizon by James Hilton is a utopian novel that introduces the fictional setting of Shangri-La, which would feature in several later utopian works of fiction by other writers. Originally published in 1933, the book was adapted for the screen in 1937 and 1973, as well as for television in 1997. The novel won the Hawthornden Prize, a cash prize awarded for imaginative fiction, and it became an international bestseller under Pocket Books, sometimes credited... Read Lost Horizon Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Play: Drama, Education, Education, Jewish Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Lost in Yonkers is a play by American playwright Neil Simon that premiered in 1991. It centers around Jay Kurnitz, a teenage boy sent with his younger brother, Arty, to live with his grandmother in Yonkers. Many critics consider the play, which debuted to overwhelming critical acclaim, one of Simon’s best works. It explores themes of abbreviated childhood, war, and generational trauma. Lost in Yonkers won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama upon its release, and... Read Lost In Yonkers Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Poverty, WWI / World War I, Russian Literature, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Identity: Mental Health, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Mythology, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Grief / Death, History: World, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Music, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, WWI / World War I, WWII / World War II, Fantasy
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Identity: Femininity
Tags Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Play: Comedy / Satire, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Military / War, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Humor
Lysistrata (411 BCE) was written by the best-known Greek comic poet, the Athenian playwright Aristophanes. We know little of Aristophanes’ life outside of his work. His birth and death cannot be firmly dated, but he was believed to have been born around 460 BCE and died sometime in the mid-380s BCE. His active period, though, is more certain— around 425 to 388 BCE—making him a contemporary of other fifth-century Athenian luminaries like Socrates, Euripides, and... Read Lysistrata Summary
Publication year -1
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Indian Literature, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy
David R. Slavitt’s 2015 translation of the Mahabharata is an abridged, modern English rendition of the ancient Indian epic. Slavitt, an American poet, novelist, and translator, is experienced in translating classical texts for contemporary audiences. His translation seeks to make this foundational work of South Asian literature accessible to modern readers.The Mahabharata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa and was composed between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE. As one of the longest epic... Read Mahabharata Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, British Literature
Maisie Dobbs is the first installment in Jacqueline Winspear’s historical mysteries featuring the eponymous private detective. Winspear was born and grew up in England with a grandfather who was a World War I veteran. His experiences inform some of the background of Maisie Dobbs. Several installments of the series have been New York Times bestsellers or finalists for Agatha or Macavity Awards, which signal achievements in the mystery genre. This guide refers to the Kindle... Read Maisie Dobbs Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Crime / Legal, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Military / War, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography
Manhunt: The Twelve-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (2006) by James L. Swanson is a popular true-crime historical thriller about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865 and the search for the assassin John Wilkes Booth. James Swanson has written several books about Abraham Lincoln and other events in American history including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The book won the Edgar Award, a literary award for fiction and non-fiction works... Read Manhunt Summary
Publication year 1924
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Philosophy, French Literature, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Military / War
Master and Commander is a historical novel by the English writer Patrick O’Brian. It was first published in 1969, although it is set in 1800. O’Brian’s work is meticulously researched, drawing upon documents from the time period such as naval logs, official letters, and memories of sailors who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Many of the naval battles described in the novel are based on real events, particularly Lord Thomas Cochrane’s victory over the superior... Read Master and Commander Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Society: War, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags African Literature, Heinemann African Writers, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Midaq Alley (1947) is a historical realist novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the 1988 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature. In this work, Mahfouz addresses the changes taking place in Egyptian society of the 1940s. The book tells the story of a group of neighbors living in Midaq Alley, a bustling market street, in the poor quarter of Cairo’s historic city center. The story is set at the end of World War II, during Britain’s... Read Midaq Alley Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Society: War
Tags History: World
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Mockingjay, published in 2010 by Scholastic, is the third novel in Suzanne Collins’s bestselling Hunger Games series. The series follows the life of Katniss Everdeen, an adolescent girl living in the futuristic dystopia of Panem. Mockingjay focuses on the civil war between the 13 districts of Panem and the oppressive government of the Capitol. Through Katniss’s experiences in the war, Collins explores cycles of oppression, the meaning of love in wartime, and the power of... Read Mockingjay Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Moon Over Manifest is a 2010 novel by author Claire Vanderpool. It relates the story of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker, a drifting girl in search of her father, a home, and a sense of belonging. When the novel starts, her father, Gideon Tucker, has just sent Abilene to the Kansas town of Manifest, claiming that he can’t take her to Iowa, where he is allegedly taking a railroad job. It is 1936, and the Great Depression... Read Moon Over Manifest Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Politics / Government
Mornings in Jenin is a historical novel that spans the years between 1941 and 2003 and is focused on the Israeli invasion and occupation of Palestine. The author, Susan Abulhawa, is the child of Palestinian refugees and was brought up in several countries, including the United States. She writes the novel from the points of view of several members of a Palestinian family who lose their land, home, and loved ones. The novel relates the... Read Mornings in Jenin Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War
Tags Social Justice, Lyric Poem
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Technology, Class