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.

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Cold War, Post-War Era, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

The Chrysalids is a young-adult science fiction novel, written by John Wyndham and first published in 1955. Wyndham was a renowned science fiction author of the post-World War II era, and many of his works are thus inspired by a potential nuclear apocalypse. The Chrysalids was well-received by critics and is considered one of Wyndham’s best novels. It was adapted into a BBC radio play in 1982 and a play in 1999.This guide utilizes the... Read The Chrysalids Summary


Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 1999

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Military / War, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Technology, Technology


Publication year 1981

Genre Poem, Fiction

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

Tags Prose poetry, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Future, Society: War, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Social Science, History: World, Politics / Government

The Competitive Advantage of Nations is a 1990 work of economics by American author Michael E. Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert in corporate competitive strategy whose influential works are frequently cited in business and economics. In this book, Porter dismantles traditional economic theories about how well a nation fares in global competition (factor costs and macro-economic policy) and proposes a model that focuses on active and malleable factors of business rather than... Read The Competitive Advantage Of Nations Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1983

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Military / War, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: War

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Chinese Literature


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government

The Day of the Jackal is a 1971 thriller by Frederick Forsyth. The novel is centered around a professional assassin, known only as the Jackal, who is hired by a French paramilitary group to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. Forsyth’s realistic, research-based writing style builds suspense through a detailed account of the cat-and-mouse chase that spans across Europe, showcasing the complexities of security and espionage during a tumultuous political era. The novel has been... Read The Day of the Jackal Summary


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature

Panamanian-born Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes wrote The Death of Artemio Cruz (La Muerte de Artemio Cruz) in 1962. It was Fuentes’s third novel and established him as a major figure in Latin American literature. The novel belongs to the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s, which saw the translation of major works of Latin American writers, such as Julio Cortázar (Argentina) and Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), for circulation in Europe and the United... Read The Death of Artemio Cruz Summary


Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Ancient Rome, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, History: European, Classical Period, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

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


Publication year 1954

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“The Destructors” is a frequently anthologized short story by Graham Greene (1904-1991) originally published in 1954. Greene is often regarded as one of the greatest British writers of the 20th century. His work was commercially and critically successful and was frequently adapted into films and television shows. An adaptation of “The Destructors” was included in the 1970s television series Shades of Greene. His work often reflects his Catholic values as well as his life-long battles... Read The Destructors Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Russian Literature, History: World, Romance


Publication year 1947

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

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

Tags History: European, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Education, Education, Military / War, Classic Fiction, Biography

Written between 1942 and 1944, The Diary of Anne Frank, aka The Diary of a Young Girl, is a collection of journal entries by Anne Frank, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, while in hiding with her family for two years in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. When Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, her diary was given to her father, Otto Frank, the only known survivor of the family. The diary was first published... Read The Diary of a Young Girl Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, History: European, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Romance


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Gender / Feminism, Magical Realism, Jewish Literature, Grief / Death, History: World

The Dovekeepers (2011) is a historical fiction novel by Alice Hoffman, set in ancient Israel in 70-73 CE. Infused with magical realism, the book is a dramatized feminist retelling of the Siege of Masada, an event in which 960 Jews resisted the onslaught of Roman forces for nine months. The siege took place in the rugged mountain fortress of Masada and left only seven survivors: two women and five children. In Hoffman’s telling, the narrative... Read The Dovekeepers Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism