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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2001
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Nation, Society: War
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Humor, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Military / War, Southern Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy’s 1980 novel set at a military college, chronicles four years in the life of a cadet in training. Conroy, who attended a military college himself, does not shy away from describing the darker side of military training, including relentless, brutal hazing and racism. The novel is divided into four parts, with a brief opening note preceding the story. Before the plot gets underway, protagonist and narrator Will McLean explains... Read The Lords of Discipline Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1902
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Colonialism
Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Victorian Period, Military / War, Class, History: African , History: European, Psychology, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Classic Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Military / War, Cold War, Education, Education, Latin American Literature, Journalism, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government
The Massacre at El Mozote, by Mark Danner, which in its first iteration appeared as a series of articles for The New Yorker, is an in-depth investigation into the events of December 1981 in the small town of El Mozote in northern El Salvador, during the country’s long civil war. Danner proceeds to not only bring these events to light, but also to place them in the global context of the Cold War of the... Read The Massacre at El Mozote Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Incarceration, Politics / Government, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, African American Literature, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1966
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1966) by Robert Heinlein is a classic science fiction novel. It is set in a future in which the Earth has established a penal colony on the Moon. The story follows a revolutionary movement as the Lunar residents rebel against Earth to fight for their economic independence and self-governance. A shorter version of this novel was serialized in The Worlds of If magazine in 1965 and 1966. Robert Heinlein is... Read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Asian Literature, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography, History: European, History: World, Crime / Legal, Technology, WWI / World War I
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1961
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Play: Drama, Southern Gothic, History: U.S., American Literature, Southern Gothic, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
The Night of the Iguana, a play by Tennessee Williams, debuted on Broadway in 1961 and went on to run for a respectable 316 performances. It was also nominated for the Best Play Tony Award and marked Williams’s fourth New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award win for Best American Play. The play was first adapted from some elements of a short story by the same title, which Williams published in 1948 as part of a... Read The Night of the Iguana Summary