What can I say - It's a classic, on par with "All's Quiet on the Western Front."
The reality of war and battle and an individual's self assessment within that environment.
I believe this is required reading for all military personnel in leadership roles and rightfully so.
America's greatest novel about the Civil War.
The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature: "Novel of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane, published in 1895 and considered to be his masterwork for its perceptive depiction of warfare and of the psychological turmoil of the soldier. Crane had had no experience of war when he wrote the novel, which he based partly on a popular anthology, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. The Red Badge of Courage has been called the first modern war novel because, uniquely for its time, it tells of the experience of war from the point of view of an ordinary soldier. Henry Fleming is eager to demonstrate his patriotism in a glorious battle, but when the slaughter starts, he is overwhelmed with fear and flees the battlefield. Ironically, he receives his "red badge of courage" when he is slightly wounded by being struck on the head by a deserter. He witnesses a friend's gruesome death and becomes enraged at the injustice of war. The courage of common soldiers and the agonies of death cure him of his romantic notions. He returns to his regiment and continues to fight on with true courage and without illusions."
This book is about a man's story of the Civil War. I thought it was boring. But you might not.
Following its initial appearance in serial form, Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of Courage was published as a complete work in 1895 and quickly became the benchmark for modern anti-war literature.
Although the exact battle is never identified, Crane based this story of a soldiers experiences during the American Civil War on the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville. Many veterans, both Union and Confederate, praised the books accurate representation of war, and critics consider its stylistic strength the mark of a literary classic.
AMAZON.COM BOOK DESCRIPTION
Might be on your college or high school reading list! A classic, none the less.
Classic, that is why I read it.
Excellent classic! About the Civil War era
