The Red Badge of Courage

First published in 1895, this profoundly influential short novel brought its young author immediate international fame. Set during the Civil War, it tells of the brutal disillusionment of a young recruit who dreams of the thrill and glory of war, only to find himself fleeing the horror of a battlefield. Shame over his cowardice leads him to seek to redeem himself by being wounded--earning what he calls the "red badge of courage." Praised for its intense and unprecedented realism in portraying the experience of men under fire, and for its immediacy and psychological insight, The Red Badge of Courage has been a beloved bestseller for more than a century.