the red badge of courage
An early classic of American literature, The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fleming, a young soldier in the Union Army, who flees the battlefield and later returns in shame, seeking to redeem himself by receiving a war wound – a “red badge of courage” – in the conflict.
Hailed for over a century as one of the finest-ever war novels, Crane’s tale is an early example of American realism and naturalism. Even though the author had never seen a battlefield, he has been praised for its accurate and chilling portrait of war.
The Red Badge of Courage was an immediate sensation and soon became an international best seller, cementing Crane as a celebrated literary talent at just 24. It has gone on to become one of the most widely admired books of early American literature.
This unabridged audiobook also includes a brief biography of the author.
Listen to a sample here, narrated by the incomparable Christopher M. Walsh:
