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The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane (Paperback / softback, 2017)

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The Red Badge of Courage is a war vel by American author Stephen Crane (1871-1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound, a red badge of courage, to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as standard-bearer. Although Crane was born after the war, and had t at the time experienced battle first-hand, the vel is kwn for its realism. He began writing what would become his second vel in 1894, using various contemporary and written accounts (such as those published previously by Century Magazine) as inspiration. It is believed that he based the fictional battle on that of Chancellorsville; he may also have interviewed veterans of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly kwn as the Orange Blossoms. Initially shortened and serialized in newspapers in December 1895, the vel was published in full in October 1895. A longer version of the work, based on Crane's original manuscript, was published in 1983.