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Books about Tragedy
In Our Time
by Ernest Hemingway
A collection of short stories exploring themes of war, nature, and human relationships.
First published in 1925, earning Hemingway praise as a promising American writer. Contains several early Hemingway classics, including the famous Nick Adams stories. This volume introduces readers to ... (Goodreads)
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam
by Harold G. Moore
An account of the Battle of Ia Drang in Vietnam, told from the perspective of the soldiers who fought it.
Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was We Were Soldiers ... (Goodreads)
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Tragic romance of two star-crossed lovers, torn apart by the feuding of their families.
In Romeo and Juliet , Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a ... (Goodreads)
The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone
by Sophocles
Ancient tragedy of a family's fall from grace due to a fateful prophecy.
English versions of Sophocles’ three great tragedies based on the myth of Oedipus, translated for a modern audience by two gifted poets. Index. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Absalom, Absalom!
by William Faulkner
A tangled web of family secrets, betrayal, and tragedy in the American South.
Absalom, Absalom! details the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen , a white man born into poverty in West Virginia who moves to Mississippi with the complementary aims of gaining wealth and becoming a ... (Wikipedia)
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
by Erik Larson
Exploration of Lusitania's fateful voyage and its lasting impact on World War I.
#1 New York Times Bestseller,From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the, Lusitania, On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides
by Aeschylus
Tragedy of a cursed family and their struggle to find the truth and justice.
Alternate cover edition can be found, here,, here,, here,, here, In the Oresteia—the only trilogy in Greek drama which survives from antiquity—Aeschylus took as his subject the bloody chain of murder ... (Goodreads)
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
An absurdist war satire highlighting the absurdity of bureaucracy and the human condition.
Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to ... (Goodreads)
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel García Márquez
Epic tale of seven generations of a family's tumultuous history, in the fictional Colombian town of Macondo.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of seven generations of the Buendía Family in the town of Macondo . The founding patriarch of Macondo, José Arcadio Buendía, and Úrsula Iguarán, his wife ... (Wikipedia)
Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare
Tragedy of political power and ambition as Rome's leader is betrayed by those closest to him.
The Oxford School Shakespeare has become the preferred introduction to the literary legacy of the greatest playwright in the English language. This exclusive collection of the Bard's best works has ... (Goodreads)
Twelfth Night
by William Shakespeare
An intertwined story of mistaken identity, love, and hilarity in a world of deception.
Named for the twelfth night after Christmas, the end of the Christmas season, Twelfth Night plays with love and power. The Countess Olivia, a woman with her own household, attracts Duke (or Count) ... (Goodreads)
Augustus
by John Williams
Epic historical novel about the life and reign of the first Roman Emperor Augustus.
Told through various letters and fragments, Augustus begins when Gaius Octavius Thurinus is 17 and is called away from his mother by his great-uncle, Julius Caesar , who reveals he intends to groom ... (Wikipedia)
King Lear
by William Shakespeare
An aging king's descent into madness reveals the consequences of pride and vanity.
Shakespeare’s King Lear challenges us with the magnitude, intensity, and sheer duration of the pain that it represents. Its figures harden their hearts, engage in violence, or try to alleviate the ... (Goodreads)
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
by Erik Larson
Story of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and one man's desperate struggle to save his city.
September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange ... (Goodreads)
Columbine
by Dave Cullen
Investigation into the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, exploring the perpetrators and the aftermath.
"The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . . " So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a ... (Goodreads)
A Fatal Grace
by Louise Penny
An intricate murder mystery set in a small Canadian town, as the investigating detective unravels truth and justice.
Inspector Gamache investigates after CC de Poitiers, a sadistic socialite, is fatally electrocuted at a Christmas curling competition in the small Québécois town of Three Pines. CC, who had a ... (Wikipedia)
Salomé
by Oscar Wilde
A retelling of the Biblical story of a young woman's defiance and seductive power.
Outraged by the sexual perversity of this one-act tragedy, Great Britain's Lord Chamberlain banned Salomé from the national stage. Symbolist poets and writers — Stéphane Mallarmé and Maurice ... (Goodreads)
A Night to Remember
by Walter Lord
An account of the fateful night of the sinking of the Titanic, told through the stories of survivors.
First published in 1955, A Night to Remember remains a completely riveting account of the Titanic 's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some ... (Goodreads)
Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories
by Truman Capote
Collection of stories, exploring the lives of eccentric individuals in New York City.
In autumn 1943, the unnamed narrator befriends Holly Golightly. The two are tenants in a brownstone apartment in Manhattan 's Upper East Side . Holly (age 18–19) is a country girl turned New York ... (Wikipedia)
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
An aging Cuban fisherman's battle with a giant marlin, a journey of courage and determination.
The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of a battle between an aging, experienced fisherman, Santiago, and a large marlin . The story opens with Santiago having gone 84 days without catching a fish, ... (Wikipedia)
The Seagull
by Anton Chekhov
A tale of unrequited love and personal frustrations set in a rural Russian town.
The play takes place on a country estate owned by Pyotr Sorin, a retired senior civil servant in failing health. He is the brother of the actress Irina Arkadin, who has just arrived at the estate for ... (Wikipedia)
Oedipus Rex
by Sophocles
Tragic tale of a man's inescapable destiny and the consequences of his actions.
Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask advice of the oracle at Delphi , concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. Creon returns to report that the plague is the result of ... (Wikipedia)
La Dame aux Camélias
by Alexandre Dumas (Fils)
A young woman's descent into a life of debauchery and its consequences.
One of the greatest love stories of all time, this novel has fascinated generations of readers. Dumas's subtle and moving portrait of a woman in love is based on his own love affair with one of the ... (Goodreads)
Anna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy
Epic tale of forbidden love between a married woman and a soldier, set against the backdrop of 19th century Russian society.
Acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel, Anna Karenina provides a vast panorama of contemporary life in Russia and of humanity in general. In it Tolstoy uses his intense imaginative insight ... (Goodreads)
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
by Stephen Fry
Reimagining of classic Greek myths, with a modern twist.
Mythos is a modern collection of Greek myths, stylishly retold by legendary writer, actor, and comedian Stephen Fry. Fry transforms the adventures of Zeus and the Olympians into emotionally resonant ... (Goodreads)
Medea
by Euripides
Tragedy of a woman's vengeful wrath against her husband and his family.
One of the most powerful and enduring of Greek tragedies, Medea centers on the myth of Jason, leader of the Argonauts, who has won the dragon-guarded treasure of the Golden Fleece with the help of ... (Goodreads)
Eugene Onegin
by Alexander Pushkin
A poetic novel of unrequited love and tragic consequences, set in early 19th century Russia.
In the 1820s, Eugene Onegin is a bored St. Petersburg dandy , whose life consists of balls, concerts, parties, and nothing more. Upon the death of a wealthy uncle, he inherits a substantial fortune ... (Wikipedia)
American Pastoral
by Philip Roth
A man's experience of the American Dream gone wrong, as his daughter's political radicalism unravels his family life.
Seymour Irving Levov is born and raised in the Weequahic section of Newark, New Jersey , in 1927 as the elder son of a successful Jewish American glove manufacturer, Lou Levov, and his wife Sylvia. ... (Wikipedia)
Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table
by Thomas Malory
Epic tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, their chivalrous adventures and ultimate demise.
Ο Αρθούρος, ο Λάνσελοτ, ο Μέρλιν, η βασίλισσα Γκουίνεβιαρ, το Εξκάλιμπερ, η Κυρά της Λίμνης, ο Τρίστραμ και η Ιζόλδη, οι μονομαχίες, οι ηρωισμοί, οι δολοπλοκίες, η γενναιότητα - και φυσικά η ... (Goodreads)
The Return of the Native
by Thomas Hardy
A story of a man's ill-fated love, set against the wild landscape of rural England.
The novel takes place entirely in the environs of Egdon Heath , and, with the exception of the epilogue, Aftercourses , covers exactly a year and a day. The narrative begins on the evening of Guy ... (Wikipedia)
Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks
A small English village grapples with the effects of the bubonic plague.
When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of ... (Goodreads)
A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
A story of unrequited love in the midst of war.
The novel is divided into five sections or 'books'. Frederic Henry is first person narrator of the story. Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American paramedic , is serving in the Italian Army . The novel ... (Wikipedia)
Requiem for a Dream
by Hubert Selby Jr.
A tale of four characters and their struggles with addiction, leading to a devastating climax.
This story follows the lives of Sara Goldfarb, her son Harry, his girlfriend Marion Silver, and his best friend Tyrone C. Love, who are all searching for the key to their dreams in their own ways. In ... (Wikipedia)
Coriolanus
by William Shakespeare
A tragedy of power, betrayal, and ambition, exploring the consequences of pride.
After the exotic eroticism of Antony and Cleopatra , Shakespeare returned to Rome for one of his final tragedies, and the change could not have been more dramatic. Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's ... (Goodreads)
The Other Boleyn Girl
by Philippa Gregory
A historical fiction recounting the rivalry between two sisters vying for the love of King Henry VIII.
In 1521 England, Queen Catherine of Aragon's failure to provide King Henry VIII a male heir has strained their marriage. Thomas Boleyn and his brother-in-law Thomas Howard, the Duke of Norfolk, plan ... (Wikipedia)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
An epic search for the truth, discovering the power of love and the beauty of forgiveness.
A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without ... (Goodreads)
Antigone; Oedipus the King; Electra
by Sophocles
Tragedy of family strife and the consequences of prideful actions.
This volume contains three masterpieces by the Greek playwright Sophocles, widely regarded since antiquity as the greatest of all the tragic poets. The vivid translations, which combine elegance and ... (Goodreads)
King Richard the Third
by William Shakespeare
A tragedy of ambition, deceit, and treachery as a villainous king rises to power.
This edition of Richard III features seven scenes, opening with the Duke of Gloucester’s villainous “Winter of our discontent” speech and followed by his audacious wooing of Lady Anne. Queen ... (Goodreads)
The Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller
Epic tale of love and war, featuring the legendary Greek hero Achilles.
Patroclus , the son of King Menoetius , is presented as a potential suitor to Helen . He is then obliged to take a blood oath in defense of her marriage to Menelaus . After Patroclus accidentally ... (Wikipedia)
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
by Helen Rappaport
Chronicles the lives of Tsar Nicholas II's daughters, and their struggle to survive the Russian Revolution.
A 12-WEEK NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Helen Rappaport paints a compelling portrait of the doomed grand duchesses." —,People, magazine "The public spoke of the sisters in a gentile, superficial manner, ... (Barnes & Noble)
L'Assommoir
by Émile Zola
An exploration of poverty and alcoholism in the Parisian working class.
The novel is principally the story of Gervaise Macquart, who is featured briefly in the first novel in the series,, La Fortune des Rougon, , running away to Paris with her shiftless lover Lantier to ... (Wikipedia)
Agamemnon
by Aeschylus
Ancient Greek tragedy about the return of Agamemnon from the Trojan War, and the consequences of his choices.
Treating ancient plays as living drama. Classical Greek drama is brought vividly to life in this series of new translations. Students are encouraged to engage with the text through detailed ... (Goodreads)
The Complete Works
by William Shakespeare
A comprehensive collection of works, containing plays, sonnets, and narrative poems.
Tempest Two Gentlemen of Verona Merry Wives of Windsor Measure for Measure Comedy of Errors Much Ado About Nothing Love's Labour's Lost Midsummer Night's Dream Merchant of Venice As You Like It ... (Goodreads)
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
by Jon Krakauer
A gripping narrative of the 1996 expedition on Mount Everest that resulted in tragedy.
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. ... (Goodreads)
Winter of the World
by Ken Follett
Epic saga of war, family, and love during the tumultuous times of the 20th century.
The story follows characters from Germany , Britain , the United States and the Soviet Union , who become linked by events leading to World War II , and continues through the war and its immediate ... (Wikipedia)
Hiroshima
by John Hersey
Tragic account of the devastating atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atom bomb ever dropped on a city. This book, John Hersey's journalistic masterpiece, tells what happened on that day. Told through the memories ... (Goodreads)
Othello
by William Shakespeare
A tale of jealousy, manipulation, and tragedy, as one man's descent into madness leads to disastrous consequences.
In Othello, Shakespeare creates a powerful drama of a marriage that begins with fascination (between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona), with elopement, and with intense mutual ... (Goodreads)
Gods and Generals
by Jeff Shaara
Epic saga of the American Civil War, recounting the experiences of its heroes and leaders.
Copying his father's approach of focusing on the most important officers of the two armies ( General Robert E. Lee , Major General Winfield Scott Hancock , Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson , ... (Wikipedia)
Forever
by Pete Hamill
A love story of two star-crossed lovers who span the ages, testing the power of eternal love.
This widely acclaimed bestseller is the magical, epic tale of an extraordinary man who arrives in New York in 1740 and remains . . . forever. Through the eyes of Cormac O'Connor – granted immortality ... (Goodreads)
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
by Victor Hugo
A story of love, loyalty and redemption set amidst the stunning architecture of 15th century Paris.
The story is set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI . The Romani Esmeralda (born as Agnes) captures the hearts of many men, including those of Captain Phoebus and Pierre Gringoire , but ... (Wikipedia)
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
by Nathaniel Philbrick
True account of a whaling ship's disastrous voyage and the survivors' struggle for survival.
"With its huge, scarred head halfway out of the water and its tail beating the ocean into a white-water wake more than forty feet across, the whale approached the ship at twice its original speed - ... (Goodreads)
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
by Stephen E. Ambrose
An epic narrative of the American soldiers of Easy Company during World War II.
As good a rifle company as any, Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, US Army, kept getting tough assignments–responsible for everything from parachuting into France early DDay morning to the ... (Goodreads)
Sarah's Key
by Tatiana de Rosnay
A French journalist unravels an untold story of the Holocaust, uncovering hidden secrets.
From beloved international sensation and #1, New York Times, bestselling author Tatiana de Rosnay come's her most celebrated novel, Sarah's Key,—now in mass market paperback!, Paris, July 1942: ... (Barnes & Noble)
Poetics
by Aristotle
A philosophical treatise on the nature of tragedy and its effects on audiences.
‘The plot is the source and the soul of tragedy’ In his near-contemporary account of Greek tragedy, Aristotle examines the dramatic elements of plot, character, language and spectacle that combine to ... (Goodreads)
In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
by Doug Stanton
True story of the sinking of US Navy cruiser Indianapolis and the harrowing survival of its crew.
A harrowing, adrenaline-charged account of America's worst naval disaster — and of the heroism of the men who, against all odds, survived., On July 30, 1945, the USS, Indianapolis, was torpedoed in ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Bacchae
by Euripides
A classic tragedy exploring the clash of divine and mortal power and the consequences of hubris.
The play begins before the palace at Thebes, with Dionysus telling the story of his birth and his reasons for visiting the city. Dionysus explains he is the son of a mortal woman, Semele, and a god, ... (Wikipedia)
If We Were Villains
by M.L. Rio
A group of friends, studying Shakespeare at a private university, become entangled in a mystery.
The evening before he is due to be released on parole after serving ten years for an unspecified crime, Oliver Marks is approached by the lead investigator on his case, Detective Colborne. Suspicious ... (Wikipedia)
The Sorrows of Young Werther
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A young man's struggle to reconcile his intense emotions with the realities of society.
This is Goethe's first novel, published in 1774. Written in diary form, it tells the tale of an unhappy, passionate young man hopelessly in love with Charlotte, the wife of a friend - a man who he ... (Goodreads)
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
A tragic love story between a mysterious masked figure and the woman he loves.
In the 1880s, in Paris , the Palais Garnier Opera House is believed to be haunted by an entity known as the Phantom of the Opera, or simply the Opera Ghost. A stagehand named Joseph Buquet is found ... (Wikipedia)
The Complete Poetry
by Edgar Allan Poe
Collection of dark, romantic, and macabre poems exploring the depths of the human experience.
The eerie tales of Edgar Allan Poe remain among the most brilliant, enduring, and influencial works in American literature. But Poe is also the author of some of the most haunting poetry ever ... (Goodreads)
A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph
by Sheldon Vanauken
An exploration of faith and love in the wake of tragedy and unexpected grace.
A heart-rending love story described by its author as “the spiritual autobiography of a love rather than of the lovers” about the author’s marriage and search for faith. Vanauken chronicles the birth ... (Goodreads)
A Bridge Too Far
by Cornelius Ryan
Historical account of the Liberation of Europe during WWII, focusing on the Battle of Arnhem.
A Bridge Too Far, is Cornelius Ryan's masterly chronicle of the Battle of Arnhem, which marshalled the greatest armada of troop-carrying aircraft ever assembled and cost the Allies nearly twice as ... (Goodreads)
Four Great Tragedies: Hamlet / Othello / King Lear / Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
Exploration of human nature and the consequences of ambition, delusion, and revenge.
The greatest tragic plays of William Shakespeare–including, Hamlet,, Othello,, King Lear, and, Macbeth,. What is tragedy? The Elizabethans defined it as a "lofty" play showing "personages of great ... (Goodreads)
The Book of Bunny Suicides
by Andy Riley
A collection of darkly comic tales featuring a group of suicidal bunnies.
Rabbits. We'll never quite know why, but sometimes they decide they've just had enough of this world- and that's when they start getting inventive. The Book of Bunny Suicides follows over one hundred ... (Goodreads)
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
by Candice Millard
The riveting story of the assassination of President Garfield, a tragedy of medical science and mistake.
James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired ... (Goodreads)
Nicholas and Alexandra
by Robert K. Massie
An epic saga about the last Tsar of Russia and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
The story of the love that ended an empire. In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story ... (Goodreads)
His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae
by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Historical fiction on a haunting trial of a young man accused of a triple murder.
Man Booker Prize Finalist., LA Times, Book Prize Finalist., New York Times, Editor’s Choice. American Booksellers Association National Indie Bestseller! Named on “Best Book” lists by, Newsweek,, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Antigone
by Sophocles
A tragedy about a woman's struggle to uphold justice amidst oppressive laws.
The curse placed on Oedipus lingers and haunts a younger generation in this new and brilliant translation of Sophocles' classic drama. The daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone is an ... (Goodreads)
The Book of Speculation
by Erika Swyler
A young librarian unravels a centuries-old mystery, tracing the origins of his family's past.
Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding ... (Goodreads)
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II
by Mitchell Zuckoff
A gripping account of a WWII aircrew's crash and subsequent survival, and a modern-day investigation into the tragedy.
Frozen in Time is a gripping true story of survival, bravery, and honor in the vast Arctic wilderness during World War II, from Mitchell Zuckoff, the author of New York Times bestseller Lost in ... (Barnes & Noble)
Cuentos de Amor de Locura y de Muerte
by Horacio Quiroga
A collection of stories focusing on love, madness, and death.
Constituye la obra cumbre del autor, en las breves y apasionantes historias que componen el libro, la intriga, el drama y el misterio se desbordan y nos invaden. Quiroga es aquí consagrado como uno ... (Goodreads)
To Build a Fire
by Jack London
A man's struggle for survival in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.
"To Build a Fire" is one of Jack London's most beloved short stories. A heartbreaking tale set in the vast wintry landscape of the North, it endures as one of the greatest adventures ever written. ... (Goodreads)
Hamlet: Screenplay, Introduction And Film Diary
by Kenneth Branagh
A reimagined version of Shakespeare's classic play, told through film.
Often credited with creating a popular movie audience for Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh has wanted for many years to bring to the screen the complete, full-length version of Hamlet , Shakespeare's ... (Goodreads)
The Sixteen Trees of the Somme
by Lars Mytting
A young man embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets of his family's past, leading him to the battlefields of World War I.
An engrossing literary novel about a family mystery, revenge, and forgiveness by the bestselling author of, Norwegian Wood, and, The Bell in the Lake, The Sixteen Trees of the Somme is an intricately ... (Barnes & Noble)
Désirée
by Annemarie Selinko
A young woman's journey to find her place in a world of conflicting expectations and social expectations.
The stunning, massively bestselling story of Napoleon's first fiancé, First published in 1953, this riveting true-life tale comes to life in diary form, giving readers an inside glimpse at the young ... (Goodreads)
Going Solo
by Roald Dahl
A young man's adventures as a fighter pilot in WWII, his courage and resilience in the face of danger.
The book started with Dahl's voyage to Africa in 1938, which was prompted by his desire to find adventure after finishing school. , He was on a boat heading towards Dar es Salaam for his new job ... (Wikipedia)
Blood Wedding
by Federico García Lorca
A tragedy of forbidden love, exploring the power of fate and the consequences of passion.
As the play opens, The Mother speaks with her son, The Groom. Act I reveals that The Groom's father was killed a few years ago by men from the Felix family. When The Groom asks for a knife to cut ... (Wikipedia)
Lord of the Silver Bow
by David Gemmell
Epic adventure of a young Greek prince facing a war of mythic proportions.
He is a man of many names. Some call him the Golden One; others, the Lord of the Silver Bow. To the Dardanians, he is Prince Aeneas. But to his friends, he is Helikaon . Strong, fast, quick of mind, ... (Goodreads)
The Last Full Measure
by Jeff Shaara
Epic story of the battles of Gettysburg, Antietam, and Chickamauga as told through the eyes of the soldiers and officers who fought them.
Librarian's note: An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here . In the Pulitzer prize-winning classic The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara created the finest Civil War novel of our ... (Goodreads)
The Guards
by Ken Bruen
An alcoholic detective investigates a murder in Galway, Ireland, while battling his own demons and corrupt colleagues.
Still stinging from his unceremonious ouster from the Garda Síochána—the Guards, Ireland’s police force—and staring at the world through the smoky bottom of his beer mug, Jack Taylor is stuck in ... (Goodreads)
Ward No. 6 and Other Stories
by Anton Chekhov
Collection of stories depicting the struggles of life in late 19th century Russia.
Ward No. 6 and Other Stories, by Anton Chekhov, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics (1899), as well as several lesser-known works, no less masterful in their composition. David Plante is a ... (Goodreads)
Brilliance of the Moon
by Lian Hearn
A young man's adventures as he embarks on a quest to become a samurai and find his place in a new world.
Soon after Kaede and Takeo's marriage, messengers arrive at Terayama from his Uncles with a threat, and the head of Ichiro, his old teacher. The Otori army lies in wait to ambush him, so Takeo leads ... (Wikipedia)
Hate List
by Jennifer Brown
A high school student's journey through grief, guilt, and ultimately, redemption.
For readers of Marieke Nijkamp's, This Is Where It Ends, a powerful and timely contemporary classic about the aftermath of a school shooting. Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Antigone
by Jean Anouilh
Tragic story of a woman's courage to defy the law in pursuit of justice.
Antigone was originally produced in Paris in 1942, when France was an occupied nation and part of Hitler's Europe. The play depicts an authoritarian regime and the play's central character, the young ... (Goodreads)
Innocent Traitor
by Alison Weir
A historical novel about Lady Jane Grey, her tumultuous reign as Queen of England, and her tragic fate.
The story starts with her birth in 1537. The daughter of Lady Frances Brandon and Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk , Jane is seen as a burden by her parents, both of whom resent her for being a girl ... (Wikipedia)
A Map of the World
by Jane Hamilton
A story of tragedy, resilience and redemption, revealing the fragility of life.
One unremarkable June morning, Alice Goodwin is, as usual, trying to keep in check both her temper and her tendency to blame herself for her family's shortcomings. When the Goodwins took over the ... (Goodreads)
Fearless: The Heroic Story of One Navy SEAL's Sacrifice in the Hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the Unwavering Devotion of the Woman Who Loved Him
by Eric Blehm
A tribute to a fallen Navy SEAL and the enduring love of his wife.
Go deep into SEAL Team SIX, straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators. When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Birth of Tragedy
by Friedrich Nietzsche
A philosophical exploration of the nature of tragedy, and its role in the development of culture & civilization.
A compelling argument for the necessity for art in life, Nietzsche's first book is fuelled by his enthusiasms for Greek tragedy, for the philosophy of Schopenhauer and for the music of Wagner, to ... (Goodreads)
The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank
by Willy Lindwer
Documentary film of the last seven months of Anne Frank's life in the Secret Annex.
The "unwritten" final chapter of "Anne Frank: Diary Of A Young Girl" tells the story of the time between Anne Frank's arrest and her death through the testimony of six Jewish women who survived the ... (Goodreads)
The Auschwitz Escape
by Joel C. Rosenberg
A thrilling story of courage, faith, and heroism as a group of prisoners attempt to escape the horrors of Auschwitz.
ECPA 2015 Christian Book Award Finalist! 2014 finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards! Evil, unchecked, is the prelude to genocide. As the Nazi war machine rolls across Europe, young Jacob Weisz is ... (Barnes & Noble)
Train to Pakistan
by Khushwant Singh
Peasant villagers in India during partition, forced to confront the brutality of sectarian violence.
“In the summer of 1947, when the creation of the state of Pakistan was formally announced, ten million people—Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs—were in flight. By the time the monsoon broke, almost a ... (Goodreads)
The Highwayman
by Alfred Noyes
A tragic love story between a highwayman and a landlord's daughter, ending in betrayal and death.
In Alfred Noyes's thrilling poem, charged with drama and tension, we ride with the highwayman and recoil from the terrible fate that befalls him and his sweetheart Bess, the landlord's daughter. The ... (Goodreads)
Medea and Other Plays
by Euripides
Classic Greek tragedy exploring the human experience through stories of revenge and justice.
Four plays which exemplify his interest in flawed, characters who defy the expectations of Greek society The four tragedies collected in this volume all focus on a central character, once powerful, ... (Goodreads)
The Onion Field
by Joseph Wambaugh
A true crime story retelling a tragic kidnapping and its aftermath.
This is the frighteningly true story of two young cops and two young robbers whose separate destinies fatally cross one March night in a bizarre execution in a deserted Los Angeles field. ... (Goodreads)
Nothing Holds Back the Night
by Delphine de Vigan
An exploration of a family's complex past and its impact on the present.
La douleur de Lucile, ma mère, a fait partie de notre enfance et plus tard de notre vie d’adulte, la douleur de Lucile sans doute nous constitue, ma sœur et moi, mais toute tentative d’explication ... (Goodreads)
Tall, Dark & Hungry
by Lynsay Sands
A vampire and a mortal woman in a passionate and dangerous love affair.
It bites: New York hotels cost an arm and a leg, and Terri had flown from England to help plan her cousin’s wedding. The new in-laws offered lodging. But they were a weird bunch. There was the ... (Goodreads)
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
by Peter Cameron
A coming-of-age story of a teenage boy struggling to cope with change and life's struggles.
James Sveck, 18, is an isolated young adult caught in the summer before he is to begin college at Brown University . The only person in his life with whom he is able to successfully relate is his ... (Wikipedia)
Young Men and Fire
by Norman Maclean
A non-fiction account of the 1949 Mann Gulch forest fire tragedy and the brave men who fought it.
On August 5, 1949, a crew of fifteen of the United States Forest Service's elite airborne firefighters, The Smoke Jumpers, stepped into the sky above a remote forest fire in the Montana wilderness. ... (Goodreads)
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