Red Badge of Courage (AmazonClassics Edition), The

Henry Fleming is a young private in the Union army during the American Civil War—a farm boy untested by battle.

Faced with charging rebels, he flees. With his ideals shattered and his heart burdened by shame, Henry seeks an opportunity to redeem himself, even hoping for a wound—a “red badge of courage”—to prove his bravery.

Focusing on the inner psychological struggles and sensory perceptions of an individual soldier, Stephen Crane introduced a new kind of war novel to American literature. With heightened impressionism, he captured the emotional reality of war as no novelist before him had.

AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature’s most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Red Badge of Courage, this edition of The Red Badge of Courage (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.