12-year-old Vahan Kendarian until 1915 lived a sheltered life as the youngest son of one of the most influential and wealthy Armenian families in Turkey (the then Ottoman empire). Then the muslim rulers decide on a permanent solution to the large Armenian christian minority problem and young Vahan watches his father escorted out of their lives by Turkish police, his brothers shot to death in their backyard by soldiers, his grandmother murdered by a rock-wielding guard, and his sister take poison rather than be raped by soldiers. He learns what his father meant when he used to say, "This is how steel is made. Steel is made strong by fire." A coming-of-age story that is wonderfully written, ultimately life affirming and will be with you for life.
Stephen Crane is most famous for his but he was a war correspondent during the Spanish-American war. He always focuses on the individual's experience being caught up in war. If you can find it in a used book store or library, read which will make the war more real than any snippet about the Rough Riders.
focuses on survival on New Yorks streets. It was so controversial when it was written, that Crane had to have it privately printed.
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Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael
I was a fan of Cadfael well before the PBS Mysteries Brother Cadfael series. I have read the series, listened to the tapes and watched the PBS series. brought Cadfael to life. He also narrates most of the audio tape versions. If you are a mystery reader, try the books. If you listen to tapes while traveling, get the audio tape versions. The videos with Jackobi is his best work since . Ellis Peters medieval mystery series is a best seller in England. It takes place in the 1100s. It brings this little known period (to most Americans) to life.
Monk's Hood