Thrown into a trial-by-fire as a new recruit in the American Civil War, can young Henry live up to his notions of courage, honor, and duty? This stream-of-consciousness narrative follows his dramatic psychological rationalizations as he struggles to make sense of his experience through the fog of war. Powerful imagery brings the battlefield to life and highlights the disconnect between the generals’ orders and the deadly chaos on the ground. Stephen Crane’s vividly descriptive narrative brings the reader deep into the intensity of the battlefield and explores the psychological effects of warfare on a youthful soldier. One of the most influential war novels ever written, this unabridged original version of The Red Badge of Courage was an instant best-seller when it was published in 1895.

Keynote Classics™ Feature an Introductory Key, explanatory footnotes, and wide margins for note-taking to help readers get more from their reading experience, and remember, discuss, or write more confidently about classic literature. They begin with an Introductory Key to the work with hints about what to look for to find deeper meaning. Unlike other literature study guides, they contain no spoilers and don’t specify themes, motifs, and symbols found in the novel. Instead, they point out general ideas and things to pay attention to that help you find your own interpretations. Footnotes help foster understanding, and historical context about the author and the prevailing culture provides important perspective. Questions are provided at the end to help inspire discussion or essay topics. Teachers recommend that you read actively and engage with the text to help you draw on your own knowledge and experience to get more out of a novel. Keynote Classics™ paperbacks provide more space in the margins for writing down thoughts, connections, and interpretations as you read.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. Suffering from chronic lung disease, he traveled the world in search of health and happiness, finally settling with his wife and family in the south seas island of Samoa. In addition to this book, he is noted for the adventure novel, Treasure Island, the poetry collection, A Child’s Garden of Verses, and numerous essays, short stories, and travel books.