Long considered to be the first great American war novel, "The Red Badge of Courage" tells the searing tale of Henry Fleming, a young Union soldier, who flees from the field of battle during his first engagement. His inner demons begin to eat away at him, and he makes his way back to his regiment, hoping for his "red badge of courage," a wound. Come along on a realistic journey to the American Civil War, and peer into the very soul of a young soldier, fighting valiantly against his own fear and the horrors of war in his quest for manhood.
About the Author: Stephen Crane was born November 1, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey, the youngest of fourteen children. He wrote his first poem at age eight. Young Stephen was primarily raised by his older sister Agnes. The family moved to Port Jervis, New York in 1876 so his father could become the pastor of a Methodist Church. At the age of fourteen, Crane wrote his first full story. Eventually, Stephen attended Claverack College, a military school, but he would often skip classes to play baseball. There were Civil War veterans on the staff at the school and their stories would provide him with material for "The Red Badge of Courage." Then, he transferred to a college in Easton Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in mining engineering. After one semester, he transferred to Syracuse University, but took only one class. He finally declared that college was a waste of his time and became a writer and reporter. In 1893, Stephen became frustrated with the dry Civil War stories that were prevalent at the time, and decided to tell a story written with the true emotions of a soldier in battle. He handwrote "The Red Badge of Courage" as he could not afford a typewriter. It was published in serialized form in multiple newspapers, becoming quite popular. Finally in 1895, the book was published in novel form and rose to the top of several bestseller lists. Using the alias, Samuel Carleton, he hitched a ride on a supply ship to Cuba, but the boat sank, leaving him afloat in a life boat for nearly two days. Finally reaching Daytona Beach, the dinghy overturned and one of the three men in it drowned. He finally made it to Cuba as a correspondent during the Spanish-American War and actually served as a courier during the fighting with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders. His money was running out however and he was developing signs of tuberculosis. Becoming friends with Joseph Conrad, Henry James and H. G. Wells, he began working on another novel, but his health continued to worsen. Crane finally passed away on June 5, 1900 at the age of 28 while in Badenweiler, Germany. He is buried in Hillside, New Jersey.