The Thin Red Line (1962) was written by James Jones and focuses on the pointlessness of war in a fictional account of the battle between American and Japanese troops on Guadalcanal.

Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage (1895), set during the Civil War, also explores the nature of courage and the brutal devastation of war.

In the The Executioner's Song (1979), Norman Mailer presents a chilling look into the mind of Gary Gilmore, who in 1977 was executed for murder.

Going After Cacciato, written in 1979 by Tim O'Brien, chronicles the story of an American soldier in Vietnam. The young man deserts his post so he can walk eight thousand miles to Paris to be present at the peace talks. The other soldiers in his squad are given orders to find him.