Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fleming, a young private in the Union Army who flees from the horror of battle and then struggles with shame and self-loathing. Outstanding in its portrayal of the quiet tension and violent emotion of war, this powerful psychological study of a young soldier will strike listeners with its undeniable realism. With its masterful description of men under fire, many veterans—both Union and Confederate—praised the novel for its accurate representation of war. This recording is narrated by actor Richard Thomas, who portrayed Private Fleming in the 1974 television adaption of the Stephen Crane classic.