What does it mean to witness war from a distance? To scroll past stories of loss while seated in comfort, cradled by safety? That privilege is a call. To listen, to amplify, to never let comfort dull the edges of empathy. War is not between nations alone. It is waged in bodies, homes, and histories. In that spirit, CE brings you a reading list — from memoirs and historical reckonings to war diaries and fiction set in World War II, India, and beyond. These books confront the trauma, erasure, and resilience that follow in war’s wake.
Bhangya Bhukya, professor of History, University of Hyderabad and Author
The result of any war is distraction, and I observed a kind of euphoria for war among Indians, which is not good for humanity. We need to teach our citizens about the effects of war. Wars result in the distraction and killing of humanity. It brings glory and power to the ruling class, but the victims are the common people on both sides of the war camps. America stopped the Vietnam War because there was a huge anti-war movement among its citizens. It’s because of the holocaust studies in America. We need to educate Indians on these lines.
Recommendations:
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
Why? Explaining the Holocaust by Peter Hayes
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Other side of Silence: Voice from the Partition of India by Urvashi Butalia
The Untold Charminar: Writings on Hyderabad by Syeda Imam
Captain P Rajkumar (retd), former Indian Navy pilot and Shaurya Chakra recipient
Recommendations:
Cost of War by Simran Randhawa: It is a personal and moving account of love, loss, and resilience. “It tells the story of Major SJS Randhawa, an Indian Army officer who died in service and was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra. Just as much, it is about the family he left behind — his wife Romi (RJ) and their daughter. It also captures the transformation of Romi into Lt Col Ravinder Jit Randhawa — from a grieving wife to the first war widow to join the Indian Army as an officer.
1971: Stories of Grit and Glory from the Indo-Pak War by Maj Gen Ian Cardozo:
“In 1971, Maj Gen Ian Cardozo shares untold stories of bravery and sacrifice from one of South Asia’s most important wars. Through interviews with survivors and families, the book brings to life acts of courage: a Gorkha battalion’s heliborne assault behind enemy lines, Indian Air Force raids over Dhaka, and the INS Khukri captain who went down with his ship.”
Siva Kumar V, technocrat & researcher, Thiruvananthapuram
War psychology is essentially linked to territorial expansion, often driven by the need for additional space when a nation’s resources demand growth. It is also a means of exerting political dominance and asserting ideological or national standpoints. While the visible consequences of war include loss of lives, resource depletion and poverty, what strikes most deeply is the phenomenon of selective empathy — a psychological tendency where the value of life is disproportionately placed on those we fight for, while disregarding those we fight against.
Recommendations:
The Book of War by John Keegan
Military historian John Keegan’s The Book of War is an expansive collection of writings chronicling warfare over 2,500 years — from the Greek phalanx to ground combat in Iraq. Drawing from a wide range of sources, he presents first-hand accounts and strategic insights, including Julius Caesar’s commentaries on the Roman invasion of Britain, the French knight Jehan de Wavrin’s perspective at the Battle of Agincourt, Ernie Pyle’s frontline reports from Normandy, and Ernest Hemingway’s reflections on World War I, particularly the Battle of Caporetto — an experience that deeply influenced 'A Farewell to Arms'.
Soldiers: Great Stories of War and Peace by Max Hastings
In Soldiers, historian Max Hastings presents a collection of around 350 personal narratives capturing the emotional and human dimensions of warfare. These stories span from ancient Roman and Greek conflicts to modern global wars. It features biblical Jewish heroes, Queen Boudicca, Joan of Arc, Cromwell, Wellington, Napoleon’s marshals, and General George S Patton.
The book also explores the lives of literary figures who served in uniform — including Leo Tolstoy, Marcel Proust, and George Orwell — and highlights lesser-known but formidable groups such as the female ‘abosi’ warriors of Dahomey, World War I ambulance drivers, and modern women soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Max underscores how humanity’s perception of war has evolved — from viewing it as noble or sporting, to recognising it as tragic and calamitous. He balances respect for the courage of combatants with deep compassion for those who suffer its consequences, crafting a narrative that is equal parts gripping, sobering, and reflective.
Gautam Bhatia, a science fiction writer and the author of The Sentence
Recommendations:
The most famous example of ‘war novel’, which I personally love a lot, is All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. It is written from the point of view of a young German soldier in the trenches of World War I, and begins with the lines “This book is not an accusation. It is not a defence. And it is least of all an adventure.” Based on Remarque’s own experiences on the front, it’s an indictment of the futility of war.
Tomorrow They Won’t Dare to Murder Us, by French novelist Joseph Andras, tells the story of the only pied noir who was executed by the French State for supporting the FLN’s war of independence against French colonialism. It is a searing indictment of imperial justice and the weaponisation of law in the context of an armed struggle for independence. Also on the subject, Assia Djebar’s Algerian White is a story of how the newly-independent Algerian state decays into internal violence, and the destruction of the dreams of those who fought for it.
Dr Rolla Das, coordinator of the English and Cultural Studies Department, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
Recommendations:
1984 by George Orwell: This book is recommended due to the author’s comments against totalitarian regimes, particularly how truth is misrepresented.
Other Lives by Iman Humaydan Younes: This book is about the Lebanese Civil War. It is recommended because it portrays a woman’s representation and experience of the war. It is quite poignant in the way it deals with the ideas of belonging and identity.
The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh: This is set against the backdrop of multiple wars. It tries to establish a socio-political and historical connection between the lines which connect these wars. It explores what it means for nations to think about themselves and how the characters carry the wars through memories.
Ghazala Wahab, editor
Recommendation:
The Many Lives of Syeda X by Neha Dixit:
Award-winning journalist Neha Dixit traces the story of one such faceless Indian woman, from the early 1990s to the present day. What emerges is a picture of a life lived under constant corrosive tension.
Aabha Muralidharan, researcher
The news of ceasefire brings relief to the people of Kashmir, in the sense that there won’t be immediate killings because of cross-border firings but that still doesn’t end the cycle of violence and bring peace in the area. Here are a few books that taught me much about the region and the people who live(d) there.
Recommendations:
Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora? (Published by Zubaan Books)
A Desolation Called Peace edited by Ather Zia and Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Languages of Belonging by Chitralekha Zutshi
Shadows at Noon by Joya Chatterjee
Night of Broken Glass by Feroz Rather
The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed
The World With Its Mouth Open by Zahid Rafiq
Radhika Ganesh, cultural-political activist
Recommendation:
Those Who Stayed: The Sikhs of Kashmir by Bupinder Singh Bali:
This is a poignant exploration of the Sikhs of Kashmir, their past, present and uncertain future, offering a deeply human perspective on a people often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Ahmad Parvez, musician
Recommendation:
Rumours Of Spring by Farah Bashir
As Indian troops and militants battle across the cityscape and violence becomes the new normal, a young schoolgirl finds that ordinary tasks like studying for exams, walking to the bus stop, combing her hair, falling asleep are riddled with anxiety and fear. This coming-of-age memoir portrays how territorial conflict surreptitiously affects everyday lives in Kashmir.
Note: This list includes diverse perspectives on war’s human impact, with titles chosen for their literary, historical, or testimonial value. As with all conflict narratives, we encourage readers to approach them with critical empathy.