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This classic novel of the American Civil War evokes the horrors of battle and the psychology of fear as it recounts the experience of a young, untried Union Army volunteer. Henry Fleming longs to prove himself by winning the "red badge beyond all doubt. But when he finally does come under fire, he learns the grim truth about war's "glory" and the real meaning of bravery.

Although he now makes his home in Memphis, Tennessee, Shelby Foote comes from a long line of Mississippians. He is the author of six novels -- Tournament; Follow Me Down; Love in a Dry Season; Shiloh; Jordan County; and September, September -- and a three-volume narrative of the Civil War. He has been awarded three Guggenheim fellowships.

The Red Badge of Courage is also available from Random House as an unabridged Modern Library book.