Regarded as the greatest Civil War novel, THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE is one of the most enduring and influential works in American literature, serving as a vital point of reference for successive war-generation writers such as John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, and Norman Mailer. The Red Bage of Courage made its initial impact as a newspaper serial a year before the publication of the full-length book. Because the newspaper serial has been available primarily in its original archival state, it has all but escaped the attention of readers and scholars. Though an exciting story in its own right, the serial is critical to understanding the evolution of the novel and provides invaluable insight into Crane's artistic genius. The Comprehensive Edition is the first edition of The Red Badge of Courage to present the definitive texts of both the newspaper serial and the original 1895 Appleton edition of the novel.
