The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War
About this audiobook
A teenager with dreams of glory enlisted with the Union army in the American Civil War. With not much in the way of immediate action, Henry Fleming began to have doubt and fear while waiting.
The author, Stephen Crane, was only twenty-five years old himself, and although he had no personal experience he was able to give vivid descriptions that created suspense. It was a distinctive and naturalistic presentation that emphasized the true nature of war. Young Fleming eventually experienced his first battle and was caught up in fear unlike anything he had anticipated; no longer a case of “vague and bloody conflicts,” but a frightening reality. He displayed some early cowardice in running backwards from a battle. He saw first-hand the cursing and groaning of wounded men, was wounded himself, and witnessed the death of a close friend. He was ashamed of his early reaction but recovered his bravery and helped lead government forces back into battle to indeed win his “red badge of courage.” Listen now to the heart-rending story.
About the author
Stephen Crane (1871–1900) was an American novelist, poet, and journalist. He worked as a reporter of slum life in New York and a highly paid war correspondent for newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. He wrote many works of fiction, poems, and accounts of war, all well received but none as acclaimed as his 1895 Civil War novel, The Red Badge of Courage. Today he is considered one of the most innovative American writers of the 1890s and one of the founders of literary realism.
John Rayburn is a veteran of over sixty years in broadcasting. He served as a news/sports anchor and show host, and his TV newscast achieved the largest share of audience figures of any major-market TV newscast in the nation. John is a member of the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. He is well suited to bring fascinating stories to life concerning the people, places, and things that combine to present lively observations of our day-to-day lives.
