The World's Greatest Novels

The Red Badge of Courage

English · Historical Fiction, War & Military Fiction, Dramatic Readings

The Red Badge of Courage follows Henry Fleming, a young Union soldier confronting the fear and confusion of battle during the American Civil War. Stephen Crane’s novel is known for its close attention to Henry’s shifting thoughts as he struggles to understand courage, shame, and his place among the soldiers around him.

In this radio adaptation, the story is presented as dramatic performance, bringing the novel’s battlefield experiences and inward conflicts to the listener through spoken scenes and sound. The focus is on a young man’s changing view of himself as the realities of war challenge the heroic ideas he carried into it.

The result is a serious, psychologically attentive war story, shaped by Crane’s vivid prose and its exploration of fear and bravery. It offers an intimate perspective on the Civil War, emphasizing the human uncertainty behind the language of heroism.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.