The Red Badge of Courage is an 1895 war vel by American author Stephen Crane. It is considered one of the most influential works in American literature. The vel, a depiction on the cruelty of the American Civil War, features a young recruit who overcomes initial fears to become a hero on the battlefield. The book made Crane an international success. Although he was born after the war and had t at the time experienced battle firsthand, the vel is considered an example of Realism.