Wilderness: A Tale of the Civil War. Illustrated

Robert Penn Warren, celebrated poet, novelist, and critic, brings his lyrical mastery and profound sense of history to Wilderness: A Tale of the Civil War. This short novel, one of Warren’s earliest works, captures the turmoil of a nation divided and the inner conflict of those caught within the struggle.

Set during the brutal campaigns of the American Civil War, the story follows Adam Rosenzweig, a young soldier thrust into the chaos of battle. Torn between his ideals and the grim reality of war, Adam confronts not only the violence of the battlefield but also the questions of identity, loyalty, and the meaning of sacrifice. Through his journey, Warren explores how history and personal destiny intertwine, and how innocence is transformed under the shadow of conflict.

Written with Warren’s characteristic depth and poetic vision, the novel illuminates the human side of war — its moral ambiguities, its sudden flashes of beauty amidst horror, and its lasting scars on both individuals and nations.

Wilderness stands as an evocative meditation on America’s most defining conflict, foreshadowing the themes of history, memory, and moral reckoning that would shape Warren’s later, more famous works such as All the King’s Men.