&quot;The Red Badge of Courage&quot; is Stephen Crane&rsquo;s second book and masterpiece, notable for its realism and the fact that Crane had never personally experienced battle.&nbsp;<br />The manuscript was first serialised in December 1894 by <i>The Philadelphia Press</i> and quickly won Crane international acclaim before he died in June 1900 at the age of 28.<br /><br />&quot;The Red Badge of Courage&quot; follows a young soldier, Henry Fleming, during a battle in the Civil War. Henry has joined the Union army because of his romantic ideas of military life, but soon finds himself in the middle of a battle against a regiment of Confederate soldiers. Terrified, Henry deserts his comrades. Upon returning to his regiment, he struggles with his shame as he tries to redeem himself and prove his courage.