Historical fiction book · Curated
A Farewell to Arms
Ernest Hemingway · historical fiction
On the Italian front in World War I, American ambulance driver Frederic Henry falls in love with British nurse Catherine Barkley as the Caporetto retreat unravels the army around them. Hemingway’s 1929 novel is Great War historical fiction stripped to weather, wounds, and a private peace that cannot hold.
Why read it: The English-language classic of World War I historical fiction on the Italian front—war, desertion, and a love story that still draws title searches beside All Quiet on the Western Front.
About this historical novel
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is historical fiction set around 1916–1918 in the World War I era period with key settings including Italian Front, Caporetto, Milan, Switzerland. On the Italian front in World War I, American ambulance driver Frederic Henry falls in love with British nurse Catherine Barkley as the Caporetto retreat unravels the army around them. Hemingway’s 1929 novel is Great War historical fiction stripped to weather, wounds, and a private peace that cannot hold.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war, 1. Literary historical fiction, and 2. Historical romance so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include war, love, desertion, wounds, and peace. The English-language classic of World War I historical fiction on the Italian front—war, desertion, and a love story that still draws title searches beside All Quiet on the Western Front.
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Plot summary
On the Italian front in World War I, American ambulance driver Frederic Henry falls in love with British nurse Catherine Barkley as the Caporetto retreat unravels the army around them. Hemingway’s 1929 novel is Great War historical fiction stripped to weather, wounds, and a private peace that cannot hold. The English-language classic of World War I historical fiction on the Italian front—war, desertion, and a love story that still draws title searches beside All Quiet on the Western Front.
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Eras
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A mill town quarantines itself against the 1918 flu (SAH Prize 2007).
Regions & places
Europe
Italian Front · Caporetto · Milan · Switzerland
Themes
- war
- love
- desertion
- wounds
- peace
Tags
classic · war · literary