Los mejores libros jam s escritos. «Hab a estado buscando una muerte grandiosa y descubri que, despu s de todo, s lo exist a un tipo de muerte. Era un hombre. Con tan solo veinticuatro a os, Stephen Crane cambi el curso de la literatura b lica. Ambientada durante la Guerra Civil americana, esta es la historia de un joven que se alista voluntario para defender unos ideales poco a poco destruidos por el fragor de los ca onazos. La guerra deja de ser as un escenario rom ntico para convertirse en un infierno de fango, desesperaci n y miedo. Con talento inigualable, Crane conjuga la descripci n expresionista de la batalla con las dudas del individuo hacia su entereza. Obra capital de la literatura estadounidense, muchos son los estudios dedicados a recalcar la importancia de La roja insignia del valor. Entre ellos se cuenta el firmado por el catedr tico honor fico de la Universidad de Nuevo M xico Gary Scharnhorst, que precede la magn fica traducci n de Juan Aparicio Belmonte y Mar a Ermitas Barrasa. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION The Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane (1871-1900). Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound, a "red badge of courage," to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as standard-bearer. Although Crane was born after the war, and had not at the time experienced battle first-hand, the novel is known for its realism. He began writing what would become his second novel in 1893, using various contemporary and written accounts (such as those published previously by Century Magazine) as inspiration. It is believed that he based the fictional battle on that of Chancellorsville; he may also have interviewed veterans of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms. Initially shortened and serialized in newspapers in December 1894, the novel was published in full in October 1895. A longer version of the work, based on Crane's original manuscript, was published in 1982.