The Histories of Herodotus serves as a record of ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures in Asia, Africa and Greece. It remains one of the most important sources about the study of history in the Western world.

Anna Komnene describes the political and military history of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of her father, Emperor Alexios I. The text documents the Crusades and the conflicting perceptions of East and West in the early 12th century.

The History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the 431-404 BC war between Sparta and Athens. It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian historian who also happened to serve as an Athenian general during the war.

In The Bhagavad Gita, prince Arjuna is filled with despair about the violence and death that war will cause. He seeks Krishna's counsel, who tells him to fulfill his warrior duty through "selfless action."

Les Misérables begins when Valjean is released from 19 years' imprisonment in the galleys; for stealing bread to feed his sister's seven starving children. The story follows his struggles and his experience of redemption.

Marcus Aurelius' private notes are a significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy, and have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death.

The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian Hindu text written by Vātsyāyana. It is widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behaviour. "Kāma" means desire, and "sūtra" literally means a thread or line that holds things together.