Originally Posted by bluevictim
The Persians, by Aeschylus -- This is a tragedy about the defeat of Xerxes and the Persians, at the hands of the Greeks. It stirs up feelings of national pride not by dehumanizing the enemy, but by sympathizing. The messenger's report of the battle is one of the most moving accounts of heroism I have ever read. The disappointment of the Persians was also well-portrayed. Besides war, Xerxes' youth is also a prominent theme of the play.
Flight to Arras, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery -- Since the Greek works I mentioned are so far removed from modern warfare, it may not have been what you had in mind. Flight to Arras is a vivid account of a mission over France. There is a lot of reflection on the modern war machine, as well as the youths who composed it. I really enjoyed the honest descriptions of the pilot's thoughts, experiences, and comrades.