Unlike mystery, romance, or science fiction, war is not a defined literary genre. However, depending on their subject and style, novels about war and battle might be categorized as a subgenre of historical fiction, nonfiction, or other genres.

A book on a particular historical conflict, like World War II, may be categorized as either a work of nonfiction or a historical novel. A book about the mental and emotional struggles that troops had while serving in combat may be categorized as either a work of fiction or a war memoir.

Books about War and battle may generally be found in a wide range of genres and categories and may be written from a wide range of views, including that of soldiers, civilians, and political leaders.