Tara groaned and turned over in bed yet again. She just could not get to sleep. Climate change and Covid-19 were bad enough; now there was the Russia-Ukraine war to worry about as well. Would she ever be able to live a normal life?

Many others feel the same. But there are things we can do to stop these worries from overwhelming us. One of them is to get a better perspective by reading deeply about subjects rather than just being bombarded by news bulletins.

Here, on World Book Day, are eight books that get to the heart of warfare.

Fighting for Kyiv: The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov is a classic novel about the 1918 Ukrainian War of Independence.

Invasion epic: Considered to be one of the best novels ever written, Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace focuses on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812.

Desperate resistance: Russia's victory over the invading German forces in the Battle of Stalingrad is vividly recreated in Vasily Grossman's novel Life and Fate.

Volunteer's view: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell is a personal account of the Spanish Civil War which brilliantly portrays an ordinary soldier's life.

Man of destiny One person can make all the difference in a war. Seamus Heaney's play The Cure at Troy retells the story of Philoctetes, a Greek archer.

The female experience: The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich is a compelling history of Russian women who fought in World War Two.

Refugees' dilemma: The terrible uncertainty that war brings resonates through Olivia Manning's World War Two novel The Great Fortune.

Lost illusions: In his great novel about World War One, All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque follows an idealistic German soldier as he discovers the true horror of battle.

Yes: Wars start when people forget their common humanity and start to think of fighting as a glorious enterprise. Great writers remind us of its true nature and the need to empathise with others.

No: People who wage war are naturally aggressive, and the books that appeal to them are ones that reinforce those instincts. Only diplomacy backed by military strength can bring about peace.

Or... Literature gives us invaluable insights into human psychology. Understanding your enemy's point of view is a vital part of any peace negotiation, so reading is enormously helpful.