Heroic War Stories
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 1988
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 343
ISBN-13: 9780831744496
Copyright date: 1983
Subjects: General; Sale Books; Fiction - General; Fiction; War; War stories
Description: This exciting anthology combines in one volume many of the best war stories ever written, both real-life and fictional. From the romantic grandeur of the Napoleonic era to the dehumanizing horrors of the two World Wars, from Europe to Africa, the collection spans two centuries and even extends into the future.

Robert Graves' famous evocation of squalor and tragedy in the Great War, Goodbye to All That, and Guy Gibson's gripping account of the celebrated 'dambusters' bombing raid are both examples of the compelling writing of those who, when exposed to unwanted brutality and hardship, discover in themselves unknown resources of courage and fortitude.

Stories by famous war writers like Nicholas Monsarrat and Alistair MacLean stand in company with those of authors better known in other areas, for example H.G. Wells' terrifying picture of England under threat of Martian invasion and Ambrose Bierce's eerie mystery of the American Civil War.

The panoramic vista of the clashing armies of Russia and France at Borodino is graphically described by Tolstoy. By contrast, there is the personal drama of H.E. Bates' love story Fair Stood the Wind For France, and the maniacal savagery of the trail blazing novel of war realism, The Naked and the Dead by Norma Mailer.

Humor is also well represented, as is Joseph Heller's hilarious bestselling expose, Catch 22, and, of a gentler kind, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character, Brigadier Gerard.

This varied and entertaining assortment of stories and extracts, reflecting the breadth and depth of human experience in time of war, provides compelling and satisfying reading.
--back cover
Table of contents: title: Fair stood the wind for France / H.E. Bates --; title: How Brigadier Gerard won his medal / Sir Arthur Conan Doyle --; title: The Invaders (from The Last enemy) / Richard Hillary --; title: The War of the worlds / H.G. Wells --; title: All quiet on the western front / Erich Maria Remarque --; title: The Battle of Borodino (from War and peace) / Leo Tolstoy --; title: Catch 22 / Joseph Heller --; title: Buller's guns / Richard Hough --; title: Arctic convoy (from H.M.S. Ulysses) / Alistair MacLean --; title: The Red badge of courage / Stephen Crane --; title: Escape from Colditz (from They have their exits) / Airey Neave --; title: Goodbye to all that / Robert Graves --; title: The Moon's a balloon / David Niven --; title: The Warrior's soul / Joseph Conrad. (cont) --; title: Fly for your life / Larry Forrester --; title: The Naked and the dead / Norman Mailer --; title: The Reason why / Cecil Woodham Smith --; title: The Affair at Coulter's Notch / Ambrose Bierce --; title: The Fort at Zinderneuf (from Beau Geste) / P.C. Wren --; title: The Cruel sea / Nicholas Monsarrat --; title: Waterloo (from Vanity fair / W.M. Thackeray --; title: Enemy coast ahead / Guy Gibson V.C. --; title: Into battle (from Her privates we) / Frederic Manning --; title: Acknowledgements.