''Armageddon in Retrospect'' is a collection of
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
and
essay
An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal a ...
s about war and peace written by
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...
. It is the first
posthumous
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' ...
collection of his previously unpublished writings. The book includes an introduction by
Mark Vonnegut
Mark Vonnegut (born May 11, 1947) is an American pediatrician and memoirist. He is the son of writer Kurt Vonnegut. He is the brother of Edith Vonnegut and Nanette Vonnegut. He described himself in the preface to his 1975 book as "a hippie, so ...
, a letter from Kurt to his family about his experiences as an American
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
in Nazi Germany, and the
fire-bombing of Dresden.
Like many of Vonnegut's other books, ''Armageddon in Retrospect'' is laden with handwritten quotations and rough drawings by the author.
Contents
# Vonnegut's Speech at Clowes Hall, Indianapolis, April 2007
# Letter from PFC Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., to his family, May 29, 1945 (not included in audio edition)
# "Wailing Shall Be in All Streets"
# "Great Day"
# "Guns Before Butter"
# "Happy Birthday, 1951"
# "Brighten Up"
# "The Unicorn Trap"
# "Unknown Soldier"
# "Spoils"
# "Just You and Me, Sammy"
# "The Commandant's Desk"
# "Armageddon in Retrospect"
External links
The blood of Dresden The ''
Sunday Times'' June 1, 2008 (contains an extract)
References
{{Vonnegut
Short story collections by Kurt Vonnegut
2008 short story collections
Books published posthumously