Questing after Panco Villa's revolutionary forces, Ambrose Bierce rode into Mexico in 1913 and completely vanished from the face of the earth. Though his ultimate fate remains a mystery to this day, Bierce's contribution to American Letters rests firmly on the basis of his incomparable Devil's Dictionary and a remarkable body of short fiction. This new collection gathers some three dozen of Bierce's finest stories, including the celebrated Civil War fictions 'An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge' and Chickamauga'; his macabre masterpieces 'The Damned Thing' and 'Moxon's Master'; and his hilariously horrific 'Oil of Dog' and 'My Favorite Murder.' Tom Quirk, the volume's editor, provides a fascinating introductory essay, as well as indispensable explanatory notes, a glossary of military terms, and a catalog of Civil War battle sites and leaders. |
