Features war stories that are arresting, often shocking accounts of the incivilities perpetrated by and on men suddenly confronting their own mortality.This title includes stories such as: 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge', 'Chickamauga', 'The Mocking Bird', 'The Coup de Grace', 'Parker Anderson, Philosopher', and other stories.

In "The Devil's Dictionary" Ambrose Bierce defined "war" as "a by-product of the arts of peace." A Civil War veteran, Bierce had absolutely no illusions about "courage," "honor," and "glory" on the battlefield. These stories form one of the great antiwar statements in American literature. Included here are the classic "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "Chickamauga," "The Mocking Bird," "The Coup de Grace," "Parker Anderson," "Philosopher," and other stories celebrated for their intensity, startling insight, and mastery of form.