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 dehumanising horrors of the two World Wars, from Europe to Africa, the collection spans two centuries and even extends into the future. 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 Norman Mailer. This varied and entertaining assortment of stories and extracts, reflecting the breadth and depth of human experience in time of war, provides cornFElling and satisfying reading.