Phantoms of a Blood-Stained Period: The Complete Civil War Writings of Ambrose Bierce

I found this book through Drew Gilpin Faust's book, and I am grateful to her for citing it. (Her book-The Republic of Suffering-is also highly recommended, but hardly needs recommending, since it already sold well). Bierce was well known in his time, but he is also timely now, when we once again glorify war and dying for dubious causes, to which we give grandiloquent names. Bierce calls things by their real names and earned the right. He fought almost four years in the Civil War, surviving innumerable battles before a head wound ended his military service. Then his real work began.