From Publishers Weekly
"Valor is of no service, chance rules all, and the bravest often fall by the hands of cowards," wrote Tacitus in A.D. 54. Chance, or fate, pervades war literature, Lamar Underwood (On Dangerous Ground) observes in an introduction to his anthology The Greatest War Stories Ever Told: Twenty-four Incredible War Tales from, among others, the American Revolution, the Spanish Civil War and Vietnam. This collection includes fiction and nonfiction by Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, Bruce Catton, Rudyard Kipling, Ernest Hemingway, Erich Maria Remarque, William Faulkner, Martin Russ, Michael Herr and S.L.A. Marshall, on battles ranging from Waterloo and Antietam to the Chosin River in Korea. Serious war literature enthusiasts will already be familiar with many of these selections, but as the title promises, this is a greatest-hits compilation, intended for newer fans. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Given the general public's interest in war and survival tales, these two collections of fiction and nonfiction excerpts should jump off the shelves of public libraries this summer. Underwood, a former editor of Outdoor Life and Sports Afield, caters to popular taste with the enthusiastic comments he offers as introduction to each selection. In defining the "greatest" tales, he looked beyond literary merit for prose that is engaging and illuminating and serves as a tribute to the participants. In The Greatest Survival Stories Ever Told, the reader will be struck by how fate, foul-ups, or bad luck often caused the adventures to end in tragedy, whether it involved the loss of limbs or of life. Many of the survival tales are classics, such as Jack London's "To Build a Fire," Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat," and Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi." The Greatest War Stories Ever Told relies on excerpts from the works of authors like Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, Michael Shaara, and Erich Maria Remarque. In the introduction, Underwood explains his fascination with the symbolism of soldiers' boots. His goal is to capture how these boots traveled over beaches, jungles, and deserts, giving the reader a new way of appreciating these courageous soldiers. The sea tales of Irwin Shaw and C.S. Forester round out this anthology. Both are recommended for popular reading collections, including YA. Joyce Sparrow, Juvenile Welfare Board Lib. of Pinellas Cty., FL Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Review

"Given the general public's interest in war tales,... this collection of excerpts should jump off the shelves of public libraries..." -- Library Journal



Book Description
From soldier to journalist, twenty-four epic tales of war from those who know it best.



From the Back Cover
The perfect gift for any soldier, veteran, or war buff, The Greatest War Stories Ever Told is a compulsively readable collection of some of the most gripping and illuminating writing ever penned on the subject of war.

With well-known contributions from such literary heavyweights as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Victor Hugo, and some lesser-known gems from W. C. Heinz, S. L. A. Marshall, and Irwin Shaw, the twenty-four stories in this fascinating collection will take you from foxhole to bomber, battlefield to submarine, illustrating in vivid detail the true meaning of uncommon valor, courage, patriotism, and the pursuit of freedom.




About the Author
LAMAR UNDERWOOD is a former Editor-in-Chief of Sports Afield and Outdoor Life magazines, and is presently Editorial Director of the Outdoor Magazine Group of Harris Publications in New York. He has edited several books for The Lyons Press, including The Quotable Soldier, The Greatest Survival Stories Ever Told, and Man Eaters

FROM THE PUBLISHER