Armageddon in retrospect and other new and unpublished writings on war and peace
To be published on the first anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut's death, Armageddon in retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace. Imbued with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor, the pieces range from a visceral recollection of the destruction of Dresden du...
| Main Author: | Vonnegut, Kurt. |
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| Corporate Authors: | Blackstone Audiobooks. |
| Other Authors: | Torn, Rip, 1931-2019. |
| Format: | Audiobooks eAudiobook Downloads eAudiobook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Ashland, Or.] :
Blackstone Audio,
2008.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
Go to Downloadable Audiobook Here |
| Summary: |
To be published on the first anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut's death, Armageddon in retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace. Imbued with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor, the pieces range from a visceral recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II to a painfully funny short story about three Army privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war, to a darker, more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence. Also included are Vonnegut's last speech and an introduction by the author's son, Mark Vonnegut. An essential contribution to discussion of humanity's tendency toward violence, Armageddon in retrospect says as much about the times in which we live as it does about the genius of the writer. |
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| Item Description: |
Downloadable audio file. Title from: Title details screen. Unabridged. Duration: 5:15:50. |
| Playing Time: |
05:15:50 |
| Format: |
Requires OverDrive Media Console (WMA file size: 75653 KB; MP3 file size: 148228 KB). Mode of access: World Wide Web. |
| ISBN: |
9781433243523 1433243520 |
| Author Notes: |
His first novel, Player Piano (1952), is a highly credible account of a future mechanistic society in which people count for little and machines for much. The Sirens of Titan (1959), is the story of a playboy whisked off to Mars and outer space in order to learn some humbling lessons about Earth's modest function in the total scheme of things. Mother Night (1962) satirizes the Nazi mentality in its narrative about an American writer who broadcasts propaganda in Germany during the war as an Allied agent. Cat's Cradle (1963) makes use of some of Vonnegut's experiences in General Electric laboratories in its story about the discovery of a special kind of ice that destroys the world. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1965) satirizes a benevolent foundation set up to foster the salvation of the world through love, an endeavor with, of course, disastrous results. Slaughterhouse-Five; or The Children's Crusade (1969) is the book that marked a turning point in Vonnegut's career. Based on his experiences in Dresden, it is the story of another Vonnegut surrogate named Billy Pilgrim who travels back and forth in time and becomes a kind of modern-day Everyman. The novel was something of a cult book during the Vietnam era for its antiwar sentiments. Breakfast of Champions (1973), the story of a Pontiac dealer who goes crazy after reading a science fiction novel by "Kilgore Trout," received generally unfavorable reviews but was a commercial success. Slapstick (1976), dedicated to the memory of Laurel and Hardy, is the somewhat wacky memoir of a 100-year-old ex-president who thinks he can solve society's problems by giving everyone a new middle name. In addition to his fiction, Vonnegut has published nonfiction on social problems and other topics, some of which is collected in Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons (1974). He died from head injuries sustained in a fall on April 11, 2007. (Bowker Author Biography) |