A collection of short stories published posthumously written about war. Many of the stories are set in WWII, but at least one story is a time-travelling tale in the future, and another is a tale of how 3 men stay hopeful during war dreaming about their first free meal. A number of tales take place during the emancipation of Germany by the Americans in WWII. Excellent, excellent, excellent. ( )

A series of short stories produce by Vonnegut shortly before his death. Some of the stories have been re-written in different versions and all focus on the horrors of war. In particular, Wailing will be in All Streets has the most detailed accounts of the bombing of Dresden and is the predecessor of the book that would become Slaughterhouse Five. I enjoyed Bagombo Snuffbox better even though many of those stories are dated (some were in fantastic story magazines in the 1950s). Many of these stories focus on Vonnegut's experience as a prisoner of war and a witness to the bombing of Dresden. I enjoyed the American Garrison and the Commandant's Desk the best. Some excerpts:(from the introduction)Reading and writing are subversive acts. What they subvert is the fact that things have to be they way they are. That you are alone. That no one has felt the way they have. That the world is far more up for grabs than they realized. That the world is a different place just from reading a damned book. From The Commandant's DeskIt's a tragedy they smashed everything and confiscated the most beautiful furniture in Beda. I smiled and shook my head. "Ah those enemies of capitalism. They had their quarters fixed up like a little Versailles." "We saw the wreckage." said the captain. And then when they couldn't have the treasures anymore, well then no one could have them. I made a motion like a man swinging an axe. And the world becomes a little duller for us all for there being fewer treasures, bourgeois treasures. But for those that can't afford beautiful things love the idea of there being such things somewhere. From the American GarrisonYou asked when the end of hate would come. He said at last, "It comes right now. No more labor battalions, no more stealing, no more smashing. I haven't seen enough to hate...but I'm sure I can hate the people of Beda as bitterly as Major Evans did if they don't start out tomorrow to rebuild this into a decent place for the children. ( )

Armageddon in Retrospect offers fans one last opportunity to get inside Kurt's mind through a collection of unpublished stories and writings. Although it falls short of many of his other works, it is a nice stepping stone for fans who are not ready to say goodbye just yet. Moreover, the topic couldn't be more relevant to today's world. ( )

Very excited to be able to read some unpublished material from my favorite author. Won't replace never getting a new novel from him, but it will do. Mostly short stories--all enjoyable, almost all taking place during WWII. Great quote from one of his classic illustrations: "Where do I get my ideas from? You might as well have asked that of Beethoven. He was goofing around in Germany like everybody else, and all of a sudden this stuff came gushing out of him. It was music. I was goofing around like everybody else in Indiana, and all of a sudden stuff came gushing out. It was disgust with civilization." ( )

This doesn’t feel like the posthumous collection it is. These stories are impeccably crafted, and fit perfectly together. That’s a credit to the skill of the writer: even his non-published works are eminently publishable.

I started to read Vonnegut after watching him interact with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. His dark humor and wise quips were enough for me to take a chance on his writing next time I dropped by the book store.

I’m thankful for his large catalogue of writing—and I hope there are still some more gems hiding in his files. ( )