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Tales of Soldiers and Civilians and Other Stories
Questing after Pancho Villa’s revolutionary forces, Ambrose Bierce rode into Mexico in 1913 and was never seen again. He left behind him theDevil’s Dictionary and a remarkable body of short fiction. This new collection gathers some of Bierce’s finest stories, including the celebrated Civil War fictions ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge‘ and ‘Chickamauga‘, his macabre masterpieces "The Damned Thing" and "Moxon's Master", and his hilariously horrific "Oil of Dog" and "My Favorite Murder".
--back cover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text
From In the Midst of Life
Soldiers:
A Horseman in the Sky
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Chickamauga
A Son of the Gods
One of the Missing
Killed at Resaca
The Affair at Coulter’s Notch
The Coup de Grâce
Parker Adderson, Philosopher
An Affair of Outposts
The Story of a Conscience
One Kind of Officer
The Mocking-Bird
Civilians:
The Man Out of the Nose
The Man and the Snake
The Boarded Window
From Can Such Things Be?
Can Such Things Be?:
Moxon’s Master
A Tough Tussle
A Resumed Identity
The Night-Doings at “Deadman’s”
The Realm of the Unreal
The Damned Thing
Haïta the Shepherd
The Ways of Ghosts:
Present at a Hanging
A Wireless Message
Soldier Folk:
Three and One Are One
From Negligible Tales
Negligible Tales:
A Bottomless Grave
Jupiter Doke, Brigadier-General
The City of the Gone Away
The Major’s Tale
Curried Cow
A Revolt of the Gods
The Parenticide Club:
My Favorite Murder
Oil of Dog
From Antepenultimata
A Bivouac of the Dead
From The Opinionator
The Controversialist:
The Short Story
Explanatory Notes
Glossary of Military Terms
Battle Sites and Battle Leaders
--back cover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text
From In the Midst of Life
Soldiers:
A Horseman in the Sky
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Chickamauga
A Son of the Gods
One of the Missing
Killed at Resaca
The Affair at Coulter’s Notch
The Coup de Grâce
Parker Adderson, Philosopher
An Affair of Outposts
The Story of a Conscience
One Kind of Officer
The Mocking-Bird
Civilians:
The Man Out of the Nose
The Man and the Snake
The Boarded Window
From Can Such Things Be?
Can Such Things Be?:
Moxon’s Master
A Tough Tussle
A Resumed Identity
The Night-Doings at “Deadman’s”
The Realm of the Unreal
The Damned Thing
Haïta the Shepherd
The Ways of Ghosts:
Present at a Hanging
A Wireless Message
Soldier Folk:
Three and One Are One
From Negligible Tales
Negligible Tales:
A Bottomless Grave
Jupiter Doke, Brigadier-General
The City of the Gone Away
The Major’s Tale
Curried Cow
A Revolt of the Gods
The Parenticide Club:
My Favorite Murder
Oil of Dog
From Antepenultimata
A Bivouac of the Dead
From The Opinionator
The Controversialist:
The Short Story
Explanatory Notes
Glossary of Military Terms
Battle Sites and Battle Leaders
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1891
21 people are currently reading
853 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Bierce
2,439 books1,301 followersdied perhaps 1914
Caustic wit and a strong sense of horror mark works, including In the Midst of Life (1891-1892) and The Devil's Dictionary (1906), of American writer Ambrose Gwinett Bierce.
People today best know this editorialist, journalist, and fabulist for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his lexicon.
The informative sardonic view of human nature alongside his vehemence as a critic with his motto, "nothing matters," earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce."
People knew Bierce despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, to encourage younger poet George Sterling and fiction author W.C. Morrow.
Bierce employed a distinctive style especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, the theme of war, and impossible events.
Bierce disappeared in December 1913 at the age of 71 years. People think that he traveled to Mexico to gain a firsthand perspective on ongoing revolution of that country.
Theories abound on a mystery, ultimate fate of Bierce. He in one of his final letters stated: "Good-bye. If you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags, please know that I think it is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico--ah, that is euthanasia!"
Caustic wit and a strong sense of horror mark works, including In the Midst of Life (1891-1892) and The Devil's Dictionary (1906), of American writer Ambrose Gwinett Bierce.
People today best know this editorialist, journalist, and fabulist for his short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and his lexicon.
The informative sardonic view of human nature alongside his vehemence as a critic with his motto, "nothing matters," earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce."
People knew Bierce despite his reputation as a searing critic, however, to encourage younger poet George Sterling and fiction author W.C. Morrow.
Bierce employed a distinctive style especially in his stories. This style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, the theme of war, and impossible events.
Bierce disappeared in December 1913 at the age of 71 years. People think that he traveled to Mexico to gain a firsthand perspective on ongoing revolution of that country.
Theories abound on a mystery, ultimate fate of Bierce. He in one of his final letters stated: "Good-bye. If you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags, please know that I think it is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico--ah, that is euthanasia!"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 4, 2023
Famous for his short story Incident at Owl Creek Bridge, all of Bierce's writing is worthwhile. Recommended.
February 22, 2017
There were some good stories in this collection and some stinkers. Many of the stories will give you the chills and make you hair stand on end. Bierce in a writer that is not to be missed.
November 20, 2023
This is a collection of 26 of Ambrose Bierce’s short stories. The book is divided into two parts. Part One is the 15 Tales of Soldiers which all involving stories of solders during the Civil War, a war Bierce himself fought in. Part Two consists of 11 Tales of Civilians. The stories in both parts are of a fairly readable short length, ranging between 6 and 16 pages and averaging about 11 pages. I read one to two at a sitting almost every day over an 18-day period. My understanding is that the stories were written between 1888 and 1891
I enjoyed Part One’s soldiers tales, more than Part Two’s civilian tales. In his Civil War tales, Bierce uses vivid imagery to effectively capture what it must have been like to actually be a soldier fighting during this brutal war between relatively similar folks and often between relatives.
At first I thought, due to the similar setting and feel of the stories, that it would have been better to alternate the stories between Soldiers and Civilians but, as I neared the end of the 15 war stories, I became convinced of the wisdom of the chosen layout. Reading one after another of similar set Civil War stories kept me immersed and involved both as an outside observer looking back in time and as an engaged observer empathizing with the protagonist. Bierce impressed me by using both Union and Confederate soldiers as protagonists, along with capturing some civilian reactions, including a story about a young child’s experience walking on the remains of a recent battlefield.
The Soldiers stories made an impact on me. These stories carried a cumulative poignancy absent from the stories of Civilians.
While I liked many of the Civilian tales, the quality varied between creative and trite, with some seemingly thrown together as mere set-ups for a twist ending. There were some with supernatural elements that also varied in effectiveness. I did appreciate these stories’ often clever and witty insight into late 19th century society, albeit mainly society’s edges rather than its center. While mainly set in San Francisco or other California and western locations, there were a few set near Cincinnati.
Overall, I came to appreciate Bierce’s mind, his creativity and his off-beat outlook and insights more than his writing ability. But I leave this read convinced of his status as a major writer of the end of the 19th Century America and even more curious about his personal story than before. I will attempt to watch "Old Gringo" the 1989 movie version of Carlos Fuentes's The Old Gringo featuring an older Bierce in his last days in Mexico. I may not want to pay for it, though, as it gets fairly poor reviews.
However, I don’t think Bierce would quibble over the movie’s quality. One can certainly do worse than to have Gregory Peck play you in a movie. Here’s the Wikipedia and IMDb links about the movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Gringo
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098022
I rate this collection as 3 stars
I enjoyed Part One’s soldiers tales, more than Part Two’s civilian tales. In his Civil War tales, Bierce uses vivid imagery to effectively capture what it must have been like to actually be a soldier fighting during this brutal war between relatively similar folks and often between relatives.
At first I thought, due to the similar setting and feel of the stories, that it would have been better to alternate the stories between Soldiers and Civilians but, as I neared the end of the 15 war stories, I became convinced of the wisdom of the chosen layout. Reading one after another of similar set Civil War stories kept me immersed and involved both as an outside observer looking back in time and as an engaged observer empathizing with the protagonist. Bierce impressed me by using both Union and Confederate soldiers as protagonists, along with capturing some civilian reactions, including a story about a young child’s experience walking on the remains of a recent battlefield.
The Soldiers stories made an impact on me. These stories carried a cumulative poignancy absent from the stories of Civilians.
While I liked many of the Civilian tales, the quality varied between creative and trite, with some seemingly thrown together as mere set-ups for a twist ending. There were some with supernatural elements that also varied in effectiveness. I did appreciate these stories’ often clever and witty insight into late 19th century society, albeit mainly society’s edges rather than its center. While mainly set in San Francisco or other California and western locations, there were a few set near Cincinnati.
Overall, I came to appreciate Bierce’s mind, his creativity and his off-beat outlook and insights more than his writing ability. But I leave this read convinced of his status as a major writer of the end of the 19th Century America and even more curious about his personal story than before. I will attempt to watch "Old Gringo" the 1989 movie version of Carlos Fuentes's The Old Gringo featuring an older Bierce in his last days in Mexico. I may not want to pay for it, though, as it gets fairly poor reviews.
However, I don’t think Bierce would quibble over the movie’s quality. One can certainly do worse than to have Gregory Peck play you in a movie. Here’s the Wikipedia and IMDb links about the movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Gringo
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098022
I rate this collection as 3 stars
January 15, 2010
This book of short stories was interesting on a number of levels. Bierces personal style is unique but at the same time you can't help but sense the attitude and values of the later 19th century. The descriptions of war and human perversity were tame by todays standards but must have been quite unsettling at the time.
The first part of the book were stories of the civil war and I thought were better written than the civilian stories. Perhaps because war more easily lends itself to the macabre.
Bierce had a way of stringing words together that in itself was worth reading even if the story was weak. After awhile though it became a little repetitious. His bag of tricks was somewhat limited. At least in this one book which is the only Bierce book I've read to date.
All in all it was a good book. I recommend stretching it out; read a single story only occationally. The stories kept more of their appeal that way.
The first part of the book were stories of the civil war and I thought were better written than the civilian stories. Perhaps because war more easily lends itself to the macabre.
Bierce had a way of stringing words together that in itself was worth reading even if the story was weak. After awhile though it became a little repetitious. His bag of tricks was somewhat limited. At least in this one book which is the only Bierce book I've read to date.
All in all it was a good book. I recommend stretching it out; read a single story only occationally. The stories kept more of their appeal that way.
November 30, 2018
A satirical, biting anti-war and anti-stupidity stories. Where have you been all my life, Ambrose Bierce? Sure, I had a problem with the language and writing style - English not being my first language - but I enjoyed these a lot!
June 14, 2022
If you’re wanting to read the nineteen Ambrose Bierce short stories that made up the original release of his 1891 collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians, you’ll find six of them, all Civilians, missing from this Penguin anthology, but you’ll get an additional 23 the author and his publishers added to revised editions throughout the rest of Bierce’s lifetime.
I enjoyed more the stories sprung from Bierce’s time as a cartographer in the US Civil War. His ghost and supernatural stories are often good, but didn’t pull me in the way his war stories did (many of the entries here are both war and supernatural). Dying of fright wasn’t uncommon in the 19th century, apparently.
The first eight stories, including “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” which you’ve probably read, and “Chickamauga” and “A Horseman in the Sky,” both of which you may have read, are outstanding. The one essay included, “The Short Story,” where he smears novels and their writers, is tedious as heck, and his first-person tale “Oil of Dog” is about as horrific as anything I’ve read.
I enjoyed more the stories sprung from Bierce’s time as a cartographer in the US Civil War. His ghost and supernatural stories are often good, but didn’t pull me in the way his war stories did (many of the entries here are both war and supernatural). Dying of fright wasn’t uncommon in the 19th century, apparently.
The first eight stories, including “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” which you’ve probably read, and “Chickamauga” and “A Horseman in the Sky,” both of which you may have read, are outstanding. The one essay included, “The Short Story,” where he smears novels and their writers, is tedious as heck, and his first-person tale “Oil of Dog” is about as horrific as anything I’ve read.
March 8, 2021
Short review: A fascinating collection of Tales from one of America's most underrated authors.
Very Long review: Ambrose Bierce was certainly an interesting author. His style is unique and satirical yet biting at times. He is also criminally underrated and virtually unknown despite frequenting the same circles as the like of Mark Twain in 19th Century San Francisco.
The opening story An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge is one of the most recycled and re-used stories in not only literature but also film and television. It's also arguably the best in the book, closely followed by A Horseman in the Sky. As you'd expect, his own experiences in the Civil War as a Union solder weave their way into many of his stories, even ones set outside of the war setting. The beauty of his writing is that the Civil War becomes almost a backdrop to the horrors and faults of mankind.
His more supernatural tales were personally some of my favourite but I'm fully aware they didn't land as well with others, so it's no surprise that Can Such Things Be? was my favourite of the collections. The Damned Thing is a concept that was developed by many a horror writer in latter years including H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft. Moxom's Master is quite possibly the first description in English about a robot. More poignantly, Haïta the Shepherd is well constructed story about the pursuit of happiness.
It is perhaps fitting that the fate of Ambrose Bierce will forever be a mystery as in 1913, whilst searching for Pancho Villa's forces in Mexico, he simply vanished from the face of the Earth. But perhaps the man who spawned a genre with the brilliant and now no longer protected story An Inhabitant of Carcosa should be remembered more fondly as a talented, nonconformist of fiction and American Literature.
Very Long review: Ambrose Bierce was certainly an interesting author. His style is unique and satirical yet biting at times. He is also criminally underrated and virtually unknown despite frequenting the same circles as the like of Mark Twain in 19th Century San Francisco.
The opening story An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge is one of the most recycled and re-used stories in not only literature but also film and television. It's also arguably the best in the book, closely followed by A Horseman in the Sky. As you'd expect, his own experiences in the Civil War as a Union solder weave their way into many of his stories, even ones set outside of the war setting. The beauty of his writing is that the Civil War becomes almost a backdrop to the horrors and faults of mankind.
His more supernatural tales were personally some of my favourite but I'm fully aware they didn't land as well with others, so it's no surprise that Can Such Things Be? was my favourite of the collections. The Damned Thing is a concept that was developed by many a horror writer in latter years including H.G. Wells and H.P. Lovecraft. Moxom's Master is quite possibly the first description in English about a robot. More poignantly, Haïta the Shepherd is well constructed story about the pursuit of happiness.
It is perhaps fitting that the fate of Ambrose Bierce will forever be a mystery as in 1913, whilst searching for Pancho Villa's forces in Mexico, he simply vanished from the face of the Earth. But perhaps the man who spawned a genre with the brilliant and now no longer protected story An Inhabitant of Carcosa should be remembered more fondly as a talented, nonconformist of fiction and American Literature.
March 13, 2018
Ambrose Bierce
A Horsemen in the Sky
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Son of the Gods
Killed at Resaca
A Tough Tussle
Affair at Coulter’s Notce
The Coupe de Grace
A Resumed Identity
The Man and the Snake
Moxon's Master-it’s about robots before robots were really a thing
The Secret of Macarger’s Gulch-
“May I ask why you asked about ‘Macarger’s Gulch’?”/“I lost a mule there once, and the mischance has – has quite – upset me.”/“My dead, the loss of Mr. Elderson’s mule has peppered his coffee.”
The Moonlit Road-3 perspectives, the son, the father/murderer, the wife/murder victim/spirit; everyone is close but no one is on the same page
Beyond the Wall
The Night-Doings at “Deadman’s”-a man refuses to give his servant proper burial rites and thus haunts the man, but the man is too stubborn to do anything to help the ghost and thus gets killed
The Boarded Window-Bierce’s 1891 remake of Poe's “The Premature Burial” (1844)
A Horsemen in the Sky
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Son of the Gods
Killed at Resaca
A Tough Tussle
Affair at Coulter’s Notce
The Coupe de Grace
A Resumed Identity
The Man and the Snake
Moxon's Master-it’s about robots before robots were really a thing
The Secret of Macarger’s Gulch-
“May I ask why you asked about ‘Macarger’s Gulch’?”/“I lost a mule there once, and the mischance has – has quite – upset me.”/“My dead, the loss of Mr. Elderson’s mule has peppered his coffee.”
The Moonlit Road-3 perspectives, the son, the father/murderer, the wife/murder victim/spirit; everyone is close but no one is on the same page
Beyond the Wall
The Night-Doings at “Deadman’s”-a man refuses to give his servant proper burial rites and thus haunts the man, but the man is too stubborn to do anything to help the ghost and thus gets killed
The Boarded Window-Bierce’s 1891 remake of Poe's “The Premature Burial” (1844)
September 10, 2023
Ambrose Bierce was for me, the H.L. Mencken of the 19th century. Acerbic, opinionated, and not afraid to shock with his tales of the supernatural, and occasionally far more frighteningly, actual day to day living.
These collected stories are broken up into several sections including: Soldiers, Ghosts, and Civilians.
While almost all of them have Bierce’s trademark Twilight Zone disturbing twist in the final sentences, it is the stories of soldiers, of which Bierce was one during the Civil War, that I found the most electric and alive.
The final piece in the collection is not a short story but rather an essay on the short story. In just a few short pages, Bierce manages to denigrate pretty much any writer (particularly novelists) that he dislikes. It’s a glorious rant, full of pettiness, spite, and arrogance that nobody can write quite like him.
I’m not entirely sure he was wrong.
These collected stories are broken up into several sections including: Soldiers, Ghosts, and Civilians.
While almost all of them have Bierce’s trademark Twilight Zone disturbing twist in the final sentences, it is the stories of soldiers, of which Bierce was one during the Civil War, that I found the most electric and alive.
The final piece in the collection is not a short story but rather an essay on the short story. In just a few short pages, Bierce manages to denigrate pretty much any writer (particularly novelists) that he dislikes. It’s a glorious rant, full of pettiness, spite, and arrogance that nobody can write quite like him.
I’m not entirely sure he was wrong.
April 16, 2025
I enjoyed the stories, for the most part. Bierce is a pretty straight forward storyteller, though 'An Inhabitant of Carcosa' contains a flash of poetic language, if a little unintentional by my estimations. He has been criticised for relying on trick endings, and the story 'The Coup de Grace' had a twist in the end that reminded me of a certain film adapted from a Stephen King novella, but often I found stories needing more than they gave. Of the first half dealing with soldiers (the second half being civilians), each story paints a grim picture of life in a military regiment, including family conflict, and the bad luck of being trapped in the broken boards of a bombed building, among other tragedies. Worth dipping into to see what else the author of the all-time classic 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' was capable of.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
September 20, 2018
Tales of soldiers - four stars; tales of civilians - two to three. Beautiful English.
February 23, 2024
De los humores mas elegantes que he leido. Tiene ese toque lovecraftiano que hace a los cuentos de fantasmas ir mas alla.
December 31, 2023
Highlights:
A Horseman in the Sky
An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge
Chickamauga
The Affair at Coulter's Notch
The Man Out of the Nose
Moxon's Master
The Damned Thing
A Bottomless Grave
Oil of Dog
A Horseman in the Sky
An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge
Chickamauga
The Affair at Coulter's Notch
The Man Out of the Nose
Moxon's Master
The Damned Thing
A Bottomless Grave
Oil of Dog
August 4, 2012
Ambrose Bierce, I think, is an underrated American writer. He has a little renown for his "Devil’s Dictionary," packed with of scathing definitions, such as Cynic: (n.) A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision; and Marriage: (n.) A household consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves, making in all, two.
Bierce was a newspaperman and notorious columnist in San Francisco for two decades, including 12 years for William Randolph Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner. But he was also the author of a number of first-rate short stories, especially his stories based on his experiences in the American Civil War. His “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” originally published by the San Francisco Examiner in 1890, would rate on my Top Five list of best American short stories. Rod Serling liked the story so much that he bought a one-hour movie version of it to use as a 1964 episode of the TV series "The Twilight Zone."
Published in 2000, "Tales of Soldiers and Civilians and Other Stories" consists of 35 of his best short stories, including 13 Civil War stories, and the essay “The Short Story.” “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is the second story in this collection. Other Civil War stories such as “Chickamauga,” “One of the Missing,” and “The Affair at Coulter’s Notch” are also superb.
While Bierce’s Civil War tales are justly renowned, he also wrote short stories about California, where he spent most of his adult life. This opening passage – from “The Night Doings at ‘Deadman’s’” – caught my eye:
“It was a singularly sharp night, and clear as the heart of a diamond. Clear nights have a trick of being keen. In darkness you may be cold and not know it; when you see, you suffer. This night was bright enough to bite like a serpent. The moon was moving mysteriously along behind the giant pines crowning the South Mountain, striking a cold sparkle from the crusted snow, and bringing out against the black west the ghostly outlines of the Coast Range, beyond which lay the invisible Pacific. The snow had piled itself, in the open spaces along the bottom of the gulch, into long ridges that seemed to heave, and into hills that appeared to toss and scatter spray. The spray was sunlight, twice reflected: dashed once from the moon, once from the snow.”
The book also includes an excellent 20-page introduction by Tom Quirk, professor of English at the University of Missouri-Columbia, which looks at Bierce’s life, literary production, and his mysterious disappearance in 1912 in Mexico. When, where, or why Bierce died is to this day not known.
Bierce was a newspaperman and notorious columnist in San Francisco for two decades, including 12 years for William Randolph Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner. But he was also the author of a number of first-rate short stories, especially his stories based on his experiences in the American Civil War. His “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” originally published by the San Francisco Examiner in 1890, would rate on my Top Five list of best American short stories. Rod Serling liked the story so much that he bought a one-hour movie version of it to use as a 1964 episode of the TV series "The Twilight Zone."
Published in 2000, "Tales of Soldiers and Civilians and Other Stories" consists of 35 of his best short stories, including 13 Civil War stories, and the essay “The Short Story.” “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is the second story in this collection. Other Civil War stories such as “Chickamauga,” “One of the Missing,” and “The Affair at Coulter’s Notch” are also superb.
While Bierce’s Civil War tales are justly renowned, he also wrote short stories about California, where he spent most of his adult life. This opening passage – from “The Night Doings at ‘Deadman’s’” – caught my eye:
“It was a singularly sharp night, and clear as the heart of a diamond. Clear nights have a trick of being keen. In darkness you may be cold and not know it; when you see, you suffer. This night was bright enough to bite like a serpent. The moon was moving mysteriously along behind the giant pines crowning the South Mountain, striking a cold sparkle from the crusted snow, and bringing out against the black west the ghostly outlines of the Coast Range, beyond which lay the invisible Pacific. The snow had piled itself, in the open spaces along the bottom of the gulch, into long ridges that seemed to heave, and into hills that appeared to toss and scatter spray. The spray was sunlight, twice reflected: dashed once from the moon, once from the snow.”
The book also includes an excellent 20-page introduction by Tom Quirk, professor of English at the University of Missouri-Columbia, which looks at Bierce’s life, literary production, and his mysterious disappearance in 1912 in Mexico. When, where, or why Bierce died is to this day not known.
May 23, 2016
Bierce is one of the most brilliant of American short story writers. Witty, satirical, humorous, serious, sardonic, highly descriptive, and chilling are some of the words that describe many of the short stories contained in this collection of short stories authored by Bierce.
My interest in Bierce has grown over the years. Bierce served in the same regiment as my great-great-great grandfather, Abner Sanders, that being the Ninth Regiment of the Indiana Infantry, commonly referred to as the "Bloody Ninth" due to the number of major battles this regiment had to engage in and the losses it suffered in those battles. Several of Bierce's short stories take place at Cheat Mountain in present-day West Virginia, where my great-great-great grandfather died. Bierce's descriptions provide me a glimpse of what it was like for my ancestor.
Included in this collection are some of Bierce's best short stories: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Damned Thing, A Bottomless Grave, Jupiter Doke, Brigadier-General, and Oil of Dog.
A Bivouac of the Dead is especially interesting essay given the recent spate of news articles and political drama over the use of the Confederate flag. Here, Bierce, a former Union officer, laments over the losses of Confederate soldiers that are forever forgotten buried in an unmarked field near Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, which he visited in 1903. Bierce observed that:
"They were honest men and courageous foemen, having little in common with the political madmen who persuaded them to their doom and the literary bearers of false witness in the aftertime. They did not live through the period of honorable strife into the period of vilification -- did not pass from the iron age to the brazen -- from the era of the sword to that of the tongue and pen. Among them is no member of the Southern Historical Society. Their valor was not the fury of the non-combatant; they have no voice in the thunder of the civilians and the shouting. Not by them are impaired the dignity and infinite pathos of the Lost Cause. Give them, these blameless gentlemen, their rightful part in all the pomp that fills the circuit of the summer hills."
Bierce realizes that these Confederate soldiers appear to be forever forgotten and died in vain.
Also included in this collection is The Short Story, which is especially critical of the novel as a "work of art." While I do not necessarily agree with all the issues that Bierce points out in his essay concerning the novel, many of his criticisms seem to hold a significant level of validity. Which is the greater "work of art," the short story or the novel?
My interest in Bierce has grown over the years. Bierce served in the same regiment as my great-great-great grandfather, Abner Sanders, that being the Ninth Regiment of the Indiana Infantry, commonly referred to as the "Bloody Ninth" due to the number of major battles this regiment had to engage in and the losses it suffered in those battles. Several of Bierce's short stories take place at Cheat Mountain in present-day West Virginia, where my great-great-great grandfather died. Bierce's descriptions provide me a glimpse of what it was like for my ancestor.
Included in this collection are some of Bierce's best short stories: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Damned Thing, A Bottomless Grave, Jupiter Doke, Brigadier-General, and Oil of Dog.
A Bivouac of the Dead is especially interesting essay given the recent spate of news articles and political drama over the use of the Confederate flag. Here, Bierce, a former Union officer, laments over the losses of Confederate soldiers that are forever forgotten buried in an unmarked field near Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, which he visited in 1903. Bierce observed that:
"They were honest men and courageous foemen, having little in common with the political madmen who persuaded them to their doom and the literary bearers of false witness in the aftertime. They did not live through the period of honorable strife into the period of vilification -- did not pass from the iron age to the brazen -- from the era of the sword to that of the tongue and pen. Among them is no member of the Southern Historical Society. Their valor was not the fury of the non-combatant; they have no voice in the thunder of the civilians and the shouting. Not by them are impaired the dignity and infinite pathos of the Lost Cause. Give them, these blameless gentlemen, their rightful part in all the pomp that fills the circuit of the summer hills."
Bierce realizes that these Confederate soldiers appear to be forever forgotten and died in vain.
Also included in this collection is The Short Story, which is especially critical of the novel as a "work of art." While I do not necessarily agree with all the issues that Bierce points out in his essay concerning the novel, many of his criticisms seem to hold a significant level of validity. Which is the greater "work of art," the short story or the novel?
February 7, 2018
First published as Tales of Soldiers and Civilians in 1891, In the Midst of Life brings together all 19 original stories plus some latter additions and then some from Bierce's 1893 Can Such Things Be?. It also contains Bierce's most famous story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" - the greatest American short story ever written, according to Kurt Vonnegut. He also thinks you're a twerp if you haven't read it.
The stories skirt the line between the uncanny and the supernatural, pitting hapless characters (victims more like) in fateful situations whose ironic outcomes defy wit or bravery. The section "Tales of Soldiers" focuses on pointless sacrifice and cruel coincidence; "Tales of Civilians" errs a little more on the side of the supernatural and features ghost stories and Bierce's weirder streak.
How he tortures his characters! Bierce was a journalist and fabled wit, and delighted in writing stories as gossipy, sensationalistic accounts that focused on grisly details and spared no sadism in relishing the twists of cruel irony. Evidently he'd also worked out a fairly versatile formula for quickly penning them: start in media res, supply the context in a flashback, continue the story up to an ambiguous climax and figure out the outcome from the perspective of a late arrival. Many stories are structured this way.
Perhaps this gets a bit repetitive in the "Soldiers" section of the book, which in any case contains some excellent stories: the aforementioned "Owl Creek" and "Chickamauga", "One of the Missing" and "Tough Tussle". From "Civilians" I enjoyed the most "A Holy Terror", "An Inhabitant of Carcosa", "The Boarded Window" and the creepily insidious "A Lady from Redhorse".
I used 'perspective' ealier. The brilliance of Bierce's work comes from the way he depicts reality as elastic as a disturbed mind can make it. Even though he rarely writes in the first person, the stories reflect the perturbed subjectivity of its unlucky protagonists in such a way that, even if the outcome sometimes feels foregone, the overall effect is unsettling and lingers on in the reader.
The stories skirt the line between the uncanny and the supernatural, pitting hapless characters (victims more like) in fateful situations whose ironic outcomes defy wit or bravery. The section "Tales of Soldiers" focuses on pointless sacrifice and cruel coincidence; "Tales of Civilians" errs a little more on the side of the supernatural and features ghost stories and Bierce's weirder streak.
How he tortures his characters! Bierce was a journalist and fabled wit, and delighted in writing stories as gossipy, sensationalistic accounts that focused on grisly details and spared no sadism in relishing the twists of cruel irony. Evidently he'd also worked out a fairly versatile formula for quickly penning them: start in media res, supply the context in a flashback, continue the story up to an ambiguous climax and figure out the outcome from the perspective of a late arrival. Many stories are structured this way.
Perhaps this gets a bit repetitive in the "Soldiers" section of the book, which in any case contains some excellent stories: the aforementioned "Owl Creek" and "Chickamauga", "One of the Missing" and "Tough Tussle". From "Civilians" I enjoyed the most "A Holy Terror", "An Inhabitant of Carcosa", "The Boarded Window" and the creepily insidious "A Lady from Redhorse".
I used 'perspective' ealier. The brilliance of Bierce's work comes from the way he depicts reality as elastic as a disturbed mind can make it. Even though he rarely writes in the first person, the stories reflect the perturbed subjectivity of its unlucky protagonists in such a way that, even if the outcome sometimes feels foregone, the overall effect is unsettling and lingers on in the reader.
March 11, 2012
Ambrose Bierce’s “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians,” published in 1891, is a cycle of short stories set during the Civil War. War tales cover the first half of the anthology; Bierce served in combat and distinguished himself for his bravery (although he did not personally advertise the fact), and the stories deal almost uniformly with violence of some kind, whether execution or the rigors of battle, often delivered in a dispassionate, ironic voice. Bierce frequently relies on the device of a surprise or paradoxical ending, and the Grim Reaper dependably closes the curtains.
Like Poe, Bierce often feels like a literary artist struggling with the boundaries of popular fiction; the reliable surprise closing, in particular, sometimes feels de rigeur. A concluding “stinger” is occasionally appended to impressionistic tales that might have been better served by an ethereal diminuendo. But those stories are in the minority. Bierce’s best war pieces (“Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, “Chickamauga”) brilliantly evoke a poetic, insubstantial reality that gradually telescopes into crueler truths.
The “civilian” stories found in the second half are anything but commonplace, anticipating the densely literary horror of H.P. Lovecraft. Rarely suspenseful but often dislocating, these eccentric tales typically wrap a straightforward conceit in opaque, digressive prose; the effect sometimes approaches something close to the contemporaneous “psychological” effects of Henry James, such as the hallucinatory “The Man and the Snake.” Here, Bierce’s true innovation is on full display and rewards the considerable (and often perplexing) demands that he places on the reader.
Like Poe, Bierce often feels like a literary artist struggling with the boundaries of popular fiction; the reliable surprise closing, in particular, sometimes feels de rigeur. A concluding “stinger” is occasionally appended to impressionistic tales that might have been better served by an ethereal diminuendo. But those stories are in the minority. Bierce’s best war pieces (“Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, “Chickamauga”) brilliantly evoke a poetic, insubstantial reality that gradually telescopes into crueler truths.
The “civilian” stories found in the second half are anything but commonplace, anticipating the densely literary horror of H.P. Lovecraft. Rarely suspenseful but often dislocating, these eccentric tales typically wrap a straightforward conceit in opaque, digressive prose; the effect sometimes approaches something close to the contemporaneous “psychological” effects of Henry James, such as the hallucinatory “The Man and the Snake.” Here, Bierce’s true innovation is on full display and rewards the considerable (and often perplexing) demands that he places on the reader.
December 12, 2013
Ambrose Bierce was born in Meigs County, Ohio. Let that sink in for a moment. One of the most redneck regions in Ohio produced one of the greatest American writers, and yet he seems to have passed into obscurity in Ohio's obsession with disappointing sports teams and OSU. Why is that? Could it be that the continually underperforming Browns give the average Joe more hope then an Ambrose Bierce short story?
Mr. Bierce understands that a good short story builds to an "effect". In Bierce's case, the idea is to offer a twist at the end that will clarify with terrible force the story preceding it. This leads to some incredibly...distressing... endings, sometimes even when you are expecting it.
Tales of Soldiers and Civilians is divided between the war short stories and the "civilian" stories. The war stories take place during the Civil War, of which Ambrose Bierce was a veteran. In these stories, Bierce is at his best drawing from actual experience and knowledge of how the Northern army works. One would probably learn more about the Civil War reading these stories then taking a class on them... so often do we reduce history to dates and events, the people and how they interacted in such times are forgotten. We forget human history is made by human nature.
The Civilian stories, with some very notable exceptions, are inferior to the war stories and sometimes verge on "pulp" quality. Here, we see a Bierce expanding his horizons which will lead to his "ghost stories" (which I shall review when I read that volume).
Mr. Bierce understands that a good short story builds to an "effect". In Bierce's case, the idea is to offer a twist at the end that will clarify with terrible force the story preceding it. This leads to some incredibly...distressing... endings, sometimes even when you are expecting it.
Tales of Soldiers and Civilians is divided between the war short stories and the "civilian" stories. The war stories take place during the Civil War, of which Ambrose Bierce was a veteran. In these stories, Bierce is at his best drawing from actual experience and knowledge of how the Northern army works. One would probably learn more about the Civil War reading these stories then taking a class on them... so often do we reduce history to dates and events, the people and how they interacted in such times are forgotten. We forget human history is made by human nature.
The Civilian stories, with some very notable exceptions, are inferior to the war stories and sometimes verge on "pulp" quality. Here, we see a Bierce expanding his horizons which will lead to his "ghost stories" (which I shall review when I read that volume).
August 29, 2015
A relatively interesting collection of short stories, I assume more interesting to Americans than to anyone else. Ambrose Bierce is famous for his wit and sarcasm, but here another side is shown - about half of the book is stories of the Civil War, of which Bierce himself was a veteran. These stories are not "fun", they're sometimes heroic, but more often about war's random chaos:
The other half (the "...and Civilians") part of the book is less enticing. The ghost stories don't go past "spooky", but there are quite a few hilarious satirical stories where Bierce's wit shines (and most of them strangely fascinated with parricide):
Reading these you can feel why Bierce is mostly remembered for his satire.
"And could you not have known - could you not see, sir, that you were attacking our own men?"
The reply was astounding!
"I knew that, general. It appeared to be none of my business."
The other half (the "...and Civilians") part of the book is less enticing. The ghost stories don't go past "spooky", but there are quite a few hilarious satirical stories where Bierce's wit shines (and most of them strangely fascinated with parricide):
One day, when in a fit of peevish temper, I had taken the liberty to cut off the baby's ear, her [mother's] simple words, "John, you surprise me!" appeared to me so sharp a reproof that after a sleepless night I went to her in tears, and throwing myself at her feet, exclaimed: "Mother, forgive me for surprising you."
Reading these you can feel why Bierce is mostly remembered for his satire.
January 21, 2012
Ambrose Bierce is now a cult favorite, and has supposedly influenced horror writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King. I'm sure that in the 1890s these stories were terrifying and original. Now however they just seem dull and cliche. The more short stories I read the more I realize it's not a form of writing I really enjoy, but these were definitely some of my least favorite, probably because they're just so outdated. Each story tries to end with a twist, but because these twists have been repeated so much since these stories were first written, they're all pretty obvious. I do give him credit for coming up with a lot of these ideas... if only they hadn't been used a million times since. Most of the stories are less than 10 pages, most around 7 or 8 and for me that just doesn't give a writer enough time to develop anything interesting. These stories feel gimmicky to me.
October 15, 2022
[read for high school ‘junior year’]
February 22, 2021
Bierce is my best friend’s favorite author. Unfortunately I do not experience the same relationship with his writing. I can say I have read Bierce off and on since highschool and every endeavor ended in never finishing a book and honestly falling asleep to the writing. BUT...
I gave Bierce another chance and read this book which is essentially a compilation of two works: “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians” and “Can Such Things Be?” It took me months to actually get to the finish line because, once again, I had to work-read in order to finish some of the stories.
With that said the stories that were good were really good. If I curated my favorites stories in the order of my tastes I could of finished it within a weekend instead of months.
I must comment on the story “The Damned Thing.” You could of credited it with the author H.P. Lovecraft and everyone would be none the wiser. It reads exactly as if it was one of Lovecraft’s stories.
It must be noted that two stories: “An Inhabitant Of Carcosa” and “Haïta The Shepherd” are now historical in the regard that these stories are a part of Lovecraftian Lore. Robert W. Chambers, Lovecraft, and others had used the place names and gods in their own stories.
This was the primary reason for reading this book. I wanted to read the origins of a Lovecraftian tradition and follow through it by reading next, “The King In Yellow” by Chambers, whom was the first to use Bierce’s writing in his own.
Overall recommended for the several stories that were very good.
I gave Bierce another chance and read this book which is essentially a compilation of two works: “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians” and “Can Such Things Be?” It took me months to actually get to the finish line because, once again, I had to work-read in order to finish some of the stories.
With that said the stories that were good were really good. If I curated my favorites stories in the order of my tastes I could of finished it within a weekend instead of months.
I must comment on the story “The Damned Thing.” You could of credited it with the author H.P. Lovecraft and everyone would be none the wiser. It reads exactly as if it was one of Lovecraft’s stories.
It must be noted that two stories: “An Inhabitant Of Carcosa” and “Haïta The Shepherd” are now historical in the regard that these stories are a part of Lovecraftian Lore. Robert W. Chambers, Lovecraft, and others had used the place names and gods in their own stories.
This was the primary reason for reading this book. I wanted to read the origins of a Lovecraftian tradition and follow through it by reading next, “The King In Yellow” by Chambers, whom was the first to use Bierce’s writing in his own.
Overall recommended for the several stories that were very good.
June 25, 2019
Surprisingly disappointing, for such a relatively big name. In my estimate, Bierce just wasn't a very great writer of short stories. There's too much that is simply too laborious to work really well. Only the two most famous stories ('An Occurence at Owl Creek Brudge' and 'A Horseman in the Sky') bear up reasonably well, and even they are not as flawless as their status as anthology staples might suggest. His languages is often decidedly ornate, *and* he has the self-taught man's irritating habit of slipping in abstruse mythological references at inappropriate moments. (A bit like Thomas Hardy in this, but Thomas Hardy's characters really live and his narratives often take such breathtakingly wild turns that you forgive him; in these short and often less than breathtaking narratives of Bierce, it sometimes begins to grate for me. Not to mention some of the worst punning I've seen purportedly classical literature.)
What makes the collection as a whole difficult to read is that almost all of the pieces are so slight. Bierce doesn't really seem interested in creating characters, all he gives us are situations, and not always very interesting ones at that. In addition, he often goes in for surprise plots in the later tradition of O'Henry and Dahl, but he is not always very adroit in working his way towards the reveal: those final moments of revelation often feel contrived or slapped on. Sometimes all he does is bluntly state it, instead of cleverly staging it.
What makes the collection as a whole difficult to read is that almost all of the pieces are so slight. Bierce doesn't really seem interested in creating characters, all he gives us are situations, and not always very interesting ones at that. In addition, he often goes in for surprise plots in the later tradition of O'Henry and Dahl, but he is not always very adroit in working his way towards the reveal: those final moments of revelation often feel contrived or slapped on. Sometimes all he does is bluntly state it, instead of cleverly staging it.
October 23, 2018
In this collection, Ambrose Bierce captures fully what makes his writing unique: it is witty, pithy, and sardonically devastating.
With about two thirds of these stories being based around the War Between the States and the rest on life in rustic California after the War, Tales of Soldiers and Civilians allows Bierce to comment upon all facets of the human condition. He is especially interested in how ordinary people respond to extraordinary extremes, a topic examined most extensively in his short stories about the War.
Bierce is often criticized for his twist endings, and it has been claimed that he was more interested in jarring than enlightening his readers. This claim fails to account, however, for the narrative intention behind the twist endings, which are often deeply ironic: Bierce intends to unsettle his readers in order to drive home his point. This fact is most obvious in his wartime stories.
I would recommend Tales of Soldiers and Civilians to all fans of 19th century American fiction; fans of Mark Twain will especially find a great deal to enjoy.
With about two thirds of these stories being based around the War Between the States and the rest on life in rustic California after the War, Tales of Soldiers and Civilians allows Bierce to comment upon all facets of the human condition. He is especially interested in how ordinary people respond to extraordinary extremes, a topic examined most extensively in his short stories about the War.
Bierce is often criticized for his twist endings, and it has been claimed that he was more interested in jarring than enlightening his readers. This claim fails to account, however, for the narrative intention behind the twist endings, which are often deeply ironic: Bierce intends to unsettle his readers in order to drive home his point. This fact is most obvious in his wartime stories.
I would recommend Tales of Soldiers and Civilians to all fans of 19th century American fiction; fans of Mark Twain will especially find a great deal to enjoy.
August 13, 2018
With anyone who appreciates the macabre mixed with the martial, this is a fascinating read. Bierce has a talent for reaching inside the most lugubrious preoccupations of his readers’ minds. From the perspective of a condemned man, Bierce weaves an intriguing (albeit brief) portrait of a military Confederate on the precipice of death. His scintillating descriptions are mainly geared toward the 19th century reader , who was likely to be more patient than current modern readers. Some sense of the supernatural is woven into these accounts, which makes them promising predictions of theological ontology. I can’t emphasize how often this writer sends shivers down your spine. Truly remarkable author whose name is not mentioned often enough in turn of the 20th century names. Should be required reading for students of American literature.
October 27, 2021
These short stories are so different in their quality that one might wonder why were they published together in one volume. The stories about soldiers and the US Civil war, based on Bierce's experience as a Union soldier are much stronger and better written. The most famous of them are "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". "A Houseman in the sky" and "Chickamauga" are the most famous ones and probably the best. Though his depictions of war are pretty realistic (but not to the point of being gut-wrenching) it is the description of human tragedies that make them so touching.
The second part contains stories about civilians leaning toward horror and supernatural. A couple of them like "The Boarded Window" were gripping and haunting, but mostly naive and cliched. These are old-fashioned ghost stories, which may have been spooky for a 19 century reader, but not for a modern one.
I really enjoyed Bierce's language and his short but poignant contemplations on war, fate and human nature. But one cant't help but notice that he uses the same plot devices over and over again and frequently relies on a surprise ending. After a while it becomes repetitive. I'd recommend to read these stories one at time to enjoy their charm, not to try to get through the book at once as I did.
The second part contains stories about civilians leaning toward horror and supernatural. A couple of them like "The Boarded Window" were gripping and haunting, but mostly naive and cliched. These are old-fashioned ghost stories, which may have been spooky for a 19 century reader, but not for a modern one.
I really enjoyed Bierce's language and his short but poignant contemplations on war, fate and human nature. But one cant't help but notice that he uses the same plot devices over and over again and frequently relies on a surprise ending. After a while it becomes repetitive. I'd recommend to read these stories one at time to enjoy their charm, not to try to get through the book at once as I did.
December 18, 2025
Ehh... Bierce can oftentimes feel like a one-trick pony. He loves his "American Civil War meets Twilight Zone 'twist' ending" short stories. I know it's unfair to compare him to "The Twilight Zone" when he predates it by a good chunk of time but more using that as a comp.
And I love "The Twilight Zone". But, often times, Bierce's short stories can all feel a little same-y. The twists can usually be seen a mile away (he was dead the whole time!). And, at least with the show, each segment or episode is in a vastly different setting than the prior. I can only read so many Civil War stories or Wild West stories before I get bored.
These probably worked better when you happen to catch one in a random magazine or periodical every few months. I can see how that would be amusing. But all these stacked up back-to-back-to-back? It gets a little derivative.
And I love "The Twilight Zone". But, often times, Bierce's short stories can all feel a little same-y. The twists can usually be seen a mile away (he was dead the whole time!). And, at least with the show, each segment or episode is in a vastly different setting than the prior. I can only read so many Civil War stories or Wild West stories before I get bored.
These probably worked better when you happen to catch one in a random magazine or periodical every few months. I can see how that would be amusing. But all these stacked up back-to-back-to-back? It gets a little derivative.
January 28, 2024
This is a quirky collection of short stories, many of which are macabre. The book is divided into three sections: soldiers, civilians, and “can such things be”. Almost all stories are exposed in the last paragraph, if not the last sentence. I enjoyed the “soldiers” section the best.
These stories, written in third person past tense, are extremely text-heavy on the page with minimal to no dialog (meaning if you are the least bit drowsy - you’ll find yourself reading the same sentence over and over). Regardless, these are enjoyable stories made even more so by the era when these were written.
These stories, written in third person past tense, are extremely text-heavy on the page with minimal to no dialog (meaning if you are the least bit drowsy - you’ll find yourself reading the same sentence over and over). Regardless, these are enjoyable stories made even more so by the era when these were written.
January 29, 2025
Bierce's grim collection of excessively wordy short stories--mostly about the Civil War--is best known for 'An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge,' and rightly so, but I would recommend this book if for no other reason than the horrifying 'Chickamauga,' which resonated with me long after I read it.
For a more entertaining introduction to Bierce, I'd recommend picking up a copy of 'The Devil's Dictionary,' which is better suited to both Bierce's dark humor and his melancholy, the latter of which gets a bit oppressive in this collection.
For a more entertaining introduction to Bierce, I'd recommend picking up a copy of 'The Devil's Dictionary,' which is better suited to both Bierce's dark humor and his melancholy, the latter of which gets a bit oppressive in this collection.
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