Bayonets Aren't Much Good Against Tanks

For those who grew up with and are familiar with Kurt Vonnegut's witty banter, unyielding cynicism, and succinct metaphorical prose, "Armageddon In Retrospect" is not just a collection of previously unpublished short stories, a speech that he never delivered, and the letter he wrote and sent to his family informing them of his "missing in action" status. It is closure.

For those who are unfamiliar with Vonnegut and his works, this posthumous collection is a proper and pertinent introduction to his pessimistic and humorous world.

Vonnegut would probably strongly disagree that this collection gives his literary endeavors closure. As his son stated in the introduction, "He wanted to get things right, but never thought that his writing was going to have much effect on the course of things."

Vonnegut was horribly wrong. His writing has a tremendous effect on people and will continue to affect readers as long as publishers buy ink by the barrel.

Vonnegut died on April 11, 2007 while America was involved in an armed conflict with Iraq and was indirectly in the midst of other clandestine conflicts around the globe. War was an intrinsic part of Vonnegut's life.

He was born four years after the end of World War I, fought and was a prisoner of war during World War II, and then died while his country was still fighting oversees.

Vonnegut's stories in this collection reflect his disdain for perpetual war and his darkly comical opinions concerning the unforgiving war machine.

Of the 11 short stories, all but one is set in an active warlike setting. The title story, the only exception, comments on the feverish warlike mentality in an exaggerated manner.

"The Commandants Desk" and "Happy Birthday 1951" had the most resonance.

The latter is a testament to how youth will never fully understand the gravity of what they are immersed in. If all one knows is war, then one does not know when it is peaceful.

The former is a chilling story of a furniture maker and his daughter who have always lived with the hazards of war and occupation. The story focuses on the small ways a man with limited options may choose to retaliate to injustice.

Historically fascinating to Vonnegut's fans and students of history is the original letter Vonnegut wrote to his father, explaining his prisoner of war experience. Within its three pages are volumes of life experience.

"On about February 14 the Americans came over, followed by the R.A.F. Their combined labors killed 250,000 people in 24 hours and destroyed all of Dresden - possibly the world's most beautiful city. But not me," Vonnegut wrote this in his letter, describing one of his more infamous experiences.

Autobiographical feelings and experiences within "Armageddon In Retrospect" allow its readers to vicariously experience Vonnegut's empathy.

Included in the collection, is Vonnegut's last written speech that was given by his son in his stead. In it he offers something to aspiring writers, "My advice to writers just starting out? Don't use semi-colons! They are transvestite hermaphrodites, representing exactly nothing. All they do is suggest you might have gone to college."