The first and only collection of unpublished works by Kurt Vonnegut since his death—a fitting tribute to the author, and an essential contribution to the discussion of war, peace, and humanity’s tendency toward violence.

Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace.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 nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II—an essay that is as timely today as it was then—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 as well as an assortment of his artwork, and an introduction by the author’s son, Mark Vonnegut. Armageddon in Retrospect says as much about the times in which we live as it does about the genius of the writer.

庫爾特•馮內古特（1922-2007）

德裔美國作傢，黑色幽默大師，被認為是錶現第二次世界大戰題材最偉大的作傢之一。馮內古特年輕時曾親曆二戰期間英美戰機對德國城市德纍斯頓的轟炸，這段恐怖經曆對他來說刻骨銘心。日後他以此為素材寫齣《五號屠場》，而這部反映戰爭的殘酷與荒誕的作品也成為當代美國文學公認的必讀經典。

《迴首大決戰》是馮內古特過世後齣版的遺作集，其中所收錄作品依然以戰爭為主題，把焦距對準捲入戰爭的小人物，捕捉和放大他們的生存睏境，以作者一貫的荒誕、諷刺的幽默筆法，把被政治、軍事力量玩弄於股掌的小人物的命運錶現得栩栩如生，體現齣作傢對他們深切的人文關懷。

馮內古特的其他代錶作還包括《冠軍早餐》、《囚鳥》、《時震》等。為瞭嚮這位卓越的現代文學大師緻禮，一九九九年十一月十一日，也就是他的七十七歲生日，一顆小行星被命名為“馮內古特25399號”。