in a fit of rage takes aim at one of the soldiers but just before he can pull the trigger, cannon fire erupts around him. Jerome is knocked unconscious and when he awakes he finds himself trapped under a mass of wood and rock with his rifle pointing squarely in his face.

It is a novel in the same vein as Bierce’s ‘ An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’, exploring the hopeless brutality of war and the foolish idea that there is glory in the brutality of violence. Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) was an American author and journalist, best known for his horror and fiction stories. Bierce was often called "Bitter Bierce" because of his cynicism and sardonic view of human nature. His point of view transpires mainly in "The Devil’s Dictionary", a work which was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature". Other popular works by Bierce are "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Tales of Soldiers and Civilians". Ambrose Bierce’s interesting life ended as if it had been plotted by himself. The last that is known of him is a letter he wrote to a friend, which said "I leave here tomorrow for an unknown destination", and he was never seen again.