Declarations of War - by Len Deighton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Written with economy and grace . . . often exciting, sometimes eerie, always sad."--Evening Standard

Len Deighton's only collection of short fiction explores the devastating experiences of soldiers across twenty-three centuries of warfare, from Hannibal's march on Rome to the jungles of Vietnam.

Across these sharp, unsparing stories, Deighton's deep compassion for the ordinary soldier is matched only by his hatred for war and the ways it makes machines of men. His heroes are ordinary people caught in circumstances not of their choosing: a jaded commander of a firing squad sweltering in the heat of the Punjab, a fighter pilot who finds himself flying on the wrong side of history in the skies above France, a belittled Civil War general failing to rally his men against the Confederates.

With its twists, shifts in perspective and sudden moral reversals, these stories reveal a master craftsman at work--essential reading for long-time fans, and a perfect introduction for newcomers to Deighton's fiction.

About the Author

LEN DEIGHTON (1929-2026) was one of Britain's preeminent thriller writers, considered a defining voice of the genre alongside John Le Carré and Graham Greene. Known for his wit and his scrupulous research, Deighton wrote more than thirty books ranging from espionage, historical, and dystopian alternative fiction to brilliant nonfiction on the Second World War. Never out of print, with over 30 million copies sold and multiple adaptations for film and TV, his books have left an enduring mark on global culture, influencing everything from Motörhead to Quentin Tarantino.