Gourt > Arts > Literature > World Literature > American > 19th Century > Bierce, Ambrose (2)
His clear style and lack of sentimentality have kept him popular when many of his contemporaries have become obscure. His dark, sardonic views and vehemence as a critic, earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce". Such was Bierce's venerable reputation, that it was feared that his judgment on any contemporary fiction of the day could make or break a writer's career.
Early life and military career
Born in a rural area of Meigs County, Ohio, Bierce lived during his adolescence in the town of Elkhart, Indiana. At the outset of the American Civil War, Bierce enlisted in the Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, as part of the Union Army. In February 1862, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant and served on the staff of Gen. William Babcock Hazen as a topographical engineer, making maps of likely battlefields. He fought bravely in several of the war's most important battles, at one point receiving newspaper attention for his daring rescue under fire of a gravely wounded comrade at the battle of Girard Hill, West Virginia. In June 1864, he received a serious head wound at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and spent the rest of the summer on furlough, but returned to active duty in September, and was ultimately discharged from the army in January 1865.
His military career, however, resumed when, in the summer of 1866, he rejoined Gen. Hazen as part of the latter's expedition to inspect military outposts across the Western plains. The expedition proceeded by horseback and wagon from Omaha, Nebraska, arriving in San Francisco near the end of the year.
More on [ Ambrose Bierce ]
Very true. RT @jakethebeagle: The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce
bglemommy (Janis ) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:47:17 -0000
Very true. RT @jakethebeagle: The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog. - Ambrose Bierce
Distress, n.: A disease incurred by exposure to the prosperity of a friend. -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
webgeekcom (web-geek.com) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:45:34 -0000
Distress, n.: A disease incurred by exposure to the prosperity of a friend. -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
RT @socialrob: All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher. ~Ambrose Bierce, Epigrams
LindaBarnby (LindaBarnby) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:38:07 -0000
RT @socialrob: All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher. ~Ambrose Bierce, Epigrams
"Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue." - Ambrose Bierce
831Doug (Doug L) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:07:50 -0000
"Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue." - Ambrose Bierce
âLearning, n. The kind of ignorance distinguishing the studious.â Ambrose Bierce
RecessionInfo (Max Alter) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:33:03 -0000
“Learning, n. The kind of ignorance distinguishing the studious.” Ambrose Bierce
Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country. *Ambrose Bierce
2Success4Us (Success) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:15:01 -0000
Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country. *Ambrose Bierce
: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy - An investigative piece into the purported death of Bierce in Ojinaga, Chihuahua.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose Bierce, the Old Gringo: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy. ]
Ambrose Bierce - Includes biographical information, a literary overview, and links.
Ambrose Bierce Selected Works - Provides ebook of the Fantastic Fables, Can Such Things Be, An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge and Other Stories, all hyperlinked to the famous Devil's Dictionary. Downloadable demo of the ebook is available.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose G. Bierce, an ebook for the student and the curious by E-dition. Selected Works hyperlinked to the famous Devil's Dictionary ]
Ambrose Bierce, Forked Tongue - The story of Ambrose Bierce told in the language of his Devil's Dictionary, using hypertext language.
Don Swaim's The Ambrose Bierce Site - The myth and mind of Ambrose Bierce, with original prose and poetry. Links to other Bierce sites and scholarship, communication board, and Bierce in the news.
Edwin Markham's Poems - Review essay by Ambrose Bierce that criticises the poet for addressing political issues and appealing to the masses.
Meta Description: [ Ambrose Bierce reviews The Man with the Hoe and Other Poems by Edwin Markham, criticizing Markham for taking up a political role as labor leader that will hurt his poetry as he writes for the masses. ]
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