Far-reaching in form and content, Mordecai Richler's collection of World War II writings offers a stunning portrait of the central cataclysm of our cataclysmic century. In it, 140 authors from around the world document the war they witnessed, fought and sometimes lost their lives in.

Here are William Shirer's stunned observations of Berlin as Germany announced its 1939 invasion of Poland and John Hersey's classic account of the dropping of the first atomic bomb six years later; Elie Wiesel's arrival at a place the world will never forget and kamikaze pilots' last letters home; William Manchester's recollection of boot camp and Genet's portrayal of Paris' liberation celebrations; and excerpts from the acclaimed wartime fictions of James Jones, Norman Mailer, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Günter Grass. And so it is with unmistakable immediacy of the human voice that Writers on World War II conveys the enormities of those six convulsive years -- the sheer scope of their terror, cruelty, and waste -- and the courage of those who endured them.

Mordecai Richler (1931-2001) wrote ten novels; numerous screenplays, essays, children's books; and several works of non-fiction. He gained international acclaim with The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which was later made into a movie. During his career, he was the recipient of dozens of literary awards, including two Governor General's Awards, The Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Mordecai Richler was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2001.

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