Soldiers and Civilians — Tom Jenks

This engaging collection of contemporary short stories is about both the brutality of war as experienced in its immediacy on the field and about its long- term effect on daily life. Some stories recall battles of the past, such as Bob Shacochis's ``Where Pelham Fell,'' and others are set in the future, like Don DeLillo's ``Human Moments in World War III.'' Most stories refer to Vietnam. ``Good Morning to You, Lieutenant'' by Larry Heinemann and ``Big Bertha Stories'' by Bobbie Ann Mason explore the residual effect of traumas first experienced in Southeast Asia. Tim O'Brien's ``The Ghost Soldiers'' and John Mort's ``Tanks'' describe the soldier's routine in Vietnam. John Sayles's ``Tan'' is a moving account of a Vietnamese girl's life at home and then later as a refugee here. Jenks is former fiction editor of Esquire. (November)