by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Born in 1922, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had written five books before Slaughterhouse Five catapulted him to international recognition as one of the brightest, most imaginative authors of contemporary American fiction. Regarded as one of the best antiwar pieces ever written, the novel chronicles the firebombing of Dresden in World War II, an event not only considered the worst air raid in history, but in retrospect proven to be strategically unnecessary. A blend of science fiction and historical fact, Slaughterhouse Five's story unfolds through an innovative writing style. It features a nonlinear mode of storytelling in which the main character time-travels through all the significant points in his life, though not necessarily in chronological order.

Events in History at the Time the Novel Takes Place

World War II. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, after the Japanese bombed a naval base...