This book contains a memoir and numerous letters written by the American writer, Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce. This volume offers the reader a unique insight into the life and mind of Bierce, and is highly recommended for those with an interest in this seminal man of letters. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842 - 1914) was an editor, journalist, and writer of short stories, as well as a keen satirist. His personal mantra "Nothing matters" and his cynical view of human nature earned him the moniker "Bitter Bierce". Many vintage texts such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this book now, in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned biography of the author.