It has been a privilege for the editors to work with the talented scholars who have contributed chapters to this volume. We would also like to acknowledge the numerous scholars who have attended or presented at COTCA events -as well as all members of the COTCA team (both past and present) -but whose work is not included in this collection. Their contributions via discussion, suggestions and mere enthusiasm have all helped to make this book a reality.Special mention must be made of the team at Bloomsbury, particularly Maddie Holder and Abigail Lane, who have been extraordinarily supportive and enthusiastic editors. The anonymous peer reviewers offered valuable advice and suggestions, which helped to improve the book. Daughtry describes how the 'belliphonic' , a word he coins combining the Latin and Greek words for war and voice, respectively, represents the sonic dimension of the US military's 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' expressed through the layered sounds of weaponry, vehicles and voices. Importantly, Daughtry's rich and emotive accounts of war intertwine the perspectives of both Iraqi civilians and US soldiers in combat zones (and other spaces) to provide chilling immediacy to his theorization and sonic evidence. Goodman's focus is on how