The Winds of War by Herman Wouk Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Winds of War
Book Review: Engaging Epic
Summary: 5 Stars
A reader does not need to have a special interest in war stories to enjoy this novel (along with its continuation in War and Remembrance). This is a very well-written story that puts a personal face on World War Two. Even though The Winds of War adn War and Remembrance is one coherent stroy covering over 2000 pages, the story never bogs down. Spans events from the lead-up to the end of the war and follows the main characters all over the world. Wouk does a great job of writing from various perspectives.
The history seems to be fairly accurate, with some necessary literary license taken to covey the sheer volume of information required as the backdrop for the main characters. You wouldn't read this to replace history works, but it really humanizes the events of the war.
Book Review: Engrossing great read!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was on my list of summer reads and is truly enlightening,I now have a deeper understanding of World War II. Herman Wouk is a master storyteller and keeps you coming back for more! His
insights on human nature and the human condition are right on
target. It is truly frightening to think how close we were to losing both the Pacific and European battles, due to complacency and isolationism. War and Remembrance is also a must read.
Book Review: Epic
Summary: 5 Stars
In a recent WWII class in college I was assigned to read both Wouk novels, and let me just say that this was not busy work. I found time for this classic and the story just enraptured me. An amazing work of genius, and I am definitely going to purchase more of his novels. I recommend to anyone who wants to learn about WWII in a fun and easy to read way, in addition to reading just for fun.Book Review: Excellent time capsule, as if you were really there!
Summary: 4 Stars
Mr. Wouk has a marvelous way of making a reader feel as though they are standing at the edge of history, with a bird's eye , fly on the wall view.
The highlight of this book is not the actual characters, what stood out to me was the analysis of the actions leading up to and during the outbreak of the war by the fictitious character Von Roon. For those of us who never got past the Civil War in the textbooks at school, Winds of War and War and Remembrance are an excellent way to get an education. Teachers never had time to finish history books when I went to school 20 years ago, and I'm not sure it's gotten any better today.
The characters are kind of a mixed bag. Pug is the main character, and seriously, he's not human. Not remotely. He is too perfect, like an android and it's very hard to empathize with him. Rhoda is one that gets annoying as she goes along. We've all met women like her, a living stereotype who is absolutely soulless. Without spoilers, chances are you will have contempt for her by the end of the book. Briny and Natalie. Whew, gut wrenching and frustrating in the extreme. Could someone grow a brain? Please? Her uncle is the more frustrating, because he is intelligent and continues to fool himself as to the dire situation he's in. One of my favorites is Lady Aster. There's a guy with a hidden gem of a soul somewhere. Leslie needs to be smacked, he is the world's best whiner, and when people are dying, you wish he'd go too. And the world figures, Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt . . . They feel very authentic, and my uneducated guess is they are very well researched.
The author claims it's not necessary to read this book to enjoy War and Remembrance, but I beg to differ. Skip this and it's kind of like reading The Two Towers by Tolkien without the Fellowship of the Ring first. This book lays important groundwork and is pivotal to appreciating the entire epic as a whole.
Book Review: Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
If I could write a review fitable for how well Mr. Wouk has written this fictional masterpiece, it still would not compare to how well he writes. I don't read many historical books, but this book has inspired me to; it brings the history to life. It takes facts from the past, and puts them into a thrilling but realistic plot. If you are looking for a great book to read for entertainment, or for a history lesson of WWII, I would most definately recommend this book.