World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Book Review: Homework of the Living Dead!
Summary: 5 Stars
Max Brooks knows his stuff! Not only does he have an obvious and deep affection for the Romero-lore zombie genre, but also an in-depth knowledge of politics, geography, history and military matters. World War Z combines all of these elements, charting a living dead apocalypse from Patient Zero through to aftermath and rebuilding in a way that is never less than gripping, convincing and so rich in compelling detail and believable narrative that were the subject matter not so fantastical, this could pass for a legimate historical account.
Brooks' gift for logical extrapolation is fabulous, such as the ineffectiveness of modern battlefield weapons and intel against the living dead at the Battle of Yonkers, or soldiers later being given bite-proof kevlar uniforms with no camouflage (what's the point?) and new semi-automatic only weapons to encourage headshots (with wooden stocks, the plastics industry having been placed on hold!)
Moreover, in best zombie tradition, it makes you think, and often affects you greatly. The use of an adapted plan from South Africa formulated to suppress apartheid revolution is one such masterstroke. The mystery of North Korea, the entire population of which appears to disappear underground, fate unknown, is another. The conclusion that the great mass of "non-essential" survivors should be used as zombie bait to allow the escape of a chosen minority based on skills, intellect and breeding potential is as chilling as it is darkly logical.
There is even room for humour, as an unnamed but obvious Paris Hilton and clique are butchered in a sadistic swipe at reality TV and the cult of celebrity. His version of the response of the online community to the crisis also predates, and is much more convincing than George Romero's in Diary of the Dead. All in all, his anecdotal structure brings what is in effect almost the end of the world down to a very personal and emotive level - from profiteers and traffickers offering false hope and spreading the infection to rearguards knowing they are being left to die - every story is filled with a dramatic insight into the worst and best of humanity.
This isn't a book with several highlights - this is a book that is all highlights, a real page-turner. Along with Kirkman and Adlard's The Walking Dead comics, literate zombie fans have never had it so good, or so intelligently presented.
Book Review: Horrifying yet engrossing
Summary: 5 Stars
If you've read The Zombie Survival Guide, you'd expect this to be mining a similar vein - talking about the subject logically, yet with an undertone of the blackest humour. And you'd be wrong, as this is far more serious due to the nature of it, a series of interviews with survivors of The Zombie War.
On the face of it, you'd think by that description it'd be schlock horror, but I assure you that it isn't. Also, it isn't as much about the zombies but - in the finest tradition of George A Romero - the people's inability to deal with their problem due to their inability to get over their prejudices and arrogance.
So, not only do we have stories of people fleeing their homes as the zombies come crashing through the door, we have an overconfident US military operation that thinks technology will beat the zombies and find out all too late that it didn't, Cuba finding itself overrun with Americans fleeing there (and therefore becoming the new economic superpower), Israel putting up a wall and staying put, whilst South Africa, Germany and South Korea all sacrifice the many in order for the few to be able to fight back and defeat the problem.
But there's also the more personal stories, such as the Chinese submarine that flees only to find the seas filled with ships, the British defending themselves with enemies at the wall of Windsor Castle, or the pair of stories from Japan - the blogger that doesn't notice zombies filling the streets and having to abseil to safety, or the old blind sensei relying on sound and smell to stay alive.
There's also some truly horrific episodes in the book, be it the failed stand at Yonkers, Big Brother gone horribly wrong, the attempts to flee India by boat as the caste system leaves people behind, the Russian military crackdown on their own troops, and the eerie story about what (possibly) happened in North Korea.
The whole story is broken down into sections, be it the first warnings from China, the Israelis realising what was happening, and the initial outbreaks through to the full-on war and humanity's fight back and recovery (not a spoiler - think about it), with all the changes that happened as a result.
A highlight is how, although it's a series of interviews, each interviewee is infused with their own character so it doesn't sound like one person each time, and doesn't sink to cliché when with the Japanese, Russian, South African or Indian interviewees, either. The book is also endlessly creative with the stories it tells and, notably, changes genre from straight horror, to action-adventure, to thriller, even sci-fi and back again whenever the narrative demands it and it never feels forced. It also doesn't seem smug with its references back to the Zombie Survival Guide, with its weapon recommendations popping up here and there, as well as the bits of advice. It doesn't feel forced when real people appear in it, either - although never stated explicitly, it's clear Nelson Mandela, The Queen and (yes) Paris Hilton feature in various parts of the narrative. Don't worry, Paris dies.
So, like Romero you may pick it up for the zombies, but there's plenty of commentary about how class, apathy, overconfidence in the military, internet popularity, even the lure of fame are too much for various people to put aside for their survival, and how people aren't as prepared as they'd think because survival has been replaced by materialism.
Realistically, this should be read after the Zombie Survival Guide - you don't have to, as it's accessible to anyone, but reading WWZ afterwards suddenly puts it into perspective that little bit more.
Read this book, it may save your life - so move to Conwy NOW!!!
Book Review: I'VE READ IT TWICE SO FAR
Summary: 5 Stars
What a great book, I turned away from reading horror books because I felt the genre was becoming too samey. A friend of mine recomended this and I couldn't put this great book down, a great book for your collection.Book Review: I couldn't put it down
Summary: 5 Stars
An amazing story set all over the world during the zombie uprising, Brilliantly written, Superb development of the zombie war from outbreak to control and eradication. I really enjoyed the style in which it was written with each chapter like a short interview with a survivour. This is the first zombie novel I have bought and in my humble opinion it would make an excellent film.
This simply will not disappoint !
Book Review: Tedious and Disappointing
Summary: 1 Stars
I wouldn't bother leaving such a negative review, but I do feel a bit cheated into buying this book by all the other ultra-positive posts here. They must be friends and relatives, zombie fan-boys, or (like the author clearly is) survivalist fantasists.
I was so looking forward to reading this, but was very disappointed. The structure (made up of 60 or so interviews) at first seems innovative, but it means there are no central characters and hence no real plot or jeopardy. Worse, they all sound the same. It gets really tedious. And cliched.
According to Mr. Brooks all politicians and businessmen are corrupt liars, the army is incompetent (except of course for the brave foot soldiers), the media only say what the big corporations let them, and most deserving of contempt are all those folk who work in offices and never bothered to learn any proper survival skills.
Credibility is virtually absent - on almost ever page I thought "No, that wouldn't happen" such as in the daft Battle of Yonkers where a bullet apparently enters and exits a zombie's skull ('skimming the inside') without causing catastrophic damage. No, that wouldn't happen...
On the other hand, if you're into zombie stuff, Max Brook's other book The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead makes for quite an entertaining read. As for zombie fiction, check out Steven King's Cell which is set to be filmed in 2009 by (wait for it!) Rob Zombie.