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: A brilliantly conceived and executed novel
Summary: 5 Stars
It's almost a shame that all the reviews are so positive for this book, because the great pleasure, if like me you had never heard of it, was in how surprisingly good it is!
I picked this book up whilst waiting for my wife to finish shopping. The front cover looked cool and I thought it could while away a few minutes until we were set to meet up. She found me three hours later hunkered down in an aisle of the bookstore. You would never expect the subject matter of Zombies taking over the world to be so absorbing. But Brooks manages to bypass the obvious clichés and pitfalls by planting the story firmly in everyday life. So that the mother of two who becomes a new city mayor has as much page space as the former white house chief of staff.
The book as much as anything else, is a very clever and often poignantly funny account of the social, moral and economic differences of nations and how any kind of world-wide threat, be it war, famine, disease, or in this case armies of zombies, would force a change in the international hierarchy.
But the real success of the book lies in the detail. Not only regarding the zombies themselves (like how their milky white eyes are actually caused by countless tiny cuts on the surface of the eye made by dust and grit that would normally be cleaned away by blinking and tears - not an option for a zombie) but also of the different elements of different countries. I was born and brought up in South Africa, and I am yet to read another novel by a non-South African that so perfectly captures the way people think and speak.
An exceptional novel that whilst dealing with all sorts of underlying themes is first and foremost a grippingly good disaster yarn. Will make me think twice about going back in the ocean...
Jon
Book Review: Zombies, Zombies everywhere, and so much flesh to bite
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book knowing full well what i was getting for my buck.
I had read all about the Zombie survival guide, and i had read the reviews and previews for this work, and my curiousity was signed sealed and delivered when i read the list of voice cast for the audio version.
What i wasn't expecting was what happened to me the minute i read the first chapter.
This book is so fully immersive in its world and story, so utterly terryfyingly believable, that not once will you bat an eyelid at the depth of detail and critique that max brooks take the time to drop in to the indivudual recollections.
His wealth of knowledge on the subject of military warfare and assault is brilliant encapsulated in the story of the battle of yonkers, one of the books many "chapters" - He has a definite grip with pathos and emotion when it comes to the bond one feels to a pet or a animal, he looks deep into the troubles that are spouting up and around the middle east, and take s ahazardous trail through a long list of "what if's" - steering teh reader into areas where you start to question what you thought you once believed, and making you double guess your own emotional stance on subjects as delicate as religion, love, companionship and war.
Max brooks has taken an idea that on paper should be scary, funny even silly - and made a hell of a telling tale on human society as we know it today, on what can make us stronger, what can make us weaker, and what makes us act like the idiots humanity seems intent on acting like.
And its abouts Zombies.
a war against Zombies.
He has done the impossible, and made something impossoble seem scarily prophetic and real, and made me have all the preparation i need to survive when this happens.
Cos, believe me when you read it, and you should read it... you have to read it - everything that happens will make you want it to happen to us, so you can show that you paid attention....
No wonder some nutters in the bible belt are already stockpiling guns and swords...
real? yes indeed.
Book Review: Night of the living read!
Summary: 5 Stars
If your a long time Zombie fan or new to the genre, buy this book before Hollywood go and spoil it, Mister Brooks hasnt only written a brilliant fiction about the near extinction of mankind at the hands (and teeth) of the undead but a superb exploration of the type of doomsday scenario that humanity may well be faced with in the near future due to our continued ignorance of the type of damage we are inflicting on the world around us.
This book isnt a gore fest and thats where its strengths lie, as each character interviewed gives their personal recollections you are treated to hints of real horror as ordinary people who have survived this holocaust relay their tales of woe.
Lunatic as it sounds thanks to mister Brooks I will never look at Sponge Bob square pants in the same light again!
My one complaint is the ultra cheesey chapter involving the Queen (Gawd Bless her cotton socks) that will have any English Zombie fans reaching for a sick bucket for all the wrong reasons but other than that minor quibble this book is still a five star read!
Book Review: What can i say!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Having purchased Mr Brooks 1st "zombie" book "The Zombie Survival Guide"
(which i found hugely disappointing)i was in 2 minds to buy this one.But
once i had finished reading it,in 2 days,i was glad i did!!!This is a
"must have" book for any sci-fi or horror fan.This is a thought provoking
intelligently written book,full of surreal but hugely interesting and
well written short story like stories from the "Zombie Wars"Please do not
be put off by his 1st book, if like me you didn`t enjoy it you will love
this one,if you liked it you will find this FANTASTIC!!!!!
Book Review: Surprisingly good!
Summary: 5 Stars
Right first of all, this book exceeded my expectations. I really wasn't expecting anything other than a bit of 'sillyness' instead what I got was insight into a world where Zombie's are a global problem. This isn't about some people stuck in shopping centre.
Read this with confidence, there is no way that you won't be pleasantly surprised.