Customer Reviews

The Big War

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like all Myrer's books, an excellent literary adventure. But, be sure to have a dictionary near by, as nearly every page a new, unfamiliar word pops up! If you like war stories and interesting characters, as well as good writing, you'll like this book.

In 1942 Anton Myrer went from being a Harvard college kid to a marine in the Pacific. He served for four years, was wounded on Guam, and occupied the Mariannas. Set in both the "home front" and the Pacific, "The Big War" vividly depicts the hopes, frustrations, and horror experienced by those who served. It does not glamorize war, but does show the valor of the every-day enlisted man, and the sacrifices that they (and their families) made. The writing is outstanding: In one scene, you will find yourself ready to put the book down, locate, and punch out a petty character who "has it in" for Danny Kantaylis. Myrer captures the feel of the United States at the time and concludes by attempting to express the emotions that motivated the veterans who returned. If you want a depiction of war by someone who lived it, then this is fiction that reaches beyond entertainment and gives us a window into the times. "Critical Reviews" (missing from the Amazon site) based on the original publication are inserted as a "comment" to this review for your further reference.

Myrer's "Big War" is a true-color picture of the cruelty and sorrow which can be brought only by war. Perfectly written, very impressive and worth reading.

The Big War is a beautifully written novel full of language you don't hear or read anymore. This is because Mr. Myrer wrote it in the early 50s, shortly after serving in WWII. So not only do you get the vernacular of a different generation, but you benefit from the author having experienced the events first-hand that he writes about.

It is set in 3 main parts: basic training where the soldiers' relationships are cemented. The long boat ride over to Japan. And then the war itself. I tell you, the prose Myrer uses describing the soldiers thoughts right before they disembark from their boat to plunge into the surf amid heavy fire is some of the most intense and dramatic writing I've come across.

The book gives you an inside view into a soldier's pysche and my conclusion is that despite Mr. Myrer giving us glimpses or heroism and success, this is essentially an anti-war novel.

This amazing book follows three men through their stateside and combat experiences in the WW2 Pacific Theater in the battle against Japan. The poetry of Myrer's storytelling is simply awesome. The author's feel for the three, first as they leave their families, and then as they struggle with the violent world into which they are thrown, is worth reading more than once. And giving as a gift to friends (perhaps especially men). The random waste of war is exposed in its personal ferocity and pain. Amazing.

Anton Myrer is brilliant once again in this must read novel of World War II Marines fighting against a determined enemy. Sitting in a living room in the suburbs, one can smell the fetid jungle, hear the crunch of leaves in the pitch black, and feel the earth move as round after round of cannon fire land amid the Marines of Myrer's semi-autobiographical tome.
Unapologetically anti-war, the novel nonetheless shows self-sacrificing men acting not for God or country but for the love of each other.

In "the Big War" Anton Myrer has brought the truth about war into plain sight. This book should be required reading for those non-vets who are placed into positions from which they can send young people into the horrors of places like the Pacific islands in WWII and Iraq in our own time. War is criminal, and to think that our youngsters are being killed and maimed as we sit on our self-satisfied butts and watch tv is appalling. Myrer has written a clear-eyed view of what war really is, and deserves much more credit than he has received thus far.

This is the first WWII book I've read that really puts you in the jungle warefare of the Pacific. Excellent read!!!

In my 69 years, I have read many good books on the military and war, civil, 1st World War, 2nd World War, Vietnam, Korea, etc. This is not one of the good ones! It is a rambling work, which appears to be written by someone impressed with his knowledge of the dictionary and poetry. I was surprised, after having read Once an Eagle, which is an extraordinary work on the military and war, with a very complex story line. This one is mainly just boring.

Maybe I missed the point of the book. I found it boring and gave up on it half way through. Enough said.