Customer Reviews

Dress Gray

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this 1978 thriller set at West Point.

Some of the elements that might have seemed scandalous 26 years ago, such as the protagonist's ongoing off-campus sexual affair, no longer seem even unusual, but the book remains a thoroughly entertaining if at times dated read.

What lifts "Dress Gray" above the level of your average thriller for me is Ry Slaight, one of the more memorable main characters I've encountered in a book of this type. He is well-drawn, fleshed out, complex and likable.

I'm a little wary of reading Truscott's other books because reviews suggest they're not as good & I really hate to spoil this.

I do not see the book as critical of West Point. The setting--especially in this case--rises above the people who happen to populate it for a short part of its history. Truscott doesn't want us to like some of his characters, but I don't think he has anything against West Point. In fact, I felt the book wanted to see the institution rise above & outlast some of its less attractive denizens.

It may SEEM critical of the school to people unfamiliar with the type of discipline exercised there.

To me, the profanity merely seems realistic & in a way amusing, since it is so clearly an affectation on the part of the characters who use it. They strive to be profane, & that is realistic of their ages, of the phases they're going through. The reader knows they will grow up & be exactly the kind of people who don't use that language, & that's funny, in a dry way.

Nope, this was outstandingly entertaining. I should note that I came by it as a result of free books available to deployed Soldiers. That's a great program that benefits troops. If you get a chance to send free books, do it! And many thanks to everyone who has.

I really enjoyed this book. It had the requisite ingredients for a good thriller. It had richly drawn, convincing characters and several subplots that worked with the original story line. The descriptions of cadet life were insightful and informative. The writing was military: crisp, sharp and neat. The story presentation was fresh and interesting and to the author's credit, he manages to keep readers on edge, wanting more.

I really enjoyed this book and I would gladly recommend it.

Wow what a great adventure You will not be able to put this classic down! As I say, its Undownputable. Great from start to the excitintg climax.

The author actually attended the USMA in the timeframe of the book, so this is probably a pretty accurate view of the odd, cloistered world that was/is West Point (circa 1967).

The portrait painted by Truscott of the USMA is hardly flattering, though it should be pointed out that Truscott's USMA produces some superbly honest, loyal and courageous officers, NCOs and cadets to set against the bad guys. I have no trouble believing that senior officers and cadet officers could behave as they do in the book, because I saw them behave just about this way (both the good and the bad) in Army ROTC; different environment but similar in a few ways. Where credulity starts to slip is in the extreme experiences of a single cadet and in the bungling by the officers who seek to silence him. In the real world, I can't quite envision either situation.

There are too many typos for my taste, but not so many as to get on most people's nerves. A good entertaining military novel, of special interest to anyone closely connected to a West Pointer--or, for that matter to anyone contemplating the way the military mind reacts to homosexuality.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Had me guessing all the way through. Okay, so it's not brain surgery, nor is it rocket science. Nonetheless, it's fun to read. Almost like Hardy Boys mystery for adults!

I'm online and going to buy another of his books!

For those of us who enjoy the military and maybe regret not pursuing military careers, it provides the academy as a "character". Unrealistic perhaps, but entertaining even so.

Truscott's book is reminiscent of Pat Conroy's "The Lords of Discipline," although the tone is less emotional and the style is a little cruder. It's a tough mystery in which the villains are at the highest echelons and, while it may not be altogether credible, it's fun.

This was a great book. I went to West Point and hated it, this book was very powerful and was almost like being there again.

Summer leave is about to begin a few days. Do you think you can make it through the rest of the year without anything eventful happening? Think again, your life is about to become a whole lot more interesting. Dress Gray by Lucian Truscott reveals just how quickly the life of a cadet can change. America viewed West Point in 1968 as a producer of fine young men to feed the war in Vietnam. Many anti-war groups opposed the ideals behind the ancient institution but its prestige lived on. The reputation of the school on the Hudson had to be preserved at all costs. When a dark secret about their own is about to reveal more then a pretentious commandant wants the public to know, he will do what ever necessary to hide it. At the bottom of it all is Ry Slaight, an upperclassmen who finds himself part of an elaborate cover-up where he is the key to secrecy. On a mission himself, Ry finds the truth and then must decide what he should do with it. Will he accept the bribes of tactical department or do the honorable thing and have justice served. In Dress Gray, Lucian Truscott was able to make one feel what it was like to be a member of the corps. The narration and the dialogue felt so real, as if the story actually happened. Truscott was able to illustrate the way cadets think, feel, and act, revealing how deceiving and cunning they can be. The plot flows smoothly, balancing the story between the cadet's investigation and the commandant's cover-up. What emerges is story that keeps you reading until the last lie is told. The themes addressed in the novel were very touchy at the time; therefore, the plot of covering scandal and misconduct seemed so necessary. The Vietnam War was raging on the other side of the world and protestors were looking for any excuse to attack the military. The last thing West Point needed was more attention. A dead cadet found floating in a lake that might have been murdered would have gotten the ball rolling. What if he turned out to be a homosexual? Were there hate crimes being committed at West Point? Was the home of America's finest harboring social deviants? The need to prevent the public from pondering these questions would force the corruption at West Point to stoop to new lows. It reveals just how far people would go to make sure they are not the ones responsible. When others critiqued the book they compared the system of West Point to the mafia. It is sure to stir up some pretty strong opinions from those at West Point. Truscott's novel will make the average reader sit back and question if that is how things are run up there. Dress Gray is a thrilling novel that will leave the reader standing at attention.

If written today, I'm certain that Dress Gray would be even grittier. That being said, for the time it was published, it was an impressive review of West Point. The mystery surrounding the death of a cadet causes the underbelly of the military academy to be exposed and one of its most loyal cadets to question his views.

Well presented and thought provoking (although in dire need of better editing.)

I do believe the basic honorable qualities of the institution are preserved but, again, the reader may come away with a differing opinion than mine on that point. The author clearly has a negative view and that bleeds into even the obvious attempt to present an unbiased view. I guess it all depends on what the reader's view of military academies in general and West Point in particular might be. Mine is very supportive so I can and did come away from this with an unchanged view: Those academies, thought targeting honor, are run by humans some of which may be honorless.

Although this book gives superficial overview of academy, it does bring back memories of the place The good, the bad and the awful. I will always rate a good book about WP as a good read- Class of 75