The Lieutenants [Hardcover]

W. E. B. Griffin (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Jove Books; 1st/Book Club Edition edition (January 1, 1982)
• ASIN: B000U57UXU
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,862,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W.E.B. Griffin is the author of more than thirty epic novels in five series, all of which have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly and other best-seller lists. More than forty million of his books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian. Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counter-intelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary. In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White. On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, and the Armor Association. He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City. He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation's first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association; the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association; the Marine Raiders Association; and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. He is the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D'Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. Mr. Griffin's novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their "fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes." "Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books," Mr. Griffin says. Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading at Army OCS!, March 13, 2002

By 

E. T. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lieutenants: Brotherhood of War (Mass Market Paperback)

The Brotherhood of War series was recommended to me when I attended OCS in 1986. The cadre "Strongly" encouraged us to read the Lieutenants. They didn't have to tell us to keep the reading the series. I read them straight through (The Generals was the last book at the time). Then, my classmates and I waited with anticipatation for The New Breed, and the Aviators. Both great additions to the series. Now, I cannot wait to read the latest book, "Special Operations". Ever since I become an officer, I've given "The Lieutenants" as a gift to every new Second Lieutenant in my unit, and recommended it to dozens more. If we carry ourselves even partially the way Lowell, Felter and the rest, this country would never lose a battle, much less a war.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent military novel (with flaws), June 4, 2005

By 

Airman Bob (Presque Isle, Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lieutenants: Brotherhood of War (Mass Market Paperback)

If you want to understand the "culture" of the military, read this book. Then, if you liked it, read the whole "Brotherhood of War" series, of which it is the first book. I spent four years in the Navy (one in Vietnam), but I never really understood the positive side of the military until I read "The Lieutenants." It's easy to find novels that are critical of military values, and it's easy to find patriotic "action" novels that just accept those values without exploring their origin or purpose. The strength of "The Lieutenants" is that it gets inside the heads of a wide variety of soldiers, not just the five main characters. There are good guys, bad guys, and then there are "the warriors." The focus of this book is to explore the values of the small cadre of professional combat soldiers that exists within the Army, thriving in wartime and and struggling against the bureaucracy in peacetime. Yes, this novel has many flaws. The author has his odd obessions and I'm sure most readers will find at least one thing to dislike. But after re-reading this novel for sixth or seventh time over a 20-year period, I have become more tolerant of these weaknesses. W.E.B. Griffin has a unique grasp military culture and is a strong advocate of its often harsh codes of conduct. His writing caused me to re-consider my own experiences in the military and has had an effect on my political values. There are not many books that I can say that about. So, in my opinion, if you can get past the flaws, there is much of value here for anyone who wants to examine their own attitudes towards war and warriors, and perhaps even their own "warrior nature."

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars compelling story of men at war, June 2, 1998

By 

Wesley Harris [e-mail] (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lieutenants: Brotherhood of War (Mass Market Paperback)

if you don't want to buy all 5 books in this series, don't pick this one up. The first time I picked up The Lieutenants I read for 5 hours straight. You will not want to stop until you have read through the last page of The Generals. Although I know better, you will think W.E.B. Griffin was there for every adventure. The characters are loosely based on real-life American soldiers and the realism is unbelievable.