The Majors (Brotherhood of War) [Paperback]

W.E.B. Griffin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Brotherhood of War | Publication Date: November 15, 1986

Summoned to help beat back the guerrilla forces of Ho Chi Minh, a group of American soldiers finds themselves in the heart of the secret war in Indochina, where they reach for the heights of glory while assisting the French. Reissue.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Jove (November 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515089958
• ISBN-13: 978-0515089950
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,685 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

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adequate Entry in a Solid Series, June 3, 2004

By 

A. Bowdoin Van Riper (Vineyard Haven, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Majors (Brotherhood of War) (Paperback)

There are two kinds of book series: Ones that can more or less be read in any order (James Bond comes to mind), and ones that work better when read in order of internal chronology. Griffin's "The Brotherhood of War" is the second kind of series, and it's virtually impossible (and certainly unfair) to review one of its "middle" books *except* as part of the larger series. _The Majors_ doesn't match the standard set in _The Lieutenants_ and _The Captains_, but it's a workmanlike entry that keeps the series moving.

"Brotherhood of War" is, as another reviewer said of a different volume in the series, a "military soap opera." It's concerned, for the most part, not with battles but with the rhythms of Army lives and careers: changes of post, changes of assignment, promotions, decorations, unexpected reunions with old comrades, and so on. The series has, by now, upwards of three dozen significant continuing characters . . . six or eight of whom qualify as major (in significance, not rank). That's a lot of fictional lives to keep straight and a lot of storylines to keep in motion, but Griffin pulls it off with considerable skill. _The Majors_ keeps you abreast of all the main players from the earlier books, and adds several new ones. Its a fast, satisfying read, and left me eager to pick up _The Colonels_.

That said, _The Majors_ is a step down from _The Lieutenants_ and _The Captains_. There're a few gunfights, but no big combat scene like the mountain battle in Greece (Bk. 1) or the commando raid into North Korea (Bk. 2). Craig Lowell and Sandy Felter, whose growth as people and as officers gave the first two books much of their depth, are less compelling in _The Majors_. Felter has become more of a plot device than a person. Lowell is in danger of becoming what he threatened to be early in _The Lieutenants_: an insufferable twit with more money than brains. The rest of the main characters fare better, but none of them has the kind of life-changing story arc that Felter got in Book 1 or Lowell got in Book 2.

If you loved the first two books in the series, _The Majors_ will have plenty to keep you interested. If you found yourself wishing that the first two books had more shooting and less soap opera, you'll be even less satisfied this time around.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage W.E.B, Griffin, January 7, 2000

By 

Stephen Buford - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Majors (Brotherhood of War) (Paperback)

If you're a Griffin fan, you've probably already read this book and series. The continuing saga of Lowell and company. It's still my favorite of all his series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Series, October 12, 2010

By 

Michael P. Gallagher (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Majors (Brotherhood of War) (Kindle Edition)

I've read this series several times over the last 20 years or so, and just started it again after a 5+ year layoff. Reading it again I've forgotten how good of a storyteller Griffin was before writing with his son in his last few books. While this one sets the stage for each of his other series (i.e., Corps, Vigilantes, Philadelphia police series) with a rich guy who always bucks the system to beat up the bad guy, with this one you have good character developmet and dialogue, and get a history of the Army from WWII through Vietnam - Korea, tank development, army aviation, Green Berets, you name it.

I always liked rooting for Lowell, and each of us has a very tight stickler to the rules Bellmon in our lives - Griffin portrays his characters similar to people ni each of our lives.

Reading each book in this series is well worth it - wish I could say the same about his latest books with Butterworth the IV!