Customer Reviews

Pearl Harbor

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Why do I say I enjoyed the book guiltily? Well, cos' I went to watch the movie and I loved it, I guess i must be a hopeless romantic. But I stiil had to agree about the superficial aspects of the storyline. The war scenes were good but somehow reviews had taught me to beware of the love scenes. Ya right, I honestly liked that crap and that's why I feel guilty. But nevertheless read it only if you are a hopeless romantic like me. Really. don't bother wasting your time to read it and slam the book so disgustingly and give it 1 star and drag the whole rating down because there are still some people who swear by the book.

"I got em Danny!" Rafe said joyfully as he shot down one of the Japanese fighter planes. For those of you who don't know what book this is out of don't feel too bad. This section is based on a book that tells an event that is down in history to this day. This book is called Pearl Harbor. This book is about two country boys named Rafe and Danny that have known each other since they were young and all they ever wanted to do is fly planes. When these young boys got older they joined the military as fighter pilots but they made a promise to each other that if one went to war then the other one would go with that person so they have someone there to talk to. This promise stayed true until Rafe was chosen to go to Germany and fight. When Rafe didn't return Danny felt lonely so he started to hangout with Rafe's girlfriend. After hanging out with her they started to like each other and she ended up pregnant. Then when all this occurred Rafe shows up. Everyone celebrates his coming home so they stay up late and party. The very next day Rafe and Danny wake up to the sound of a ship being bombed. This was known as the attack on Peal Harbor. Will Rafe and Danny be able to bring back revenge on the Japanese?

While reading this book I enjoyed lots of sections but the one I enjoyed most was when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and when the U.S. attacks Japan not because of the casualties but because they explained with detail and it was easy to understand and get pictures in my mind. It was very easy to tell what was happening at the bombing.

Even though there's so much going on in this book I think that if you really think about it that every book has either a theme or moral. In the book of Pearl Harbor I think that the moral/theme of the book is friendship because when Danny and Rafe need each other they are there for each other to talk to and to lean on too because they are so close.

What I liked most about this book is that it's a non-fiction so I learn part of history at the same time just reading. The main thing I would change is not have Danny die so I could see what would happen between him Rafe and Evelynn (Rafe's girlfriend). I think that this book is for older people because kids won't really understand what's going on in war so they will be all confused and the older people might have a clue.

This is a suspenseful book and I enjoyed reading it VERY much. The ending was... I better not say, you have to read it. I gave 4 stars because it's kind of a gory some parts and the ending was kind of... (I can't express it)

TITLE: Pearl Harbor AUTHOR: Randall Wallace PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster REVIEWED BY: Barbara Rhoades

BOOK REVIEW: The story was well-written and related to people growing up in the depression who were scarred by the events of World War I. The main characters were young boys when the story opened. They were the best of pals – like brothers. Each grew up to become aviators in the United States Army Air Corps. They always helped and watched over each other as the events of their lives led up to Pearl Harbor where they fell in love with the same woman.

Mr. Wallace’s story was historically incorrect in two areas. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Japanese Fleet, remained on his Flag Ship in the Sea of Japan rather than with the fleet attacking Pearl Harbor. The other incorrect historical reference was that the United States did NOT declare war on the Third Reich at the same time as Japan but rather this event occurred three days later.

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy historical love stories. Jay O. Sanders was an excellent reader who held my interest and I finished the book in two days.

I don't complain of this story being a sloppy melodrama; I love sloppy melodramas. I don't disapprove the fiction that Admiral Yamamoto leads the Japanese task force himself and sails to Hawaii ; OK, the author just wanted to perk up the story. And I can live with some peculiar things written about Japan and the Japanese; that was predictable. But why does the Pentagon exist in 1941? Why is General Marshall is appointed the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff before the Pearl Harbor? Why is B-25 tagged as a four-engine bomber? Above all, how dare the author write that of the Dolittle raiders, "all but five would make it back to the United States alive"? (In reality, seven flyers could'nt get back home alive.) And what's the meaning of stating "Of the five flyers who died, two were executed by the Japanese inside Japan itself" (Why ignore the third flyer who was executed?) Won't this negligence scandalize American readers? There are many more inaccuracies, and most of them have nothing to do with "perking up" the story. If the author doesn't care about historical facts, he should write a fantasy story and refrain from preaching the significance of the Pearl Harbor Attack or fact and truth of history. Of all my forty years of reading experience I have never seen a novel that was more crowded with infamous falsehood and distortions.

people say its not as good because the movie relied on sound effects, but it describes more, and is a lot easier to understand. they described how people felt and they also made sure people understood the feelings... not even the movie did that. i personally would go for the movie only because it has Josh Hartnett in it, but if it didnt i would definatley go for the book.

I enjoyed the movie, Pearl Harbor, and expected to find the book just as entertaining. Randall Wallace's imagination is amazing, but way the words were written and formed brought down my overall liking for the book. Pearl Harbor had a wonderful plot and story, but would've been far better if not for the lack of vocabulary and word usage.

Based on the war at Pearl Harbor during the Second World War, the author set the scene of two childhood best friends, Rafe and Danny, who share the same interest and both have a dream of becoming an American Army Air Corps pilot. Their dream does come true and they both join the air force, and that is when Rafe falls in love with a nurse, and so does Danny. Due to his loyalty towards his friend, Danny never expresses his feeling. However, when Rafe signs up for a mission and get lost somehow, since he is asked to take care of the nurse for Rafe, Danny and the nurse, Evelyn, finally they get together. Everything seems fine, until the return of Rafe, which brings out the problems between the three of them. It is interesting to read and know how they deal with the fact that the two best friends falls in love with the same woman. At this time the author leads in the war which kind of cool down the tension between the three of them but while they both volunteer to join the mission to fight back, it is definitely risking their life. This decision had forever changed the fate of the three of them.
By the involvement of the war, the author skillfully provides a gap when it actually reach the climax, which is the dilemma of the love between the three of characters, but by that the author leads the reader into another climax. With lots of description and the use of simple language, the author did a great job on publishing a book with no age limit. With a great entry and a surprising ending, this book, overall, is a well-written novel, and a good script for movie.

Are they really making a movie out of this dud? I was about to discuss many of the historical and technical inaccuracies that are a part of this book and then I read the review by a reader from Japan. Most of my points and several others were stated very succinctly in that review so I will not bother to restate them. To be sure, it is a "Sloppy Melodrama", and perhaps the author should be excused for that. His technical and historical ignorance cannot be forgiven. How can one write a book about such an important historic event without doing extensive research? After reading the other reviews of this novel I realized that most readers who are favorably impressed with this book are neither literate nor would they know the difference between a B-25 and a four engine bomber, or that there is no such place as downtown Oahu. Most who see the movie will accept it as historical fact, and Mr. Wallace will reap the royalties. Perhaps he should spend some of his earnings on a basic history course.

i read the book after i saw the movie. i thought it would be a waste of time since i already know what happens but the book puts a lot more in than the movie could reveal. it talks more about the characters and what they are feeling. that is something that the movie cant show. people are saying that the book and movie arent up with the historical facts but they have to remember that the storyline isnt a history lesson. if i wanted that, i would go to a history class or watch the discovery channel! it is entertainment as all movies are.