The Soldiers Of Summer [Paperback]

Joseph Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2000

Set in 1978, my novel deals with a group of police officers doing their two-week summer camp for the Army Reserve. What they think will be a "vacation" turns into a nightmare of forced marches and battle simulations under adverse conditions, due to their nearly psychotic commanding officer.Along with these ordeals, each man must face ghosts from their pasts in the recently concluded Vietnam War. During their off time, they travel to Lake George, NY and Kingston, Canada where some comedic situations occur.In the end, their expertise as police officers is needed when their Captain holds a Division Colonel hostage at gunpoint after his mind snaps. Adding to the pressure, if they cannot disarm him, a Special Forces sniper sits on a rooftop waiting to resolve the crisis his way.I am a retired NYPD police officer with one published novel, Beyond This Place Of Sin And Tears, and a number of published short stories, print and online.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

When I began writing this story culled from my experiences in the Army Reserve after the Vietnam War, it was well before the catastrophic events of 9-11-2001 were even on the horizon. Up until then the police and the military were truly separate entities, one to defend the country from foreign enemies, the other to defend its streets from domestic ones, but the destruction of the World Trade Center changed all that forever combining the function of the two in a way no one would have envisioned, working together to preserve national security. In my novel, I try to correlate what it is like to be a part of both and to have to deal with the pressures of both that oftentimes lead to drinking and marital problems. I have tried to do this in a humorous way at times so the reader is not subjected to a steady diet of dramatic incidents and because humor often diffuses violent emotions before they turn to tragic ones. Here's hoping you will enjoy the read.

About the Author

Mr. Phillips is a retired NYPD police officer with one published novel, Beyond This Place Of Sin And Tears, and a number published short stories, print and online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (July 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595099181
• ISBN-13: 978-0595099184
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,571,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary Genius, July 4, 2007

By 

J. Phillips "There is a metal that separates ... (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Unfortunately) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soldiers Of Summer (Paperback)

I've read the Soldiers of Summer twice already.... Not because he's my father, but because it brings you back to a time when we weren't on the edge of fascism, and police did their job based on talent and skill instead of cameras and patriot acts.... A talented police officer, writer, and professional bodyguard tells a compelling story about life behind the badge... Beautifully written. It's a refreshing look at a time when Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Dio, Ozzy, and all the metal greats were about to rule the airwaves. A time when black was black and white was white... a time of national and cultural identity and strength.... As Joseph put it.... Before 9-11-2001....

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Achievement, October 27, 2003

By 

Montgomery Thomas (Hollywood, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soldiers Of Summer (Paperback)

The Soldiers Of Summer is one of the finest novels I have ever read. Mr. Phillips takes us on a journey that begins in the quite of a suburban morning and ends on a battlefield of wills and emotions in the upstate of Fort Drum, NY. Phillips' protagonists are five New York City police officers who believe their two week training duty for the Army Reserve will be like a vacation for them but upon arrival find out this is not the case. After getting chewed out by their Platoon Sergeant, James Corey, for being late, they encounter their commanding officer, Captain Lyle Longjohnson, a strange man wearing dark glasses at night and slapping a riding crop against his thigh as he speaks. Things go progressively downhill after that; late night guard duty, full work days that begin at dawn, and forced marches ensue, leaving them their only consolation, alcohol. They name their bivouac area Whiskey Hill and vow not to succumb to their Captain's willful attempts at trying to destroy them due to his mistaken belief they're trying to prevent him from getting a promotion to Major he covets.
However, along the way Phillips treats us to an insiders view of what the cop life in New York really entails and how alochol becomes an escape, much the way Joseph Wambaugh did in his novels about L.A. cops, a fraternity that has much in common no matter what coast you live on. Broken marriages due to infidelity abound but here you find out why they happened, as Phillips' emotionally bloodied protagonists forge their way to a conclusion that becomes inevitable if the reader has been paying attention.
As far as Mr. Phillips writing, it is smooth, easy and flows well allowing the reader to fully enjoy his gifted prose style much the way readers have enjoyed those noted few who came before him. Yes, Soldiers is a real literary find and a stunning achievement for someone the reading public knows little of but should know much about to give him his proper place in the American literary scene of today. GET THIS BOOK TODAY!!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Circumstances, June 21, 2001

By 

M. Colleen Mullins (Myrtle Beach, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soldiers Of Summer (Paperback)

What happens when a group of ordinary men find themselves in the middle of chaos, disorder, and violence? This is the question explored by author, Joseph L. Phillips, in his new book, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER. The main characters, Welles, Devlin, and Griffin, a group of New York City police officers, journey into the throes of chaos at a two-week summer camp for the Army Reserve. Mr. Phillip's offers his readers an intimate look into what "can" or "might" happen to a person and the choices growing out of such unexpected events. Set in 1978, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is a crazy beer-soaked romp that travels from New York to Canada and back again, skillfully incorporating the anti-war sentiment of Vietnam into the storyline. It mirrors the world in which we live as well as some people we would rather not meet! A poignant and disturbing look at the various sides of human behavior and character, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a novel intended to enlighten and challenge its readers, as well as to make them take a deeper look at the positive and negatives sides of humanity. The "good guys" head off to summer camp in good spirits, while trying to recover from hang-overs, in the comical opening scene. The characters are realistic and will be familiar to many as an old friend or the neighbor down the street. They are the "average guy", caught-up in his middle-age-years during the late 1970's. Phillips gives extensive background scenes on the characters, relating their mishaps and obstacles to past experiences in a way that aids the reader in understanding the complexity of the characters, their motivation and their goals. A good book for audiences who enjoy genre fiction novels of this nature, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER, is not without some problems. Mr. Phillip's presents an interesting, action-packed story, but he leaves the reader confused and distracted by some of the "telling" interspersed in the story. Elaborate sentence structure, and a seemingly "too literate" langauge from characters at certain points in the story, detract from the flow of action. However, Mr. Phillip's does an excellent job overall with the dialog and is most often real, true and vibrant. This brings the characters to life and creates clear personality traits and tendencies that the reader will recognize and identify with. There are some passages that leave the reader a little off-track and confused. Still, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER succeeds in its effort to tell a story about real people who must deal with situations unusual and foreign to them. The fact that these people are police officers simply makes the tale more intriguing. Even with its problems, THE SOLDIERS OF SUMMER is a vivid tale that engages the reader as it explores the harsher side of humanity. A good book for the "summer reader" to take along to the beach with them.