Customer Reviews

The Soldiers Of Summer

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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....

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!!!!

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.

I have always been more the fan of literay works with emphasis on characters than the genre novels that seem to dominate today's market and in The Soldiers Of Summer I have found one. Mr. Phillips, a retired police officer, takes us on what could have been just another cop tale but this one has a twist. These men are members of the Army Reserve doing their two weeks summer camp during the summer of 1978. It should be a vacation but it turns out to be a nightmare they can only cope with by sequestering themselves into their own tight knit group where whiskey and their camaraderie becomes their only source of relief. They also have their own personal demons to deal with from problems on their job, lingering nightmares for some from the Vietnam War, to broken marriages and relationships that have made their lives a bitter pill to swallow. There are a few comedic interludes along the way, a weekend trip to Lake George that ends in a fight and a trip to Canada that goes awry. This novel has all the makings of a damn good movie also along the lines of The Last Detail, and if someone doesn't snap up the rights they're crazy. This is a great read with characters that will stay with you long after you've put it down, so don't let this one slip by.

I'll admit it, I've always liked books by ex-policemen about life in the cop shop and beyond. Joseph Wambaugh's Lines and Shadows is still one of my favorites. The Soldiers of Summer, however elevates the genre several steps beyond ordinary fiction and into the realm of literature. Joseph Phillips, who patroled the streets of New York in the 1970s and 1980s, in the pre-Guiliano wild days, paints a portrait of policing that is at once compassionate and compelling, with riveting characters who will remain in your head long after you put this book down. His prose style is short, sweet and to the point, enough so that Hemingway would be proud! Even if you're not an avid fan of cop books, this one's worth a read. Give it a try--you won't be sorry.