Customer Reviews

Under Fire: A Corps Novel (Random House Large Print)

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Whenever a new volume in "The Corps" series is published my life is on hold until I finish reading it. I'm hooked and all of the characters are friends of mine or are people I really dislike. Griffin takes me, holding my hand all the way, to that segment of time when our Marine heroes are saving the world from (fill in the blank) and having fun in the process. This version fit the style and tone perfectly and was oh so well worth my time. But I have one serious complaint--apparently no one at the publishing house read this book before sending it to me. Beginning in the first chapter where our hero Captain (Former Major) "Killer" McCoy is repeatedly identified as Corporal McCoy there were just too many errors and typos. I have read rough drafts with fewer words left out of sentences and fewer factual errors (Factual errors of the kind that show up in early drafts and are dressed up in the final product--these were never identified). The author got it right but the editors at the publishing house must have been on vacation. I am distressed, disturbed and find myself in disharmony--the publisher owes me an apology for the lack of professionalism they exhibit in this product. Mr. W. E. B. FIRE YOUR PUBLISHER!

I'd be happy to give this book 5 stars if it weren't for one thing. It leaves to many unanswered questions for devotees (and I'm a hardcore fan)of the series. How did McCoy and Pick get out of the Gobi desert? What happened to Jack (NMI) Stecker?
Why hasn't the Corps. sent McCoy through college? Where's Charlie Galloway? The questions go on and on. I think the author has skipped a book, and I hope he addresses some of these questions in the next installment. I also hope we don't have to wait another 4 years til it comes out. As for what we do get in this book, it is as compelling a read as the rest of the series. You'd best catch up on your sleep before bringing it home, because it takes 2 days to read, and you can't put it down til the last page.

UNDER FIRE, the 9th book of W.E.B. Griffin's "Corps" series, moves from World War II to the prelude and opening days of the Korean War. As in previous "Corps" and "Brotherhood of War" novels, Griffin uses actual historical events as background while skillfully putting his characters into the action.

In UNDER FIRE, he uses the intelligence failure that allowed the North Koreans to mount a surprise attack, and the sad state of our military at that time, as the opening, following with an excellent description of the mauling our troops received during the early days of that war, finishing by using a highly fictionalized account of a little known, but highly successful special operation to clear the Inchon Approach Islands of North Korean troops prior to the Inchon Landing. To this end, Griffin uses many of his characters from previous "Corps" novels -- Ken McCoy, Ernie Zimmerman, Fleming Pickering and his daredevil son, "Pick" Pickering, and others.

Overall, UNDER FIRE is a "page turner" that offers insight, via Griffin's well developed military fiction writing style, into the beginnings of the Korean War and Korean War special operations.

With this, his ninth crackling chronicle of Marine Corps heroes, popular author W. E. B. Griffin closes his accounts of World War II and transports his men to the devastation of the Korean War.

Scott Brick, veteran voice actor, author and writer, whose stage credits include Cyrano, Hamlet and Macbeth, artfully carries listeners through the Unabridged version. Tony Award winner James Naughton (Chicago and City Of Angels) gives superlative voice to the Abridged versions.

Few writers perceive the military stance as accurately as author Griffin, thus bringing pulse quickening reality to his tales. The year is 1950 as Under Fire opens. Despite its authenticity Captain Ken McCoy's warning of trouble in North Korea is largely ignored. Moreover, McCoy is dismissed from the Corps.

Yet shortly, as history has shown, Korea becomes a deathly morass, and another challenging battle for the Marines.

For those who enjoy military thrills and excitement Under Fire is 1A.

- Gail Cooke

This is a detailed and tedious book, written not only for the military minded but also was intentionally planned to capture everyday readers wishing entertainment that is on the level. Starting in 1950 and moving forward this is the most detailed account of the Korean War I have ever come across, even accounts of General MacArthur are sharpened. I'm surprised with the effort put into this book, had to of taken a great deal of time. I say yes, read it.
If you liked this, a similar very good military action entertainment book concerning the current war and terrorists, that uses logic to foresee and describe Armageddon in detail and the first account of the new F 35 in action is SB 1 or God By Karl Mark Maddox

This novel continues the _The Corps_ series by Griffin by skipping the rest of World War II (whatever for?) and jumping right to Korea. The basic opening premise is that McCoy has predicted the imminent Korean War. No one wants to hear it, so the brass cans him from the Corps... or at least, they plan to.

While McCoy, the Pickerings, Ernie, Banning and Macklin are all back and being themselves, the majority of what they do in the book is politicking and interacting rather than wage war. The timeframe is the retreat to the Pusan perimeter, but not many of the characters are engaged in the combat. Also, they're great characters, and some good new and old ones make appearances, but not as much effort is put into developing the new ones that show up. Too bad; this has always been a Griffin strength. Some are pretty well absent; what happened to Sessions? Rickabee?

At least Griffin has taken one criticism to heart: there is no parade of virgins eager for defloration. That was really getting old. The sex and romance in this book is understated and in proper proportion to the story.

Hate to say it, but this one feels 'churned out'. I get the sense that Griffin is a little tired of the series--how else to explain the skipping of two years of action-intensive WWII as well as nearly the whole interconflict period?

It's still very good compared to much of what's out there, but Griffin has done better (and, in fairness, worse as well) in this and other series. Most Griffin fans will still like it, but it will not rope the reader in by main force as the early _Corps_ books did.

Under Fire is a good book. Unfortunately, the tempo and storyline seemed to implode with a hundred pages to go. I've read the entire series, love the Marine Corps (5.5 yr vet), and love the 4th Marine Regiment (served '68-'69) and 5th Marine Regiment(served '63-64). I will thus remain loyal and read W.E.B.'s Corps series as long as it written. Let's hope the next book in the series is better edited, keeps it's tempo, and actually has a conclusion. In the 2004 sequel Pick will be rescued, the ChiTrib chick will be PG and they'll get married, Gen. Pickering will be the CIA Director, and, hopefully, the 4th Marines and the combat action will return. In the mean time, An Execution of Honor by Thomas L. Muldoon is a much better book!

Yeah 5 stars cause it's a good Griffin read. Lots of research about the Korean War went into the book and I really enjoyed it. FYI I really liked In Danger's Path too and I thought Under Fire was almost as good. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REST OF WWII??? Inquiring minds want to know. Perhaps Griffin will fill in the blanks at a later date.

Typo's. Hokey Smoke! I don't "proof read" books, I read 'em for fun and most all grammar errors get past me. I certainly don't go looking for typos but PenguinPutnam get a proofer. I think there's at least four reviewers right here that could do a better job than who ever proof read this book. Right after a map in the book a character talks about Korean Cities on the east coast and they are clearly on the west coast. At the start of the book Captain McCoy's quarters are labeled Corporal McCoy. Somebody else caught this too before I posted this review so I don't get credit for it but PenguinPutnam, if I am being annoyed by these glitches you must be driving legions of potential customers nuts!

I would love to know what it is about Griffin's books that holds me so well. He is the only Author I know that can get me to consistantly reread everything he writes. I must have read "The Brotherhood of War" series 5 times by now.

This book is an excellent start for Griffin's Marine Korean War series. Two things I want to point out. The taking of the islands before the Inchon invasion was true, except that, of course, MacArthur knew about it.

The interesting point to me was the failure of intelligence about the communist Korea invasion that Griffin uses at the sart of the story but does not document. General Singlubs book, "Hazardous Duty" does document the failure. It shows that the CIA knew about it, informed the top people in Washington, and that General Willoghby, MacArthurs Chief of Intelligence, had specifically downgraded it as "unreliable." This ties in exactly with the way that Captain McCoy is treated in the book.

If you like WEB Griffin (and I do) and if his Marines have become old friends whose lives you care about and if you find the combination of military action and high level political-bureaucratic maneuvering fascinating, then this is a book for you.

Griffin postulates that in May 1950 one of our Marines developed an analysis that North Korea might attack South Korea. Unfortunately for him, MacArthur's long time intelligence chief, General Willoughby, had assured MacArthur there would be no attack. Rather than be embarrassed Willoughby destroys the report and drives the young Marine Captain into early retirement.

However, Willoughby's plan is blocked by two developments. First, North Korea attacks South Korea on June 25 and no Marines are being retired. Second, our Captain's friend and sponsor, General Pickering intervenes and carries the story to President Truman.

American lack of preparedness at the beginning of the Korean War is one of the bitter lessons every preparedness advocate (and I am one) points to in arguing for a strong peacetime America. Our Army was untrained, unequipped, and undermanned. The Marines were drastically undermanned. Our equipment was inferior to the North Korean Russian-supplied equipment. Our restrictions on the South Koreans did not stop the war (as every liberal hoped it would) they simply made it more tempting for North Korea to attack..

This book maintains a wonderful balance between MacArthur as an egocentric isolated and eccentric personality on the one hand and a military genius of the first order on the other. The consistent rejection of his daring Inchon landing by every traditional senior officer is a good reminder as we look toward Iraq and elsewhere that when in doubt bureaucracies are boring, unimaginative and take the enormous risk of taking no risks at all..

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the art of decision-making at very senior levels and the nature of war when you let your country go unprepared. Griffin once again makes a civic contribution contained in a good action fiction.