Customer Reviews

Vessel of Sadness

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I no longer remember where I stumbled across Vessel of Sadness. I recall that I was totally unfamiliar with this book and its author. I was puzzled by the title. But my attention was captured by the literary reviews on the back cover.

"How have you said so much and involved me so deeply with so few words?" Gunnar Myrdahl, Nobel laureate.

"One of the most sensitive and moving books of the war, both authentic and poetic" A.L. Rowse, Elizabethan historian and Shakespearean scholar.

This is a fictional account of the protracted and bloody Allied invasion of Anzio in 1944. The story is told through shifting points of view - an Italian child, a British general, a camp commandant, and Allied and German soldiers. This mosaic is slow to unfold, but a tragic, unrelenting story emerges. Overall the book is subdued and somewhat detached. But its impact is staggering.

This short book is quite remarkable. It has a haunting aspect to it, but it is not a blatant antiwar account. As others have noted, possibly the best comparisons are with The Red Badge of Courage and All Quiet on the Western Front. In a poetic style William Woodruff conveys a frightening sense of realism. High level strategic decisions move down through the chain of command and are translated into battle. Confusion, fear, and pain are pervasive. The focus is on survival.

The author participated in the initial invasion landing at Anzio on January 23, 1944 with the First British Infantry and fought for the next four months on the beachhead, trapped by German forces on the high ground. Woodruff tells the story of war with an emotional impact that ensures that this literary work will become a classic. I highly recommend Vessel of Sadness.

This is a brief, powerful story of life on the front lines in WWII. It is a quick read, but it will touch your soul.

This is a moving and vivid description of the Allies attempt to take Rome during World War II. The novel is brief and concise but reaches a level of greatness comparable to the best World War II literature. Woodruff has make an understanding effor to convey to all readers the stupidity of war and the suffering of those who were persuaded to fight for the betterness of humankind but were uncertain of their personal destinies. As a reader I was very impressed with the quality of the narrative, the interesting dialogues, the sense of inmediacy that the novel brings and the matter of fact approach to war. Woodruff has brought us a magnificient work that will leave an ever-lasting impression on those who read it.

This is a moving and vivid description of the Allies attempt to take Rome during World War II. The novel is brief and concise but reaches a level of greatness comparable to the best World War II literature. Woodruff has make an understanding effor to convey to all readers the stupidity of war and the suffering of those who were persuaded to fight for the betterness of humankind but were uncertain of their personal destinies. As a reader I was very impressed with the quality of the narrative, the interesting dialogues, the sense of inmediacy that the novel brings and the matter of fact approach to war. Woodruff has brought us a magnificient work that will leave an ever-lasting impression on those who read it.

This book hit me to the bone. It's a soldier's images of being on the front line in a war. It could be any war in any country. It's a gripping read. I wish this message could get out to the world. The author would deserve a Noble prize for peace.

Keep the name of William Woodruff in memory. He is an excellent writer, every one of his books (I know 4 of them) are worth reading.

Very fast shipping and am so grateful to booksellers who offer older books. Accurate description. Bargain!