Customer Reviews

War and Remembrance

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Herman Wouk is a great writer. With War and Remembrance and its predecessor, The Winds of War, He sealed his reputation as a great writer of historical fiction. Unlike such writers as Leon Uris, who tends to create heroic larger than life heroes and James Michener, who skimps on characterization altogether, Wouk creates brilliantly real figures who seem to live, breath and sometimes die. Whereas the Winds of War covers the period from just prior to the German invasion of Poland in Sept. 1939 through Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, War and Remembrance covers the period from after Pearl through the surrender of Japan in August 1945. As with the previous book, Wouk blends his fictional characters with real figures such as Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and Hitler.

By exploring the experiences of the fictional Henry family and their extended acquaintances, Wouk manages to cover virtually every aspect of this sprawling epic struggle between good and evil. There is Victor "Pug" Henry, stoic Navy captain, his dutiful bound son Warren, a Navy flyer bound for action in the Pacific, his formerly wayward son Byron, now a submarine officer who marries the Jewish woman Natalie Jastrow in Europe. Natalie herself is trapped in Italy with her Uncle, the intellectual scholar Aaron Jastrow and her baby Louis. The Nazi vice that slowly closes on the American born Natalie is excruciating yet stunningly realistic. There is Leslie Slote, the callous foreign service officer who has an epiphany when he discovers the plans for the Final Solution and there are many many others. Wouk blends the personal stories of these characters with an expositional account of the war. He uses the device of a fictional memoir of an imprisoned German officer to prsent the war from the German perspective. It is bone-chilling reading. Finally, Wouk's stunning descriptions of Auschwitz are the most realistic and engrossing description of the Holocaust I have ever read. This book is moving, gripping and engrossing. It is also highly educational. The reader of War and Remembrance will learn a great deal about the Second World War and the War will be brought to life by this book better than any history. This novel should not be missed nor should The Winds of War.

When I read "The Winds of War", it was only after I had read the reviews of the book on Amazon.com that I realised that life would never be complete until I had read the sequel.

Trolling Nairobi's thrift shops at long last gave me access to one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is an epic novel, a great romance (and heaven knows how I hate those, but this one was a gem), and perhaps the best history lesson on the Second World War I have come across.

Without going into specifics about the book - which the other reviewers on the site have done so well, the things that stand out in the book are several:

One; it brings to life the Holocaust in a way that history books can never hope to compare. Auschwitz is no longer a footnote to horror - it is now a flesh and blood camp with horrifyingly banal commandants. The SS are not nameless, faceless sadists - they are normal people with an abnormal hatred.

Secondly, the philosophical-historical insights into European and German history, as seen through the mind of Aaron Jastrow, are superb.

I need not dwell on the sweeping historical views of the war of "Armin von Roon", that bring the bigger picture of the war into play.

Natalie Jastrow, in my opinion the most developed character in the book, is prepared to prostitute herself in order to save her life in Auschwitz that she may see her son again. That, to me, makes her all the more remarkable a person than if she had remained unbelievably pious. Natalie is a real human being. The only injustice Wouk does to her is not to develop her character after Auschwitz.

Finally, the most touching part of the book was the night that Udam, the theater man in Theresienstadt, decides to sing the haunting songs of the Jews under the threat of death. Of all the moments in the book, this one was the one that brought me closest to tears.

The longest book I have ever read (at 1389 pages in my version), and certainly a book I will read again. This is a rare gem.

WOW. Exceptional historical research, developed characters and subplots, great storytelling. A book for the ages. With Winds of War (read it first), this was a 2000+ page trek. Worth it and very satisfying. While being entertained, the reader receives an educational narrative of the progression of events, the atmosphere, and the personalities of WWII. Among the most enjoyable aspects for me was reading the face-to-face encounters with important personages of the war (at least Wouk's interpretation of them). It was the next best thing to having sat in a room with these people. By cleverly using a fictional family and its involvement in the war, Wouk takes the reader all over the world, providing a wonderful comprehensive overview of WWII. Finishing it meant saying goodbye to old and beloved friends. I repeat . . . WOW.

"Incompetent" is the politest word I can think of to describe the kindle edition.

There are spelling errors on nearly every screen. One of the chapter titles is "World Solocaust". Another chapter's title is Midman, instead of Midway.

Sample sentence: "When you come back, and you willy111 be here."

There's about a 50% chance that a 'ü' in a german word will be 'ii' in this edition, as in 'Fiihrer'. I kid you not.

I've always wondered why this book was so popular, along with its predecessor "The Winds of War". I tend to avoid huge books in excess of 1000 pages, because I've been disappointed in the past by time-wasting tomes.

For that reason, I avoided reading Herman Wouk's epics. Talk about judging a book by its cover, or in this case by its weight... But I finally did start reading these books, and was completely hooked from the first chapter of "The Winds of War". I couldn't wait to see what happened in "War and Remembrance".

I can't imagine following Wouk's suggestion that one can enjoy "War and Remembrance" on its own, without having first read "The Winds of War". Start with the first one. If you don't, you won't know what you're missing later. The characters in the saga are developed in "The Winds of War" such that it breaks your heart when they encounter all of their perils and difficulties in the second book. I've never felt such sadness about the fates of fictional characters the way I did in "War and Remembrance", but I also was exhilarated by their successes and shreds of happiness along the way.

The two minor criticisms I have with "War and Remembrance" in no way detract from the five-star rating I'm giving it. First: The book felt a bit rushed at the end. Even though most of the dangling plot threads were tied up neatly (as neatly as war allows), there were too few pages dedicated to some of the most jaw-droppingly significant events of the entire war, specifically having to do with Japan. And that leads me to criticism number two: The war in the Pacific got comparatively short shrift, as compared to Europe. I would have appreciated it if Wouk would have expounded more on Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Doolittle's raids, etc. The cast of characters would have had to be dramatically expanded to do this, and Wouk probably would have had to write a three-volume set instead of two. (I'm going to read Wouk's classic "The Caine Mutiny" next...that should satisfy my craving here.)

His treatment of the Nazi-fueled cancer in Europe was as gut-wrenching and historically complete as anyone could ask for. The story's been told many times, but it must still be told many more times as history marches on and people forget. The atrocities of the Third Reich are fully documented here, in all their filthy excesses, and it's horrible to see the characters you care about getting drawn into that maelstrom. Sadder still to realize that you're grieving about fictional characters, when so many million _actual_ people were slaughtered in this hell on earth.

Wouk writes from his background...his family emigrated here from Russia, and in the USA Wouk really explored and expounded upon his Jewish roots. Even though he wasn't in the Holocaust, he certainly did his homework. This is an important book for everyone, just for this reason alone: The man's a master storyteller.

Rare is it that you find a book - let alone two! - where you feel educated first and then entertained. "War and Remembrance", along with "The Winds of War", are stories I'll remember for the rest of my life. Shattering, epic, dramatic, and I'm quite confident I'll never encounter such great works again.

I am not Jewish, but I loudly add my voice to the chorus: "Never Again!"

Being a woman not well versed in military terminology or familiar with WWII, I was unprepared for this magnificent, captivating and thought provoking novel.The descriptions of the submarines and the war strategies were as interesting as the characters.
I agree with another reviewer that the Holocaust descriptions were horrifying but nonetheless accurate. When I read the descriptions, I kept thinking about my Jewish friends and wondering how a man as deranged as Hitler could hypnotize so many people into performing those hideous acts. Mr. Wouk stated that he hoped to see the end of war, yet he clearly understood that war is not simply a necessary evil but necessary because of evil. The events of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.

Mr. Wouk created memorable characters, each flawed in their own way, yet engaging, very likeable and often heroic. The depth of research required to create this story staggers the mind, yet history and fiction meld into a wonderful story that will stay with you long after you close this book.
This is a great story told by a great writer.

All at once , this book is the greatest history lesson, the most exciting drama and the most intriguing story I have ever read. The 1500 or so pages ( and of course, the prequel "Winds of War") may seem intimidating at first, but trust me, stick it out. The temptation is great to skip around in this book, especially to fictitous general Armin Von Roon's continuing analysis of the war from a German perspective, but the story should be read cover to cover to get the true flavor and development of the story. The heart rending trimphs and tragedies that strike the Henry clan in every theatre of the world make war and Rememberance an emotional thriller as well. Character development is also a Wouk strong point. Byron Henry starts Winds of war as an irresponsible loafing boy without a care in the world. By the time the novel ends, Byron has become a serious, emotional, successful naval officer with a wife that he would do anything to save and a son he'd do anything to find. The great thing is though, that Wouk does not skip a stage in Byron's development. By the time I finished reading both novels, it was hard to avoid identifying with Byron as if he were a real person. By the way, I also think that the ABC mini- series based on the book was the greatest picture to ever appear in the history of television and movies. I realize I sound a little exagerated and corny, but I simply can't believe that there has been so little attention paid to this masterpiece and the tremendous mini- series.

It's understandable that free e-books from the 19th century would have a few typos, but this is ridiculous. When you're charging money for an e-book, you have a responsibility to make an effort at accuracy. Some of the chapter headings in W&R were originally printed in Fraktur (heavy Germanic script). The worst one I saw was "Zrandator'O aoreworb", which was supposed to be "Translator's Foreword"

War and Remembrance, by Herman Wouk. 1942-1945: the second half of World War II. The courageous battles of Midway, Guadalcanal, El Alamein, and Leyte Gulf; Franklin Roosevelt, Josef Stalin, and Winston Churchill; Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito; the millions of sailors, soldiers, and pilots who died for their countries; Auschwitz and other dreadful concentration camps; these eminent events and honorable figures are just segment of the history in War and Remembrance. Herman Wouk, the author, brings us to where every bullet was shot, bomb dropped, and torpedo launched in this amazing book of the second half of World War II. Wouk tells us the story of a war that would change the world forever. Victor Henry, a fifty year old United States Naval Admiral, has not only served but also commanded both cruisers and battleships such as the Northampton and Iowa , is not a well-known man, but has encountered many dangerous situations. Byron Henry, one of the sons of Victor Henry, is a Lieutenant Commander who serves on many different submarines such as the Moray and Devilfish in the Navy, and is also a very courageous man. Natalie Henry, the wife of Byron Henry, is a beautiful, intelligent woman and who gets wrapped up in escaping from Europe, since she is Jewish. Pamela Tudsbury is a British girl who fell in love with Victor Henry during the course of the story. Warren Henry, also a son of Victor Henry, was a Navy Air Corps Lieutenant (jg) pilot on a carrier called USS Enterprise who gets killed. Herman Wouk made me realize what World War 2 actually was. It was not just dates written and pictures taken, but a war to remember. He makes you develop a perfect view of the bloody battlefields in Europe and East Asia during the war. The glorious victories, the painful defeats, the millions of casualties lost; these are the "pictures" you will see not in a textbook, newspaper, or magazine, but in your mind. In school, we are taught America's viewpoint of this great war. However, there is more than one side. During War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk sometimes takes breaks in the storyline and talks about the facts and opinions of this war. To accomplish this, Wouk uses a fictional German Wehrmacht General, Armin von Roon, who wrote a few books named "World Empire Lost", "World Holocaust", and "Hitler As Military Leader", as I mentioned in my previous book report. Roon tells us the story of World War II, that is, from Germany's point of view. In The Winds of War, which War and Remembrance is the sequel to, Roon says, "There is no morality in world history. There are only tides of change borne on violence and death. The victors write the history, pass the judgments, and hang or shoot the losers." I am including this cite because it is true. Who knows what the world would be like if the Axis Powers had won? Would there be a world empire or freedom? Would everyone be Christian? This is what we are deprived of when we learn about wars in school. Some people will never learn this "other" side, and are ignorant of what war can do to us and our world. Many people see war as a sport, like in movies when none of the main characters die. These movies do not show the "death" part of war. In War and Remembrance, Warren Henry, who was a main character, dies in the Battle of Midway. To see a main character die is very depressing, because authors like Wouk force you to feel as if they are close to you. I almost cried at this point. Wouk writes about Warren as his flaming plane was diving into the deep Pacific Ocean, "He had never thought he would be shot down, though he had known the risks. With his death sentence before his eyes he could not believe it. His future stretched before him for so many years- so well planned, so real, so important!" Warren was a little ignorant himself. He knew the risks, but he still did not think that he would die. And yet people still want to be "snipers that go in and shoot the bad guys." They don't realize that they might die, like Warren did. Aaron Jastrow, the Uncle of Natalie, is also a Jew who tries to escape Europe, along with Natalie and her baby, Louis. He is a well-known Jewish author who has written many books. While trying to escape Europe, he kept a journal, recording all of the events that he goes through on his journey. It is not only a journal, but also a book, which is called, "A Jew's Journey". It is amazing what he, Natalie, and Louis went through. They went from living in a house in the hills of Siena, Italy, all the way to Marseilles, France (40 miles away from the Spanish border), then back to a German ghetto called Theresienstadt in Germany. Herman Wouk once in a while refers back to previous things that occurred as early as the beginning of The Winds of War. On pages 1125 to 1126 of War and Remembrance, it says, "Pug was experiencing the sensation of a slipped clog in time, of reliving an old scene. Rhoda's `Bye the bye, there's a letter from Byron' had triggered it, he realized. So they had sat drinking Armagnac in twilight before the war, the day Admiral Preble had offered him the attaché post in Berlin. `Bye the bye, there's a letter from Byron', Rhoda had said, and he had felt the same sort of relief, because they had not heard from him in months. It had been the first letter about Natalie. That day, Warren had announced he was putting in for flight training." I went to the beginning of The Winds of War and found out if all this that was said was true. On page 15, Warren says, "Say, incidentally, Dad, did I mention that a couple of months ago my exec put in for flight training. I sent in one of the forms too, just for the heck of it. It seems we both have a chance." And on page 16, Rhoda says, "By the bye, there's a letter from Byron." As I sit here typing, I think about how much Herman Wouk has improved since he wrote The Caine Mutiny, which was published more than twenty years even before The Winds of War was. In The Caine Mutiny, Wouk just tells the story of life on board a destroyer-minesweeper during World War II. Don't get me wrong, The Caine Mutiny was an excellent book, but The Winds of War and War and Remembrance are far more well written. In The Caine Mutiny, there are only a few important characters, who are all in the same place during the book, which was on the Caine . In The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, there are many important characters, which are spread all over the world at different times, then meet at such anonymous places as Tehran, Iran. Also how Wouk has General von Roon tell Germany's side to the war through his books "World Empire Lost", "World Holocaust", and "Hitler As Military Leader", and Aaron Jastrow tell the story of the Holocaust through a Jew's eyes in his book, "A Jew's Journey." The one thing that truly amazes me is the way Wouk makes you want something to happen later in the story, but the opposite of what you wanted to happen happens, and you are pleased with it. I know that sounds complicated, so here is an example. After Rhoda wanted a divorce from Victor Henry and Pamela Tudsbury rejected his proposal, they both wanted him back. But since he lost his love for them because they both did terrible things to him, he rejected them. I wanted Victor to end up with either Rhoda or Pamela before, but when he rejected them, I was happy. I know this is still very complicated. War and Remembrance is one of two best books I have ever read in my life. The other is The Winds of War. The soldiers, sailors, and pilots who fought heroically; the marvelous victories and horrible losses; the good days and the bad ; and the struggle for world peace and world empire; these are all things that are told within the covers of War and Remembrance. Victor Henry's quote after the Battle of Leyte Gulf sums up the future of our world, "Either war is finished, or we are.

I finished War and Remembrance last night and, after 1800 pages of it and the prequel (Winds of War), I wish it had been longer. Wouk defines the genre of historical fiction with a cast of characters that bring World War II to life. I would strongly recommend that you read Winds of War and War and Remembrance in sequence, because it adds an extra dimension to the main characters.

Where Herman Wouk succeeds beyond measure is in providing glimpses into nearly every perspective in the war, making this a sophisticated tour of the unprecedented industrial war that defined the last century. You will visit the Pacific war, London during the blitz, Poland during the German invasion, occupied France, Moscow, Leningrad and Berlin. When the truth is as incredible as WWII, little fiction is needed: Wouk takes few if any liberties with the facts, and the result is both riveting and educational.

Particularly refreshing: the characters are real, not perfect, and we can identify with their problems. The desperation is real, and the story unfolds with utmost realism. The author obviously recognized a duty to treat his subject with complete respect and accuracy, sacrificing nothing to commercial demands for fiction.

I would agree with several other reviewers that this could well be the best means of learning the history of the war ever conceived. Yes, it takes a long time to read. But the immensity and quality make it an experience. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.