Mister Roberts (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joshua Logan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The novel, Mister Roberts, was an instant hit after being published in 1946 and was quickly adapted for the stage and screen. The title character, a Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade, defends his crew against the petty tyranny of the ship's commanding officer during World War II. Nearly all action takes place on board a backwater cargo ship, the USS Reluctant, that sails, as written in the play, from apathy to tedium with occassional side trips to monotony and ennui. This irreverent, often hilarious story about the crew of the Reluctant has enjoyed wide and enduring popularity. Heggen based his novel on his experiences on board the USS Virgo in the South Pacific during World War II, and began it as a collection of short stories. It was subsequently adapted as a play, a feature film, a television series, and a television movie. The film version with Henry Fonda, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon is one of the most popular movies of WWII. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Thomas Heggen wrote Mister Roberts as a young naval officer on board the USS Virgo in 1944. After the war, he struggled with writing after his early success and died tragically in 1949. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dramatists Play Service (October 1951)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822207656
• ISBN-13: 978-0822207658
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #120,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the movie, read the book!, December 6, 1998

By A Customer

Like many stories, Mister Roberts is best known as a movie, starring Henry Fonda, however, the book on which the movie is based is the far superior of the two. It gives more detail into what makes all the characters tick, and is a little less "sanitized" then the movie. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who appreciates military humor.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, yet has historical facts, February 11, 2001

By	Christin (Toledo, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mister Roberts (Classics of Naval Literature) (Hardcover)

Mister Roberts had the right amount of amusement and sadness, which is the main reason I really liked it. At first I was not sure how I was going to enjoy it. The first chapter started out fairly slow, but this was just because it was an introduction of characters. The rest of the book was much clearer with this introduction. Throughout the entire novel there was a lot of humor. It was a fast read with all this comedy. I really admire Heggen's writing style because he incorporated wit with war. Heggen gave a more amusing account of the war than other factual book could have.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great "Sea Story", June 12, 2000

By	Kevin Lane (Norfolk, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mister Roberts (Classics of Naval Literature) (Hardcover)

This is a fabulous story. Heggen expertly captures the monotony, the cynicism, the bravado and depression of life at sea. The story ranges from hilarious to heartbreaking, and it's sad Heggen ended his own life before writing again. I find it amazing that this book is not on the CNO's professional reading list.