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World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War Paperback – October 16, 2007

by Max Brooks (Author)

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“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.

Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war

“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China

“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers

“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the wake of the great zombie war, Brooks's fictional alter ego travels around the world to ask tough questions of individuals and leaders about their experience and actions before, during and after the undead menace decimated the human population. Brooks remarkably identifies and articulates the nuances and unconsidered realities of what a zombie war would look like. This intriguing "oral history" stands apart from his previous zombie-related book, The Zombie Survival Guide, as Brooks uses the postwar culture here to provide political and social commentary on a wide range of real-life individuals and institutions. An all-star cast including Alan Alda, Mark Hamill, Jürgen Prochnow, Henry Rollins, John Turturro, Rob and Carl Reiner, and many others deliver their parts with such fervor and intensity that listeners cannot help but empathize with these characters. Max Brooks acts as the interviewer, providing an inquisitive but stagnant demeanor. The abridgment keeps the story tight but struggles with the interviewer's narration during interviews. When Brooks interrupts characters to indicate that the person rolled his eyes or appeared apprehensive, his comments are often moot because the performers are already portraying such body language with their tone.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

"The Crisis" nearly wiped out humanity. Brooks (son of Mel Brooks and author of The Zombie Survival Guide, 2003) has taken it upon himself to document the "first hand" experiences and testimonies of those lucky to survive 10 years after the fictitious zombie war. Like a horror fan's version of Studs Terkel's The Good War (1984), the "historical account" format gives Brooks room to explore the zombie plague from numerous different views and characters. In a deadpan voice, Brooks exhaustively details zombie incidents from isolated attacks to full-scale military combat: "what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just won't, but biologically can't!" With the exception of a weak BAT-21 story in the second act, the "interviews" and personal accounts capture the universal fear of the collapse of society--a living nightmare in which anyone can become a mindless, insatiable predator at a moment's notice. Alas, Brad Pitt's production company has purchased the film rights to the book--while it does have a chronological element, it's more similar to a collection of short stories: it would make for an excellent 24-style TV series or an animated serial. Regardless, horror fans won't be disappointed: like George Romero's Dead trilogy, World War Z is another milestone in the zombie mythos. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product details

Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1st edition (October 16, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307346617
ISBN-13: 978-0307346612
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5,437 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Thrillers
- #62 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > War
- #93 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Spies & Politics > Political

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Top customer reviews

Very Cool

ByJulie MerilattVINE VOICEon May 19, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This was a gift for my husband, but I ended up bogarting it before he even finished. Even though it’s not a genre I would typically read I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was extremely creative and Brooks did an excellent job conveying all of the different characters who told their individual stories about the zombie wars. The progression was great, from the first sign of outbreak to the cleanup efforts. I only wish some of the implications made weren’t so ambiguous, but so much of what was unspoken about the global calamity can be left to the reader’s imagination.

I think the following quote best sums the whole thing up: “All human armies need supplies, this army didn’t. No food, no ammo, no fuel, not even water to drink or air to breathe! There were no logistics lines to sever, no depots to destroy… It’s ironic that the only way to kill a zombie is to destroy its brain because, as a group, they have no collective brain to speak of. There was no leadership, no chain of command, no communication or cooperation on any level. There was no president to assassinate, no HQ bunker to surgically strike. Each zombie is its own, self-contained, automated unit, and this last advantage is what truly encapsulates the entire conflict… They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end…”

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Incredibly Entertaining and Thoughtful Read

ByKindle CustomerVINE VOICEon May 23, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is an interesting book. I'm not into the zombie craze and not a horror fan, but I really enjoyed the book. I've seen the film, it was loosely based on this book and enjoyed it as well. This book tells an intriguing story from many different viewpoints of a world war against zombies. Many sections will keep you riveted. I love the approach taken, a correspondent travels around the world to learn the stories from different countries and people of what happened. Really captures the feel of what a war against the undead is like, good, bad and ugly. Truly a diverse point of view done with a great amount of research. First rate and I will enjoy listening to the audio book version of this book.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great book, a zombie story that makes sense.

ByDavidon March 10, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Great book about a zombie apocalypse. The different stories and perspectives from different countries really make this book interesting and addicting to read through.

If zombie apocalypse movies never made sense to you, this will be a refreshing change of pace. Everything has been well thought out and "documented" in this recount of zombie war (World War Z).

Don't want to spoil the read, so go grab a copy!

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Stellar, unforgettable read. Don't be fooled by the movie

ByRob A.on April 16, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I know you've all heard that before, but in this case it's as true as it could possibly be. This is a funny, clever, thoughtful and intense look at at our dystopian zombie future. OK, maybe it's not as likely as some other dystopian future, but when it comes to zombies, you cannot beat this for its insightful assessment of human nature. Plus generally a great read. You know, the movie was fine on it's own as another mostly forgettable zombie excursion but this book is the real deal

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A thrilling zombie narrative!

ByDeborah S.on January 19, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Max Brooks knocked it out of the park with this fragmented narrative about the rise and aftermath of a zombie outbreak, which rapidly spread all over the world.

The book gave a very graphic depiction of the effect of a zombie apocalypse. I especially loved the wide range of perspectives and what each character had to say during their interviews with the protagonist. There are so many different characters, each with their own unique story to tell. It was honestly impossible to vividly remember each and every small story within the book, but the fact that it jumped around so much honestly made it easier to read. I'm usually not a huge fan of a fragmented narrative due to the information overload that tends to accompany it, but the thrilling and often graphic nature of each individual story made them all a joy to read.

The action and suspense, combined with Max's sense of humor made this one of my favorite books in recent years.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A Unique and Epic Reading Experience

ByTKniteon December 21, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The book is written as a series of interviews with a number of people from different countries, who all tell stories pertaining to their country’s experiences and their personal experiences. There’s simply way too much to summarize. You’ll just have to read it to get the whole picture.

That being said, what a great book! I don’t know why I’ve never read this book before now. It’s fantastic! Brooks’ unique storytelling structure was perfect for his subject matter. In about 350 pages, he manages to encapsulate a complex and colorful global war, all the while keeping the story fresh and interesting by utilizing the personal experiences of the different characters. There’s drama, death, action sequences, victory and defeat, nostalgia…the whole package.

And Christ, I can’t imagine the sheer amount of research that went into this book. Its truly history at its finest hour. Brooks takes real-world current events and blends them perfectly into his hypothetical zombie scenario, and a lot of what occurs in the book is terrifyingly realistic — you could imagine about 95% of what happens in World War Z happening in real life if there ever was a zombie apocalypse. There are no fantastical or rose-colored embellishments in this book. It is brutal and honest.

Now, I have seen complaints about people not liking the storytelling style, but I, for one, loved it. And I can’t imagine a better way to approach subject matter like this. If Brooks had just picked a single character or a couple of characters and told a standard third-person story about their harrowing journeys, sure, it might have been a good book — but it wouldn’t have been history. The title of the book is “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War” not “World War Z: Three Peoples’ Experiences in the Zombie War.” I think Brooks created the perfect story structure for maintaining both an interesting narrative and the “history” feel of the novel.

Anyway, that’s my two cents. I thought this book was a masterpiece, both structurally and plot-wise. It was perfectly researched and perfectly executed, in my opinion.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Published 10 hours ago by Reader DA

Terrible

This bookil sucked. It showed the state of our depravity. Witten like a grade schooler with a sick and poor imagination.

Published 1 day ago by Daniel A. Rivers

Two Stars

I DIDN'T RECEIVE THIS AND DON'T REMEMBER ORDERING IT

Published 1 day ago by Mary C.

One Star

boring

Published 1 day ago by Amazon Customer

This is a great book. Its thoughtful and well written

This is a great book. Its thoughtful and well written. Even those who are not fans of zombies or apocalypse stories should enjoy this one.

Published 1 day ago by Mark

Good Read - Great Format (Interviews Post-Apocalypse)

I dunno why I liked this book so much because, just as I was getting into one viewpoint, it'd change to another one (I've read it twice already)!Read more

Published 5 days ago by Dylan

Awesome book! A collection of short tales throughout the ...

Awesome book! A collection of short tales throughout the zombie apocalypse. 100X better than the movie. A must read for zombie fans.

Published 7 days ago by T.A. Sanders

A futuristic Anne Frank

Diaries from a future. Memories from the future. Reliving the past is an extraordinary affair. Dreaming of the future has been relinquished.

Published 9 days ago by brendaleebahr

Good read (very different from the movie)

This is nothing like the movie World War Z starring Brad Pitt. I actually saw the movie first snd decided to read the book.Read more

Published 9 days ago by lehtimo

It was good

I liked it it was good i would read it again should buy i rated five stars please go buy it was good

Published 9 days ago by Teresa's Kindle

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