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

by Max Brooks (Author)

5,409 customer reviews

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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

Brooks, the author of the determinedly straight-faced parody The Zombie Survival Guide (2003), returns in all seriousness to the zombie theme for his second outing, a future history in the style of Theodore Judson's Fitzpatrick's War. Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world. A Chinese doctor encounters one of the earliest zombie cases at a time when the Chinese government is ruthlessly suppressing any information about the outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. The tale then follows the outbreak via testimony of smugglers, intelligence officials, military personnel and many others who struggle to defeat the zombie menace. Despite its implausible premise and choppy delivery, the novel is surprisingly hard to put down. The subtle, and not so subtle, jabs at various contemporary politicians and policies are an added bonus. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback 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 an alternate Paperback 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: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5,409 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #90 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Thrillers
- #117 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > War
- #152 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Military

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Customer Reviews

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Top Customer Reviews

For the intelligent zombie fan

ByAriadne011on June 14, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I got this book to prepare for an end-of-the-world class in my Mythology course, despite not being much of a zombie fan, but ended up loving it. This book is nothing at all like the movie, and that's a good thing. As others have commented, it's told as individual stories told years after the events, and the characterization, and the thought about military, medical, and social implications are all compelling. There is some unexpected interweaving of stories as well. The narrators are from different places, professions, perspectives, and lifestyles, and the zombies are more like the zombies we know and sorta love since Night of the Living Dead. Definitely for the intelligent zombie fans, in particular in offering strategic ideas to those who, like my daughter, keep plywood, hammer and nails handy in case it becomes necessary to board up our windows when the zombies come.

0Comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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 2 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

A creepy story that is entertaining. Much better than the film!

ByJJCEO#1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERon October 10, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I almost didn't buy this book because of the reviews. The description of the book made it sound like a version of the TV show 20/20. Continuous interviews with survivors of the Zombie apocalypse.

I am so glad that I got the book and read it. I liked the story a lot and it was interesting to see how different cultures, different countries, the military and groups of people fought, lived and died to save themselves. The story was well written and thought out. The scenarios were realistic and it made you feel like you were there with the people telling the story and living their experiences.

The book is far better than the movie. I wish the movie had followed some of the best excerpts of the book and they made the film from those stories. This is the first zombie book I have ever read and I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. I liked the story and it leads me to try other such stories.

I rate the book as five stars. Some of the tales in the book will put the spooky feeling in the back of your neck and others make you think about what you would have done in the same situation. Isn't that why you read, to stimulate your mind, use your imagination and entertain yourself or to learn. Get this book, you won't be sorry.

0Comment 2 people 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

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Started out fun, got too repetitive midway through and painful to ...

interview style, we were there when the Z wars happened. Started out fun, got too repetitive midway through and painful to force myself through.

Published 1 day ago by Jana Privette

World war Z

Not what I expected - rather mismatched and difficult to follow. The individual stories were good, but the overall premise was repetitive after awhile.

Published 3 days ago by Kindle Customer

The book itself is amazing, and I have read multiple times

My book arrived in awful condition, dust jacket is extremely rough for a "new" $50 book. Very unhappy with this.Read more

Published 5 days ago by C. Robinson

What a great read

Awesome, fast paced yet personal.

A great way of imagining the human impact of a global crisis. Plus, it's got a heap of zombies!

Published 8 days ago by Craig

Great book!

Very unique setup and style. The movie does not equal the book. I will recommend this book to anyone I know.

Published 11 days ago by Bradley

Great Book

Great style of writing and amazing storytelling. Great from anything from an airplane ride to a night alone.

Published 11 days ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

An easy read; especially on long trips and rainy days!

Published 14 days ago by norac

Didn't See This Book Coming!

I loved the style of writing, as an oral history. Saddened that the film did not live up to the book in my opinion, though it was a decent enough movie, this book is a far...Read more

Published 18 days ago by Suitmonster

Three Stars

Kind of disappointing this version is missing a lot of the book...

Published 24 days ago by Dissatisfied Customer

One Star

Have never, ever read such junk - did not even finish the book!

Published 29 days ago by LJ Gerber

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