Wartime Literature
This collection of books contains fiction and memoirs concerning the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
A Separate Peace
by John Knowles
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Kerry Green - Maumee
November 1966: "This book is a contemporary novel about two sixteen-year-old boys and their 'coming of age.' Set in a New Hampshire school in the early months of World War II, it tells of their struggles with themselves, with others and particularly with their new realization of the sometimes confusing world. A bewildering incident gives this book its depth and delicacy.
First winner of the William Faulkner Foundation Award, as well as having received tremendous acclaim by newspapers, critics, and readers, this book is truly a classic."
Dave Cislo - Maumee
January 1970: "John Knowles's novel, A Separate Peace, is set in the scholastic atmosphere of a boys' school in New England, This peaceful atmosphere is often contrasted sharply against the frantic pace of the rest of the world, which is engaged in World War II.
The main character is Gene and the story is concerned with his relationship with his best friend, Phineas. Phineas is one of those rare people who seem to have no malice toward anybody. Gene develops a natural feeling of jealousy toward Phineas, although he keeps it hidden.
This hate, or, 'an ignorant spot in our hearts' as Gene puts it, is the theme of the novel. Everyone has this unreasonable fear or hatred within him, and when we meet a person who does not, we are jealous of him. War, fear, quarrels, and fights are some of the symptoms of this hate. At the end, Phineas dies and Gene is ready to enter the war. Gene states, 'I was ready for the war, now that I no longer had any hatred to contribute to it. Phineas had absorbed it and taken it with him.' I think that if we all got rid of this hate in us, then we would be ready, not for war, but for life."
All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque
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Kay Floyd - McAuley
Fall 1963: "I chose to write about this book because I consider it one of the best books I've ever read. Perhaps most of this opinion is based on the fact that it hits the emotions. It gives the reader an unusual amount of material to think about; I found that I didn't want to put the book down.
The setting would seem out-dated to the average teen-ager - that of a German soldier in World War I, However, the clever writing makes you forget the time and place as they are not important.
The plot is elementary, but the book has depth which fills in the gaps. Suddenly you realize that you know what the soldier means and what he is thinking about. The war slowly matures him and when you finish you feel very, very sorry for him and all people like him."
Sandra Morrow - Whitmer
"This story takes place during the first World War and is one of the most moving books I have ever read. It tries to explain the common soldier's attitudes and reactions of the war, and not merely the fighting.
A young boy tells of how life on the front, in the middle of the Great War changed him. When his company was first sent to the front, the men expected simply to rush in, attack, and win the war. Many weeks of living on half-empty stomachs in the cramped and unsanitary conditions of the trenches changed their opinions, though. It was hard to shut their eyes to the bloodshed, dismembering, and annihilation of their fellow men, but it was impossible to shut their minds to it.
Soon, the only goal of the soldier became to go back to life as it was. But once he returned home, he found there was no understanding between himself and his people any more. He found that all the fight had been taken out of him and that life no longer held any meaning. And he knew, too, that even though he had escaped its shells, he had been destroyed by the war.
What an excellent book for teens to read, for we have never lived through a war. In my opinion, I believe if every person would read this book and allow himself to be caught up in it, as I was; if everyone would feel and realize what these men went through, there would never be another war."
Sue St. John - Cardinal Stritch
"All Quiet on the Western Front, set in World War I is probably one of the greatest war novels ever written. The careful insight into nineteen-year-old Paul Baumer as he fights on the German Battlefront is realistic and hard-hitting. Paul may be a 'universal character' for his worries, ambitions, loves and hates are all indicative of soldiers fighting today.
Hardly men yet no longer boys, the book sets about the difficult task of describing their war; a term with many ugly and courageous connotations.
As one critic said: 'The greatest war book that has ever been written.' It is a book to read, to think about, and to understand."
Brave Men
by Ernie Pyle
Neal Thornberry - Anthony Wayne
"Brave Men, to say the least, is entertaining, exciting and very educational. Ernie Pyle, the author, was one of the best, if not the best, war correspondent during World War II. He risked his life time and again to get a first hand view of the battles. He worked long hours revising his notes on the battles and the strategy of numerous campaigns. From this labor came many books and newspaper articles about our boys and their deeds overseas.
One such book was Brave Men. This book and the other war stories that Pyle wrote have one thing in common; they are completely factual and realistic. Brave Men covers the war in Europe, The book begins with our invasions of Sicily, Italy, and then France. It also tells about the start of the march to Berlin. Pyle gives a great deal of the background and the planning that went into these campaigns; but, more important, he tells about the people who made these invasions possible.
The most interesting fact about the book is that Pyle shows us that the soldiers of World War II were not heroes, as a lot of people think, but simply average Americans who wanted to win the war so they could go home and live in peace again."
The Caine Mutiny
by Herman Wouk
Mike Toth - Clay
"Said William T. Sherman, 'It is only those who have neither fired a shot or have heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell!'
The Caine Mutiny is a sensitive action-filled war novel of the 1940's. The theme of this work centers around Willie Keith, a careless, good-humored Princeton boy, and the experiences that mold him into the grim and battered captain of the Caine. The story of his growing up includes his affair with May Wynn, his association with Captain Queeg, his court martial for mutiny, and his commission as commander of the Caine.
A master of pace, variety, and tone, Wouk never permits the reader to become 'bogged down' in the mass of words. The author is constantly changing the pace of the action, setting, tone, and mood. The reader is transported from the life of a New Yorker to the life of a midshipman. The scene in one chapter may be in 'Frisco' or 'Pearl.' Through the intermittent romantic chapters the pace is naturally very slow. During the many storm and battle scenes the speed is increased to the point where the reader has difficulty in comprehending all that happens. The tone begins in a carefree, good-humored manner and ends in a brazen dramatic way.
Amid the many strong main characters, the critical reviewer will find a weak character, Willie Keith. Although the development of this character is witnessed by all, there are a few sections where Willie reveals his weak foundations...
Lively characters, real action, and a strong plot form a strong background for a first-class novel that will hold the interest and that will bring enjoyment to all who read it."
Gary Crabb - Whitmer
"Suspense, excitement, peacefulness, forcefulness, calmness—these are just a few of the many moods the author tries to relay to you, the reader. This book is one of historical fiction and takes place during World War II. The main story centers on the USS Caine and the abominable Captain Queeg. When Queeg takes command you can sense the apprehension due to his peculiar behavior. Several incidents happen off and on and the questions pertaining to Queeg's capability continue to mount. The climax comes in the typhoon scene where Maryk, the executive officer, seizes command, after pressure from most of the junior officers. The dramatic court martial scene then takes the center of attention. After great debates and questioning, Maryk is found — well, if the outcome of the court martial were known it wouldn't be much of a story.
The main character of this story is Willie Keith because the events are all interwoven with his personality. Other characters include May Wynn, Keefer, Maryk and Greenwald.
This story is not an old-time mutiny, with flashing swords and men in chains, but rather a well-spun story involving many side stories and a deep, interwoven theme. It provides many hours of enjoyable and thoughtful reading."
Gone With the Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
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Kathy Collins - Maumee
"Gone with the Wind is the best novel ever written about the Civil War. Through the lives of the main characters - Rhett Butler, a rebel who made a fortune by blockade-running; Ashley Wilkes, a sensitive intellectual; Melanie Wilkes, his gentle wife, and Scarlett O'Hara, beautiful, wilful and selfish, Miss Mitchell relates the story of the hardships inflicted on the people of the South during and after the war.
Tara, her father's magnificent plantation in Georgia, is Scarlett's first home. Disappointed by her hopeless love for Ashley, she agrees to marry Ashley's cousin. Shortly after their marriage, he dies of pneumonia. Years of despair follow for Scarlett. Finally, she marries Rhett. However, she cannot be happy with him because of her love for Ashley. Scarlett finally discovers that her love for Ashley was never real and she really wants a life with Rhett. Returning home, she finds that she has lost him. With the spirit and courage of her people, Scarlett vows to build a better life for herself and perhaps some day find complete happiness with Rhett."
Louise Armstrong - Anthony Wayne
"Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell, is one of the most outstanding books ever written. Although the length of the book sometimes discourages readers, every page is filled with exciting reading.
The story takes place in the South during the Civil War. Scarlett O'Hara, beautiful, charming, and intelligent, devotes her life to saving the family estate, Tara. Her off and on romance with the handsome and ruthless Rhett Butler carries on throughout the story, and in the end (after Rhett leaves Scarlett) the reader is left with a feeling of hope with Scarlett's statement, 'There is always tomorrow.'"
Jan Patterson - Whitmer
"Even if you have seen the movie, Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece Gone with the Wind is a must.
Historically, it presents vividly the views of the Confederacy before, during, and after the Civil War. After reading it, one gets a more objective view of the war and Reconstruction.
The characters are realistic, from the dashing Rhett Butler to the understanding Mammy. The story centers around Scarlett O'Hara and shows the changes in her attitudes caused by the times. At one moment she was the belle of the Wilkes' party, and the next, with the news of the war's beginning, the entire way of life she had known was 'gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia.'
Although its length may seem formidable, the story is briskly paced and well written. The historical and literary merits of this novel will make Gone with the Wind a contemporary classic."
The Guns of Navarone
by Alistair MacLean
Thomas M. Connelly - St. John's
"The Guns of Navarone is a novel about five Allied soldiers with diverse personalities selected to perform the impossible task -- destroy the Guns of Navarone. Navarone was a Mediterranean Island heavily fortified by the Germans. Its massive guns protected a narrow strait. A fleet sent to rescue 5,000 stranded troops had to pass through the strait guarded by the guns. The guns must be silenced within six days.
Their attempt appears ill-fated from the start. The group is shipwrecked on Navarone and while climbing a cliff, the only unguarded entrance to the island, one member breaks his leg. The party is discovered at once, but Captain Mallory, the leader, eludes the German's search. A last-minute attempt to foil the plot by a Navaronian traitor fails and the mission is accomplished."
The Razor's Edge
by W. Somerset Maugham
Martha Poling - Maumee
"The Razor's Edge is a short, well-written novel in which the author describes a man's life as he is able to reconstruct it by means of his own meetings with this man and through the accounts of mutual acquaintances. Larry Darrel, the man whose life is thus observed, spends the first half of his life searching for answers to seemingly impossible questions. When he at last finds the answers he seeks, and a spiritual strength, he proposes to spend the remainder of his life trying to teach others the answers he has found. Besides describing Larry's growth, The Razor's Edge gives views of dedicated social climbers, despairing drunks, and those who managed to live somewhere between the two extremes."
The Red Badge of Courage
by Steven Crane
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- Read through Project Gutenberg
Bill Wolfe - Anthony Wayne
"This story takes place during the Civil War when it was not uncommon to see many young boys struggling to fulfill a man's job. It is centered around one young boy who leaves home to fight in the war. He is confronted with a problem that has been faced by all men during the time of war. When the opposing forces are about to clash, will he run or will he stay and fight the enemy? If a person is looking for excitement in reading, he will find it in The Red Badge of Courage."
Marlene Studer - Anthony Wayne
"The Red Badge of Courage certainly deserves an 'A' for excellence, at least it seems so to this reader-reviewer. It is Stephen Crane's greatest achievement and has the potentialities to be an all-time American literary classic. His writing is clear, concise and is not bogged down in clumsy sentimentality, but preserves exactly the right touch of emotion. Crane uses polished precision, skillful drama and has a clear insight into the terrors of war. He writes with imagination and does not fall back on time-worn cliches. Instead, Stephen Crane appeals to the heart and conscience of the reader by deftly making his warmth and ingenuity as a writer shine through on every page. Every person impressed with the glories of war should read this novel and reflect."