Herman Wouk Books

I've read this book at least 'more than' 15 times. I don't
know where I got it, as a birthday gift, I believe, but wherever,
I took to it as I have to few books in my life. I was unathletic
as a kid, though not as smart as the fictional Herbie, so that
helps. The book is dated, though not in a bad way, one can say
it just increased its attractiveness as a historic reference. Hard to
say how much Mr. Wouk is recalling his own childhood, but one can tell
he loves the characters, and it shows.

This is one of Herman Wouk's first books, if not his first. It is a wonderful story of a young man's growth in New York City. A perfect book for readers looking to introduce themselves to the novel; easy to read; a story of young love and of facing the universal emotional problems of youth.

This book reminded me quite a bit of the trite wisdom and stereotypes we see so often portrayed on modern family sitcoms and in fortune cookies...bullies never win, bad people always get whats coming to them, a kid who is smart enough can outsmart a whole group of teachers, love conquers all embarrassment and humiliation, rich girls are fickle snobs, the smartest kids are fat and/or ugly, and the best athletes never do well in school (and many, many more). None of which is true in the real world.

Yet, in this book, these very traits are exaggerated JUST enough to very colorfully and accurately display the vivid emotions of 11 year old Herbie just coming of age in 1920s New York, which makes the whole story a very entertaining read. What appeals most is Herbie's highly developed imagination, which brings him great trouble in his passion for Lucille, the horribly obnoxious girl who as soon snobbishly deserts him when he shows the slightest flaw as fawns over him when he shows outwardly just how wonderful his inner qualities can be.

But the same imagination also brings him great reward, leading him on a life-changing adventure with is average cousin Cliff, the final result of which wins the admiration not only of Lucille but of the entire summer camp (save for bully Lennie who has to wear a nurses dress and the unscrupulous smarmy camp owner/school principal Mr. Gauss). And, upon his return home from camp, an important moral lesson from his father.

Interspersed with this are hilarious moments, most especially with Clever Sam the perverse horse and the whole "Camper's Day" scenario.

A read I highly recommend!

At a loss for something to read, I picked this book at random - and then read it in three days flat! So nearly one of the best books I have read, it's full of true-to-life characters, plenty of touching moments and a lot of laugh-out-loud ones too.

The main character is obviously Herbie Bookbinder, an eleven year old growing up in the Bronx in the early 20th century. He is a fat but very intelligent boy, so intelligent he skips a year in school. However his main flaw in the book is that he falls hopelessly in love with a girl, Lucille Glass, a love so intense that he is led to do some truly extraordinary things. The intensely passionate feelings he has for this girl are to me what makes the character of Herbie so real.

The main event of the book is Herbie, his cousin Cliff, his arch-enemy Lennie and Lucille (among others) going to a summer camp, Camp Manitou. This turns out to be a fairly prison-like establishment, but dissent is kept to a minimum by shrewd calculation on the part of the camp owner, Mr. Gauss.

With Mr. Gauss, Herman Wouk has made into a person all those unpleasant characteristics we encounter in everyday life - greed, cunning, false charm and many more. He feeds the children ice cream on the first night, to dull their unhappiness at the dismal nature of the camp, and when the camp is defeated at games with another camp, Mr. Gauss manages, somehow, to inculcate a feeling that in fact Manitou won a great victory. As the final outrage Mr. Gauss effectively steals money from the naive Herbie.

The climax of the book comes with the confession of Herbie stealing from his father. It is very noticeable that the book gets a lot more serious towards the end, but it is never overly serious, and the warmth of it still shines through.

There are a lot of extremely funny moments, mostly involving a horse by the name of Clever Sam, and Wouk's dry humour at these points really had me laughing out loud.

The only thing that spoiled the book for me was the very end. Here it seems that Herbie and Lucille are finally going to realise their love for each other and perhaps share a truly romantic moment which has eluded them for so long - but instead the book ends with an extremely ambiguous encounter with an older boy whom Lucille seems to like. Even though this ending was obviously meant to be ambiguous in this way, I found it unsatisfying given all that Herbie and Lucille have gone through before. I really wanted to know for sure if they would ever get together.

Still, if anything this shows what real and sympathetic characters Wouk has created, and this small point did not seriously affect my view of the book as a whole. It is a thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing read, and I would recommend it to absolutely anyone!

Set in the Bronx in 1928, this Herman Wouk novel (his second) is all about Herbie Bookbinder and his experiences growing up during that time period. The scenes are warm and humorous, and move from one to another like the episodes in a good situation comedy. Two of my favorite funny scenes from the many to choose from are when Herbie and his friends are trying to get home on the subway and they don't have the nickel to ride, sneak on, get caught, and promise to send the nickel to the subway authority the next day (which they do); and the school play about the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, which has too many hilarious components to summarize. The writing is light and breezy, yet very assured, and Wouk keeps himself out of it so it doesn't come across as nostalgia in the form of a novel. It's an interesting book about growing up and childhood experiences, and deserves a place on the shelf next to TOM SAWYER and the stories of Jean Shepard.

Maybe to that limited set of writers who thinak they are the Homers of today.

But a great american novel would be read by many people with differing levels of appreciation and determined to refelct the CURRENT and essence of America (oh what about south america) not just the mythical past.

THe words may flow as a poem, and cover or expound cleary or lyrically the points of life in this country but that alone does not make it a great story. Or a timeless one.

In preface to my review, I have to say that my favorite writers are Thomas Wolfe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Hermann Hesse, Heinrich Boll, Arthur Rimbaud, etc.
Many of the reviews here have bandied about the name of Thomas Wolfe (whose "Look Homeward, Angel" was brilliant); and the comparison is richly deserved; but the most insightful comparison came from the person who said it reminded him of an American version of Tolstoy's "War and Peace".
I've actually read "War and Peace". Lockridge's "Raintree County" rises to that level--and, in my estimation--surpasses it. I love the Russians--Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev. And I love Walt Whitman and Ross Lockridge for the same reason. They all have what the Spanish call "duende," what the American blacks clamor to express by the word "soul". These aren't weak, spineless, effete Victorians afraid of beauty, passion, shame and awkward emotions.
They cast light into the dark corners of the human soul and throw open man's collective experience for all to see--something rarely achieved in typically dryer Anglo-Saxon literature.
Ross Lockridge's "Raintree County" astounded me. It left me wondering how this great American genius has been ignored, neglected. The only thing I can think of is that Lockridge makes the fatal mistake of being honest, of writing too accurately about the time-period, of not lying and indulging in historical revisionism. As a result, spineless readers wince when the "N" word is used, or terms like "pickannies," "darkies" or various other period vulgarities are employed by despised side-characters.
For this reason geniuses like Booth Tarkington are banned and suppressed.
It's sad. They want to revise the past and make it "acceptable" for modern audiences. But if you sanitize, you gut, you neuter, you destroy the hard edges which give the time-period texture, verisimilitude. (I mean, if slaves were well-treated why did we fight the Civil War?) But modern hacks would have writers keep all profanities out of it, re-write it so that nothing crude or insensitive made its way in.
If you want lies, watch a Hollywood movie, read a trash novel; if you want genius, poetry, brilliant insights and literary talent, give "Raintree County" a try. Maybe, with enough of us protesting, the prude schoolmarms with tenure at universities will be nudged from their slumber and realize that they have neglected one of the titanic achievements of modern American literature.

Raintree County is the anatomy of a fall from Paradise-with all the Edenic metaphors placed in a fictional county in Indiana-and the process by which it is regained. The structure and scope of the book are extraordinary, a system of telling and suspension that turns one day into a hundred years, all hinged upon the American Civil War (and the allegorical death of the principal character). Like another great contemporary American novel, All The King's Men, Raintree County was built upon the wreckage of a failed epic prose poem. Also, like Robert Penn Warren's glittering classic, Ross Lockridge's best-selling masterpiece deals with a gifted primary character caught up in the vortex of human history (though Penn Warren was more interested in the problem of power than he was in the cataloging of the life of Huey Long).

Raintree County should be a standard of 20th Century American literature. It is perhaps the greatest novel ever written. I'm mystified as to why it doesn't make Random House's Top 100 Novels List. I think in all honesty that Raintree County is too straightforward, too compassionate, too wise, too loving, too optimistic, too gently humorous, and too accessible to please the moldy and myopic listmakers. Really "great" books, as everyone knows, are dry game puzzles, smug literary fogs, brutal crayon travelogues, or ancient misanthropic sphinxes that museum directors and tenured professors of the academies alike can dust off occasionally without fear of ever having to update their pamphlets.

The texture style and meter of this work is astoundingly lyrical yet clear. To wit: "The world is still full of divinity and strangeness, Mr. Shawnessy said. The scientist stops, where all men do, at the doors of birth and death. He knows no more than you and I why a seed remembers the oak of twenty million years ago, why dust acquires the form of a woman, why we behold the earth in space and time. He hasn't yet solved the secret of a single name upon the earth. We may pluck the nymph from the river, but we won't pluck the river from ourselves: this coiled divinity is still all murmurous and strange. There are sacred places everywhere. The world is still man's druid grove, where he wanders hunting for the Tree of Life."

As long as I have a mind, I won't forget this profound and wonderful book or the characters who inhabit it: Perfessor Stiles with his pince-nez and Malacca cane, the cigar-chewing bighearted phony senator from Indiana, Garwood Jones, sweet Nell Gaither, the dark lost and deranged Susannah Drake. Carefully researched (it took seven years to write), it is also an excellent freshener on historical events of the nineteenth century, especially the Civil War. Contained within, for all you philosophiles, is the added bonus of cogent and detailed arguments for free will over predetermination, the triumph of spirit over matter, a solution to the riddle of the Many and the One, an explanation of the Word, and many more.

Born four years before J.D. Salinger, who still breathes at this writing, Ross Lockridge Jr. ended his life by carbon monoxide poisoning March 6th, 1948, two months after the publication of his one and only novel. He was thirty-three. He left behind a wife and four children. His second son, Larry, five years old at the time of his father's death, has written a book (Shade of the Raintree) attempting to explain what he calls "the greatest single mystery in American letters." He largely blames success in combination with a "biological (possibly genetic) predisposition to depression" along with "suicide-personality disorder (narcissistic)." It's easy to see why a John Kennedy O'Toole battering his manuscript (Confederacy of Dunces) against the unbreachable ramparts of Harcourt Brace and Get Lost, might do himself in (and then of course win a Pulitzer). But to receive a Harvard scholarship, publish an immediately successfully and lavishly acclaimed book which wins several major prizes including an MGM contract, and then to take your life as a proclaimed lover of life and a protector of four children, is a riddle beyond the ken of my meager imagination.

You may have once wandered through an art gallery and
while walking between images both beautiful and banal
happened upon a painting unlike few you have ever seen before.
It was found placed in a more remote part of the exhibit
and poorly lit thus causing you to give it a brief glimpse.
At first glance, the quaint simplicity caused you to smile yet upon
a second look you noticed the unmistakable quality, the rich
shadings, the subtleties, the emotion upon the faces of the characters,
and within a short time you realized that the artist had captured the
very essence of humanity. Shades of life both light and dark and all
the hues in between, this is what Ross Lockridge has placed upon his canvass for
posterity. This is Raintree County.

Raintree County; a mythical place, a gentle and beautiful tale of an
age and culture that has long since been harrowed under and paved over.
A verdant and pastoral county whose heart is found at the crossroads of
two dirt roads, whose inhabitants are poised at the intersection between a young
and thriving republic and greatest wrong every allowed to fester within
its expanding frontiers. The sunny days of community existence intertwined
with the political complexities surrounding the greatest rift ever to divide a
nation. A portrait of the land and its people in the midst of life and the
trials and tribulations of life's inescapable vicissitudes.

Within the covers of this book are found the joys of love upon the banks of
a river, the excitement and pride of a community during the celebration of
Independence day, the pungent smells and prolific yet depraved lifestyle during
the last days of antebellum New Orleans, and the songs of the slaves in their
agony, joy, and uncertainty. An epic, a day in the life of a ordinary man and
how he came full circle-if that is indeed possible. A reminder of the nation and
her people who were deeply shattered by the violence of a Civil War.

Within the prose are whispers of Plato, Poe, and Shakespeare. Characters
of well developed intellect and humor coexist amid the turgid and the
unlearned. At its core is love, insanity, birth, death, family, war,
and a river that courses through the county to both nourish the smiles and
drain the bitterness. Indeed perhaps the "Great American Classic," and a
sadly overlooked book. Lockridge is of the same ilk as Wolfe, Faulkner,
and Emerson. It has been said that each of us contains a book. To have this
as your only book is a majestic feat. Raintree County can be analyzed at many
philosophical levels and I am sure subsequent readings will reveal a multitude
of lessons. To me, my first time just staying at the surface brought me
the great joy that a masterfully written novel must impart.

I have positioned this book as "The" Great American novel - in reccomending it to a dozen friends. Only one has disagreed. Nuff said.

Many years ago, I read Winds of War and War and Remembrance. I enjoyed them very much, but for whatever reason, never pursued other Wouk works. After having read Youngblood Hawke, I will certainly remedy that mistake.

Youngblood Hawke is an outstanding period piece which weaves together many of the historical events of the 50s against the backdrop of the publishing and Hollywood entertainment industries. Hawke, from the small town coal country of Eastern Kentucky, rises from complete obscurity to the pinnacle of success in his field. Despite this success, Hawke is always on the razor's edge, financially, emotionally, physically and professionally. Numerous highly entertaining plot lines involving his business associates, his love interests and his family inject suspense and keep the story freash and moving in the right direction.

Two particular story lines were of particular interest to me; the Congressional hearings involving Communism in the entertainment industry and the confiscatory income tax policy prevalent during the period. Both were very effectively presented as major impediments to the artistic endeavors of Hawke and his literary compatriots. The gymnastics and gyrations undertaken by Hawke to avoid what was then a top tax rate of 90% provide some of the most interesting material in the novel.

All in all, an extremely entertaining and thought provoking novel. I highly recommend it.

After reading The Hope, The Glory and The Caine Mutiny, I was ready to be entertained. However, the extent of enjoyment I would receive from Youngblood Hawke was underestimated. Wouk's unique storytelling draws you into the book as if you are with Hawke when he is writing, visiting his hometown, wooing his women, or absorbing the glitter of Hollywood and New York. I was dreading the last page, I just didn't want the tale of this colorful writer to end. When I did close the book, I felt I was saying farewell to Hawke and his many close acquaintances. I knew them well - what they wore, how they talked and how they felt. Wouk is magnificent.

I read years ago Herman Wouk's Winds of War and War and Remembrance. I just loved those books. I came upon Youngbood Hawke by accident and thought I would give the big book a try. I wish the book were longer.

If you love to read, if you love the era of early 20th century America, if you love a great story, if you love intricate character development, New York and Hollywood this is the book for you.

This book is up there with Ayn Rand and Dorothy Sayers.

Having seen two screen adaptations of Wouk's novels,("Caine Mutiny"/"Youngblood Hawke") before reading him, I come to a review with mixed feelings. This is no Gatsby, but does rival "Peyton Place" in its graphic depiction of the Puritanical 50's. If you can imagine James Franciscus as Hawke,you will realize how far off Hollywood was in its early 60's treatment of this fine textbook to those who labor in the craft of writing. In my view, Hawke comes close to being a combination of Wolfe and Norman Mailer. Although not a masterpiece to me, it is valuable as a bible for aspiring writers. The warnings are there: the hangers-on, the barracudas and the crazies circle to swallow you whole. The proper attitude is to labor for the love of writing, the rest can follow.He had the talent, the courage and the stamina to produce enduring work. And against all odds, he achieved his dream. Like Wouk (or Hawke), they both spent considerable time with the classic novelists, before attempting to rise.As we've seen in the publishing empire recently, editors have thrown out guidelines, to anticipate the next "find." Next to the biography of "Max Perkins," I would place this book as most inspiring for writers.It slows in just a few places unnecessarily reaching for another foreign scrape that perhaps a Fitzgerald would have fallen into.Engrossing, informative and entertaining for the most part.

"Masterpiece" is not a word I use lightly. In fact, when it comes to literature, I reserve it for no more than four or five novels. YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE definitely belongs in the category of masterpieces---a masterpiece of writing by Wouk, a masterpiece of depicting the rise and fall of a country bumpkin who achieves the height of literary success in New York City, a masterpiece of secondary character development, a masterpiece of depicting America's artistic circle in the mid-twentieth century.

Arthur Youngblood Hawke hails from a small coal-mining town in Kentucky. Not content to become a part of the local industry, he recognizes his natural talent as a story-teller and, armed only with his boxes of typed manuscript, walks into a publishing house in New York City in 1946. From there the story follows his life as a writer and as a man who loves two women and is desired by three. If you are a writer or a person who likes to read about the writing experience, this book offers, like none other I have ever read, a searing picture of the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to become a writer and remain true to your craft. Wouk does not paint a pretty picture, but he does paint a realistic one. Youngblood Hawke sees his novels adapted to movies and Broadway plays, and the reader becomes privy to the inner workings of Hollywood agents and brokers.

This is also a love story---a story of a young man's adulterous fascination with a queen of New York society, his relationship with the husky-voiced editor he loves but can never possess, his love for his mother that never falters even when she is driving him to distraction with her real estate schemes.

And tying all this together is Herman Wouk writing at the top of his form, creating characters that make us love them, anguish with them, cry with them, and never forget them. In fact, the last 100 pages are perhaps the most riveting and heart-breaking I have ever read. This is truly a magnificent work of epic proportions, a work which some say is loosely based on the life of heralded writer Thomas Wolfe. Whether this is true or not, the one truth I took from this work came from the character of Jeanne Green when she says, ". . . there will never be another Youngblood Hawke,"

A formidable book, written for everyone, from the pious Chassidim who seems to know all about Judaism to the secular Wall Street Jewish Banker who is far from his faith but feels every now and then the sweet but stern internal calling of his demanding heritage

The best chapters,in my opinion, are related to the experiences related to the secular Jewish people when they got involved in the Jewish religious rituals at the synagogue or at home during childhood, "one feels like he is telling ones own experiences when he was a Jewish kid, so unexplained and uneasy situations at that time become hilarious

Generally speaking, Wouk, who is observant, tried to be very open avoiding dogma and intended to convey to the Jewish reader the precious value of his 4000 years heritage and a way to learn how to feel proud about it.

Wouk did not forget the non-Jewish reader either, he wrote this book with simple concepts and language so anyone interested about Judaism can get a good basic introduction through these pages

Herman Wouk blends Jewish history, Jewish practice, and personal experience in a wonderful tour for Judaism, appropriate for nonJews, Jews, and even those who think they know it all.

While his discussions of Shabbat, Hanukah, and other observances are fine reading, Wouk reaches his peak when discussing his own and his family's experiences--his grandfather, whom he obviously admired a great deal, his father, who spent an immense sum of money (for the times) to buy the honor of reading the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur afternoon. Wonderful images of a time in Judaism gone by.

I do not find it limiting that Wouk writes from an Orthodox perspective (he assumes, for example, that only a man would wear a tallit, which is the Orthodox practice, but not the Conservative). Wouk was what he was, and I do not think he should have modified his book to an egalitarian perspective to satisfy the wolves of political correctness.

Well worth an annual read and a place on your shelf.

Wouk, Herman. "This is My G-d: The Jewish Way of Life", Little Brown and Company, 1959. 1988.

How I Live

Amos Lassen

Here in Arkansas, especially from my gay friends, I contstantly get questions about my being Jewish. After a few moments of discussion, I usually refer people to Herman Wouk's "This is My G-d" which, even though is not new, explains basically everything Jewish in the easiest way. The book goes with me wherever I go. I keep a copy in my office at the university, a copy in my study and one in my suitcase. Anyone who wants to know what Orthodox Judaism means to a well informed and intelligent Jew but who is an American (by birth) as well, can find out what he wants to know in this book. Written in terms that are easy to understand, the book stands alone in being a guide to the Jewish religion. Herman Wouk is a wonderful person to consult on matters Jewish. He writes with humility and wisdom and his explanations are clear and concise.
There is a lot of literature on the Jewish religion available and new books on seem to be published almost daily. Wouk gives us a brief history of the Jewish people and an excellent discussion on the meaning of G-d. He explains who we are and how we have survived and carefully looks at the importance of symbols in the religion.
In part two of the book, Wouk approaches issues of faith and sows how it is impossible to study all of it. Looking at the holiday calendar, he is able to equate the observance with the nature of the Jewish mind and explains in detail what the synagogue is and what purpose it has. Looking at the dietary laws and explaining how orthodox Jews observe them is an experience that I have not found in other books. Wouk manages to bring the laws to a level of understanding that explains and codifies them. He also speaks of clothing and shelter which I found especially interesting as most do not realize that there is a certain way that Jews look at them.
Wouk takes us through the life cycle--from circumcision to Bar Mitzvah to death and explains issues of love and marriage. Looking at law, Wouk explains the differences between Torah, Talmud, common law and modern theory. Finally he looks at the state of Judaism in the present and evaluates the various schisms in modern Judaism.
The newer edition contains an epilogue which deals with Israel and the question of Jewish survival. For a novice this is a place to begin and for others it is a book to consult. Surely a religion that has lasted thousands of years cannot be written about in just 300 something pages but I tell you, it has been a great help to me in both understanding myself and explaining Judaism to others.

This work is a wonderful introduction to and survey of Orthodox Judaism. This book stands out from the pack of other works on the same topic in that This Is My God was written by a master novelist (Wouk gave us Winds of War, War and Remembrance, The Caine Mutiny, et al). Herman Wouk is passionate and candid in what he writes here.

The tone is conversational, unconfrontational and uncondescending. Although packed with factual information, Wouk keeps it personal and interesting by moving back and forth between the mechanics of Orthodox Judaism, and his own personal experience - especially his formative years under the hand of his beloved, learned and pious grandfather. Considering the scope, it is brief, by the author's own admission.

Wouk explains the basic approaches marking Orthodox, and to a lesser extent Conservative and Reform, Judaism. He discusses the practice . . . dietary laws, tallit, the Sabbath, the Feasts, etc. He sketches history and historical figures (I especially appreciated his sorting out of the great sages and each of their places in Judaical history). He describes the source texts - Torah and Talmud. Also, Wouk easily could have - but did not - bury the reader with Hebrew phraseology.

This book is unique and well worth the time for an interested truth seeker of ANY faith to invest. I could continue with the praises of this work, but I would just be repeating what other reviewers have already written.

I will add a couple of critical comments. This book, published in 1959 (written while the State of Israel was only 10 years old, how remarkable!), has become a bit dated. (Obviously no fault of Wouk's here). Orthodox Judaism has evolved increasingly into what people call "Ultra-Orthodox" and has become largely identified with Hasidic dress and practices. In today's world an observant Orthodox author, out of reverence, may well have refrained from penning the title "God", preferring rather "G_d" (interesting since the diety's personal Name is not actually God . . . a gentile word having rather pagan roots). Orthodox vs Conservative vs Reform have all changed a bit over the years. I was disappointed that Wouk did not even mention the phenomenon of Messianic Judaism, which has grown greatly since the book was authored. Wouk also more or less wrote off the Karaites as an extinct sect . . . but that movement has also grown greatly since the book was authored. But of course Wouk's passion is Orthodoxy, and my point is that there has been much change even in the brief historical period since 1959. This is a minor criticism and hardly detracts from the value of the book.


Secondly, although I was drawn to this book by its enticing title, it would have been more accurately titled, "This Is My Religion". Orthodox Judaism wholly embraces the the Talmud. Unlike the Torah, the Talmud is arguably the work of great men, but not necessarily of God. There is wide and heated disagreement on this point. But in Wouk's book, any insight as to the nature of God will have to be inferred from the general discussion.

But again, any truth-seeker, and especially followers of the God of Israel, should have this information. An observant and learned Orthodox Jew will likely find no new information here, but may enjoy Wouk's personal perspectives.

A heartfelt and personal discussion of Judaism. Herman Wouk is the master of the historical novel. His guidebook to Judaism is written with love and respect.

Herman Wouk is an exceptional writer and this book lives up to all the others. I feel like I know the characters and I've gained a much better understanding of Jewish life in America.

Fascinating, funny, romantic, wise... This is a stunning exploration of the American Jewish experience - the heartfelt tale of every immigrant torn between the culture of his forefathers and the glorious temptations of a new land's dream. - A grand piece of storytelling-Boston Globe. Rich and compelling-The New York Times. Laugh until your side aches...Wipe away a tear...-Pittsburgh Press

There's no such thing as a bad book by Herman Wouk, and the breadth of his writing is almost as vast as the depth. To think that one man wrote MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, THE CAINE MUTINY, THIS IS MY GOD, THE WINDS OF WAR, WAR & REMEMBRANCE, DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL plus a half dozen others simply boggles the imagination.

Along with DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL, Wouk's funniest book, INSIDE, OUTSIDE is an easier read than most of the other topics he has tackled. Set in a recent decade, the title refers to the fact that in Jewish families, some people use one name at home, their Hebrew, "inside" name and the Anglicized version of that same name out in the big world. Along with the name chosen go two different and distinctive aspects of their personalities.

It seemed clear on reading INSIDE, OUTSIDE that the hero's sister, Lee, is the all-grown up version of Marjorie Morningstar. This is not Herman Wouk's most important book, far from it, but it is one of his easiest works to read. The story he has told, as always, is an interesting one. There is no such thing as a bad book when Mr. Wouk is the author.

Took this book with me on a cruise and couldn't put it down. Wouk's writing so fabulous I am now reading all of his book, some a second time.

He is a masterful writer and creates characters that come alive and stay with you.Inside, Outside: A Novel

"Inside, Outside" comes as close to being an outright autobiography as Wouk is likely to write."

"Wouk demonstrates his ability to write with compassion about people both literary and historical, real and imaginary."

Wouk's 1985 saga is a social comedy of Jewish-American life reaching from New York to Jerusalem and spanning much of the 20th century.

This is one of my favorite books. It takes you into the heart and soul of a son of Israel. Yoni has become one of my favorite people in history because of this book. It can be hard to read at times, like when he says to Bibi about why he lives in Israel and not in the US. He talks about explaining to his children... Yoni didn't have a child who survived him. That's sad. He brings you into his world, his life, his joys and his sorrows. He was a very competent soldier, who did what was necessary for Israel, but when you read these letters, you find out WHY he did what he did. Israel lost a leader that day on July 4 1976, and he is sorely missed today. This is what the book of letters has shown me.

I picked up The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu at Ben Gurion on my way back to the states without any expectations (after all, how good can a book picked up at the airport be?)...and I was completely blown away - this is the most powerful book that I have ever read. In an age of anti-heroes and villians, where it is so easy to find moral failure in people and literature - Jonathan shines through as a star among a multitude of gray, flabby inertia. His well thought-out convictions followed by the courage to act on them to the end, despite the sacrifice that they entailed, are a standard that one should strive for. "I do not attribute value to a life without meaning," he said at 17, simply and perceptively - something that is so rare to see in people at any age, where almost everyone I know there tithers from job to job with no purpose other than the accumulation of material wealth (which inevitably doesn't make them any happier).

I think I will need a great passage of time and multiple reads before I can fully sort out my thoughts on this book. Everything from the Wars of the Jews (which are still as bitter and short-sighted as he talks about) to his contrast of the U.S. and Israel, to the quality of the people serving in the IDF, to what brings happiness and contentment to ones life, all ring true to me.

I know that there is more to say - a lot more - but I'm going to let this review stand on its own for now.

"The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu" is a very moving account of a young teen as he moves towards adulthood. His own words portray a life filled with duty, honor, and service to his people and his country. At the expense of his education, his marriage, and later his own life, Yoni shows by example what it means to sacrifice for a cause worth dying for. In today's American society, where young liberals question the intelligence and sanity of their friends who have enlisted in the War on Terror, I think this book should be required reading.
My heart goes out to his parents, brothers, and the people of Israel. As is obvious from these letters, they lost one of the best and brightest of his generation.

The people of Israel lost a great potential leader when Yoni Netanyahu was killed while leading the rescue operation at Entebbe.
These letters are the letters of a soldier. But they are more than that. They are the letters of a dedicated idealist, a fighter for his people who shows an unusual maturity and wisdom for his young years. They are the letters of a person of integrity whose struggle in life, and through a difficult Army service is not easy. He is a true patriot and a devoted son to his family .His understanding of the complexity of the war Israel is in is second to none.
He impresses as being in his intelligence, and in his quiet strength precisely the kind of leader Israel needs.
His death made him a legend , and his name a symbol of what is best in the struggle of Israel for its existence. But what a loss when one thinks of how much this remarkable person gave, and could have given to his society and world.

I was recently introduced to this work by a friend who took a curious interest in my decision to leave a career in securities and investments for a position with the humanitarian arm of the military. More than any military or political aspects of the book, I was profoundly impressed with the maturity, strength, and convictions of Mr. Netanyahu as an individual. His wisdom and fortitude and pride for his country are outweighed only by the depth of love for his family. What a fresh perspective juxtaposed with the persona of contemporary Western adolescents!

This book gives the reader a great insight into life in the Israeli army from the inside. Johnathon Netanyahu is a real hero, not a plastic hollywood screen actor. A man of great intelligence (top 1% at Harvard), Johnathon faces not only life and death through his exploits in the Israeli army, but also life's day to day problems we all face.

A man cut down in his prime doing what he kows best, saving others was his mission in life. He questioned what he was doing, what Israel was doing, and what the future would bring.

Johnathon unwittingly wrote this book - not knowing that his personal letters would become the basis for this book.

I read this book over 5 years ago, and it is testament to the power Johnathon held that I can still recall these things from memory.

Top notch. Get it and you won't be able to put it down.

"...I don't think he wore his rank insignia...word spread our commanding officer had arrived...I don't remember what he said, but I remember the spirit...He was not merely a commanding officer but an educator-a great educator I believe".

My favorite accounts of his bravery under fire are the ones listed in the last chapter "From the Yom Kippur War to operation Jonathan (1973-1976)".

Another soldier recalled the first contact with the enemy on the Golan Heights in October 1973 on Yom Kippur:

"We were standing on the road looking for the enemy when suddenly heavy fire was opened on us, killing one of our officers...I was very frightened. What I saw then was a picture I'll remember all my life: suddenly I saw Yoni stand up quite calmly, as if nothing had happened...he signaled to the men to get up...he began to go forward as if it were a firing exercise...he walked upright giving orders...I remember my thoughts then as his soldier: Hell, if he can do it, so can I!"

I love this account given by his second-in-command in 1973 and his deputy at Entebbe airport in Uganda:

"Yoni conducted a battle the likes of which I've not come across even in the books...the Syrians were firing at us...I shouted to Yoni to cover us...but before I could move, Yoni had taken his men and in a matter of seconds stormed the place...And the picture I always remember is that of Yoni running ahead of 8 men and destroying the enemy force...This was a classic example of leadership under fire with relatively small losses."

Reading this for me was a real treat, stumbled upon this reading an Amazon friend's review. Would like for my nephews to read this. His life and attitude are truly inspirational, a great role model for youth. Hard to imagine in America the kinds of hardships and true tests of courage that daily meet these young men in Israel.

Not all of his letters are about fighting. The letters reveal the life and thoughts of an outstanding Israeli boy from his teen years up to the last few days of his life 30 years ago (+7 days to be exact).

I was laughing out loud in the car with family when I read what he wrote to his fiancee before the outbreak of the 6 day war in 1967. Israeli soldiers it seems like to tell jokes before the campfire to calm nerves. The joke goes like this:

"An Englishman, an American and an Israeli were caught by a tribe of cannibals in Africa. When they were already in the pot, each of them was allowed a last wish. The Englishman asked for a whiskey and pipe and got it. The American, for a steak, and got it. The Israeli asked the chief for a good kick in the backside. At first the chief refused, but...finally did it. At once the Israeli pulled out a gun and shot all the cannibals...(they) asked him..."why didn't you kill them sooner?" "Are you crazy," answered the Israeli, "and have the U.N. call me an aggressor?"!

He evidently wrote very little about his military activities as I've heard the wisest soldiers do. You simply don't say a word. And under such intense pressure day by day, an intense faith is surely required.

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion...He shall set me upon a rock. Psalm of David 27:5

I first read this collection of letters when I was 18 years old and was totally entranced by Yoni's style, the imagery he evoked, and his sense of connection with the vast memory of the Jewish people--all in translation from Hebrew to English, with little or none of the literary impact lost. He wrote of the beauty and wonder of Israel, of the day-to-day struggle to defend his country, and of his own hopes and doubts and dreams, and he did so in a way that binds you to him. He loves Israel intensely, believes passionately in the idea of Israel, yet he is also keenly aware of Israel's challenges, not only from outside but from within. Yoni befriends you and becomes part of you in these letters. In the past several years, I finally made it to Israel and volunteered with the Israel Defense Force and brought "Self-Portrait" with me, walking the same streets, climbing the same hills, even helping out at one of the bases where Yoni was stationed. From experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to you, for it is real and it is moving and it will help you to comprehend the wonder of Israel.

One plausible reason for the serious level of Jew-hatred in anti-
Israel Arab countries(see for example,Palestinianmediawatch.com),is because if some of their
troops were aware of who they were messing with,they would think at least twice about fighting the Jewish army and there can be no more powerful document of the Israeli army they are fighting-rather than the Israeli army,they've demonized than 'Self-Portrait'. Yoni's letters to his family-from 1963-1976-he wrote his last one in the book to his girlfriend on June 29,five days before the July Fourth Entebbe raid which he led -and for which he died at 30- the only Israeli military victim.General Shlomo Gazit had this to say following the Entebbe operation(p.297-298)"...The IDF operation at Entebbe was a brilliant military victory,reflecting imagination,daring,courage and professional skill of the highest quality anywhere in the world.The success of the main objective-storming the terminal building,wiping out the captors and guards and speedily liberating the hostages so that nearly all of them remained unharmed-this success must be credited in decisive measure to the commander of the force who planned,prepared and rehearsed the breakthrough-that is ,to the credit of Yoni.Perhaps it may be said paradoxically that precisely the success of the operation after Yoni was hit and did not live to see its extraordinary conclusion testifies,more than anything else,to the extent to which he prepared the force for its mission,to its precise and meticulous execution,so that it could be completed flawlessly even without its commander..It is of course, difficult to know how Yoni would have continued and what height he would have reached in whatever course he would have followed-military or academic.But whatever that course might have been,we have all lost one of the most wonderful,promising and outstanding young men of Israel."

having read this book many times over and will continue to read it again and again and discovering more & more about a national hero

Yes, "War and Remembrance" is a continuation of "Winds Of War". It continues the Henry family story through Aaron and Natalie's problems as Jews trapped in Europe, Byron's service in the Pacific in submarines, Madeline's work in show business, and Pug's difficulties with his marriage to Rhoda (I won't give the story away, but Pamela Tudsbury continues to figure in that part). Now I wish that the publishers would release both books in e book format (along with "The Caine Mutiny"). My copies of all three books are falling apart.

I am 21 years old and one of my favourite hobbies is study history. World War 2 is one of my favourite topics and Winds of War was a great book that make me live the war as if I was there. I also enjoy reading, and this book has been the best I ever read. Perhaps, beacause of my fascination with WW2. I do have a question. I haven't read yet War and Remembrance and I want to know if this book is the actual second part of The Winds of War. I mean, do we still find the Henry family?

Please send responses to powell@wordscapes.co

Being a 9th grade honors student, I was interested in expanding my knowledge of the world while also adding a few more famous books to my list. After asking my parents, I found that we had the books somewhere in our house, it turned out that we had two copies of War and Rememberance, and zero of Winds of War. So, not willing to give up my search, I borrowed the first from the Seattle public library, as our skimpy Redmond library failed to produce it. at first the almost 900 pages scared me but they flew by, and my requirement of 1000 pgs a semester at school began to look pitiful. I have to say that there were a few words I didn't know in the book, but it was a pleasure to find that many of the millions of vocab words from my LA class are actually used in literature. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, whether they know anything about WW2 or not. I learned more from it than i could have from reading a textbook on WW2, simply because it didn't put me to sleep. Sarah Coffin

Redmond, Wa.

It is great to see WINDS and W&R offered as one work. Although Wouk correctly informs his readers that they can be read as separate works, these are actually two parts of one work and should be thought of as such. Nothing Herman Wouk has done before or since this work was finished can equal it. This is a work of Homerian proportion. It will last for centuries as a chronicle of the seminal event of the 20th century. Wouk weaves his tale with as much historical accuracy as possible and successfully develops characters that the reader comes to care deeply about. His creation of Gen. Armin von Roon to elaborate the German view of WWII is a master stroke. He mixes the real life protaganists with his fictional characters in a totally unobtrusive manner. In short, it is a work that is at once compelling, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that he ties things together in the last twenty or so pages somewhat too quickly and a tad haphazardly, as if someone had told him the work was already long enough. Too bad. By this time these characters have become such a part of you that another 50 pages would have been more than welcome!

Book Description: Europe, 1939: the rumblings of war grow to a terrible roar. In America the Henry clan-Navy to the bone-finds itself drawn into the very center of the maelstrom: the father at the right hand of President Roosevelt, his oldest son flying over the Pacific, his youngest falling in love in Europe with a forbidden Jewish girl. From conference table to battlefield, from the rise of the Reich and Hitler to the horror of Pearl Harbor, this is America's great World War II novel. Pulitzer Prize-winner Herman Wouk's classic epic of monumental events-and human courage and passions.

Review: "The reader is going to be caught up in the excitement and sheer kinetic force of this powerful story...relive a period of history...and come away richer for the memories." James A. Michener. With over 8 million copies in print, Herman Wouk did a wonderful job of portraying the horrors of war and the tragedy that it swept across America with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With powerful characters, and the events of their lives, Wouk successfully portrays a family that is pretigious, yet is still in despair over the horrible war. Wouk is successful in bringing across his point very clearly, and his insight into the war is very inspiring and leaves the reader feeling as if they are left on the battlefield in a cloud of smoke, trying to figure out what has caused such pain. Wouk follows the characters from meetings with Hitler, to frequent dinners with Roosevelt and shows just how the rise of the Reich changed America forever.

Book Description: Europe, 1939: the rumblings of war grow to a terrible roar. In America the Henry clan-Navy to the bone-finds itself drawn into the very center of the maelstrom: the father at the right hand of President Roosevelt, his oldest son flying over the Pacific, his youngest falling in love in Europe with a forbidden Jewish girl. From conference table to battlefield, from the rise of the Reich and Hitler to the horror of Pearl Harbor, this is America's great World War II novel. Pulitzer Prize-winner Herman Wouk's classic epic of monumental events-and human courage and passions.

Review: "The reader is going to be caught up in the excitement and sheer kinetic force of this powerful story...relive a period of history...and come away richer for the memories." James A. Michener. With over 8 million copies in print, Herman Wouk did a wonderful job of portraying the horrors of war and the tragedy that it swept across America with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With powerful characters, and the events of their lives, Wouk successfully portrays a family that is pretigious, yet is still in despair over the horrible war. Wouk is successful in bringing across his point very clearly, and his insight into the war is very inspiring and leaves the reader feeling as if they are left on the battlefield in a cloud of smoke, trying to figure out what has caused such pain. Wouk follows the characters from meetings with Hitler, to frequent dinners with Roosevelt and shows just how the rise of the Reich changed America forever.

Book Description: Europe, 1939: the rumblings of war grow to a terrible roar. In America the Henry clan-Navy to the bone-finds itself drawn into the very center of the maelstrom: the father at the right hand of President Roosevelt, his oldest son flying over the Pacific, his youngest falling in love in Europe with a forbidden Jewish girl. From conference table to battlefield, from the rise of the Reich and Hitler to the horror of Pearl Harbor, this is America's great World War II novel. Pulitzer Prize-winner Herman Wouk's classic epic of monumental events-and human courage and passions.

Review: "The reader is going to be caught up in the excitement and sheer kinetic force of this powerful story...relive a period of history...and come away richer for the memories." James A. Michener. With over 8 million copies in print, Herman Wouk did a wonderful job of portraying the horrors of war and the tragedy that it swept across America with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With powerful characters, and the events of their lives, Wouk successfully portrays a family that is pretigious, yet is still in despair over the horrible war. Wouk is successful in bringing across his point very clearly, and his insight into the war is very inspiring and leaves the reader feeling as if they are left on the battlefield in a cloud of smoke, trying to figure out what has caused such pain. Wouk follows the characters from meetings with Hitler, to frequent dinners with Roosevelt and shows just how the rise of the Reich changed America forever.

This is Herman Wouk's towering Pulitzer Prize novel of the U.S. Navy in World War II. It has breathtaking action scenes and unforgettable characters. It's a vivid portrait of a nation at war.