Rating: 
Summary: Killer McCoy Goes to Korea, Part II : Inchon to Chosin
Review: A major improvement over the mediocre Under Fire, Griffin returns to form with Retreat, Hell! He shows his usual impeccable attention to detail and histoical accuracy, which was sadly lacking in Under Fire.This novel covers the peiod in the Korean War in which the situation turned around for the UN forces and the overextended North Koreans were chased back across the 38th Parallel with the US Army and its allies in full pursuit. The Pick Pickering-is-MIA situation is resolved in an imaginative way I didn't see coming; a couple of new characters are introduced who seem very interesting (and don't I just wish Griffin could rewrite the Brotherhood of War series to integrate them into it!); and a character is killed off in a way that is utterly consistent and tragic, with the potential for serious impact on others in the next book. Good writing. I have to admit that I find what Griffin is doing with Ken McCoy a little disconcerting. He seems to think McCoy's name is Mac MacMillan and that he is running Task Force Able. However, as Griffin seem to have no intention of crossing any Brotherhood of War characters over to The Corps (given what he has his characters doing, I would have expected at least passing references to the activities of MacMillan and Mouse Felter, if not to Duke Lowell and his panzers), I suppose there are no grounds for complaint. The timeline is heading into the final confrontation between Truman and MacArthur. The one thing that surprised and disappointed me, given El Supremo's frequent appearances and conversations with Brigadier General Pickering, is that there is no sign of the animosity that was building, not even at the Wake Island Conference (or 'summit') between Truman and MacArthur; at which he has Pickering present at Truman's orders. Both men commented extensively on it in their autobiographies, but their dislike for each other is absent here. Griffin usually has a better feel for interpersonal relations between major real people than that. Griffin also, which earned him my respect, addresses the issue of medals for valor that are awarded for other than the type of actions for which they are supposed to be presented. The problem was epidemic in Vietnam, but I didn't realize its roots went back to Korea. This subplot, involving Ken McCoy, Billy Dunn, Pick Pickering and General Clyde Dawkins (and I wish we saw more of The Dawk), offers an informative look not merely at the process by which medals are awarded, but also at the warrior ethos which permits warriors to accept them - or not. The bottom line: While I wish W.E.B. Griffin would go back and finish the World War II portion and the interbellum part of this series (in particular the sections dealing with McCoy's time at the Command & General Staff College, how and why he was reduced in grade from major to captain when by time in grade he would have been in the zone for promotion to lieutenant colonel, how on earth the cowardly, self-serving Macklin was promoted and why he wasn't run out of the service, and whatever happened to a number of characters I care about), this book is a page-turner I gulped down in one afternoon. The tempo is fast and the visual melody sharp and clear. It's well worth reading, and more than once. The trouble is, now I have to wait impatiently for the next one!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring - Nothing Happened ....
Review: Absolutely nothing occurs in this novel: the Chinese don't invade, MacArthur doesn't get fired, no one gets laid, no one gets heroically killed. Just lots of Griffin type pedantic prose. He either gets paid by the pound, or by the word - how many times do you need to be advised that McCoy is a Major, USMCR? Griffin cranks one of these out every 18 months or so. Good market timing - I usually forget what little content there is and, as a simple ex-Marine, have high hopes for a great story of the Corps. The first two in this series were pretty good and offered some potential. Very little action since; fooled again, and again, and again ... In the early sixties, I trained and served under men who fought at the Frozen Chosin. They were common men , but heros all. This was the greatest instant of our (USMC) history. Griffin simply doesn't do the Korean conflict justice. Don't buy this book. Check it out from you library, borrow it from a foolish friend, or wait and lift the reject from Good Will for 50 cents. Semper Fi........
Rating: 
Summary: He's Ba-ack!
Review: After the rather strange last book in the Badge of Honor series (the time warp) it is great that this one is vintage Griffin. Mr. G., however, has developed a sort of annoying new thing. He does an awful lot of (a) and (b). That is, something like, "we'll attack Pyongyang because (a) it's the enemy capital and (b) it just feels right". A little of the (a) and (b) treatment, you will see, goes an awfully long way.
And one other bothersome thing - other than too many Ernies - is that he forgot Patricia Pickering's name and refers to her as Patricia Fleming. All that aside, it was a very readable W.E.B. Griffin novel and it seems to leave room for a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: going strong and getting better
Review: After _Under Fire_ I felt the _Corps_ series was at a bit of a crossroads. We'd skipped the end of WWII, deactivated a number of great characters, and had a mostly combat-free book. What was coming next? Now that I know (thanks to a bookstore that was casual about release dates), I like the direction it's going. In this installment of the _Corps_, the Korean conflict is under way. The old warhorses are summoned to the colours again, or at least those Griffin has kept. Griffin has always portrayed military and naval culture superbly; I think he could do it in his sleep if he cared to. He is the Gale Sayers of the genre; like the Kansas Comet in his own field of fame, there just isn't anyone who can catch him. The strength of the story lies in some fairly vicious twists that left the ending very much in doubt: might this character die? Would Griffin kill him off? I am a veteran of every Griffin military book, and I could not predict the story's outcome. It clamped on--and held, to the end. I have never really let up on Griffin over the years with regard to the instant defloration of virgins and speedy bed-jumps, and fair's fair: he's improved this to where I think we can let it go. I can't say that it's gone--and it remains just about the only area in which his stories are quite predictable--but it does not dominate this story. There is also decreased dependency upon rich smartalecks with trust funds: the book takes that shortcut less than I've seen from Griffin for a long time. In my mind there is little question: while we might not have in Korea a backdrop as rich and desperate and high-stakes as World War II, we have a great story going on here. I hope that we'll see Stecker and Rickabee again, from the old _Corps_ books, but even if we don't, Griffin has revitalized one of the best military fiction series there is. I hope it continues for a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining read, well-written, but not what I expected.
Review: As it happens, I have not yet read any of Griffen's other "Brotherhood of War" novels, so this review may be less insightful than those written by persons who are more familiar with the series. I picked this one up because the Korean War has always interested me, and I am always up for a rousing novel about the courage of the US Marines! This novel was not what I expected, not meaning to be critical. First of all, virtually the whole novel takes place during what amounts to a slow point in the Korean War--where the US/UN forces have the North Koreans on the run after the brilliant Inchon landing, and before the Red Chinese intervention. The story is essentially centered on the interaction between President Truman and MacArthur during this period, and the stupidity of MacArthur's intelligence staff in failing to predict the Chinese entry into the war. The story dwells on small personal and intricate political matters within the American command in Korea. Evidently some of the characters hail from earlier (and later?) "Brotherhood of War" novels, and possibly readers of these books will appreciate the sub-plots involving these characters more than I did. One thing Griffen does exceedingly well is to create the atmosphere of what it might have been like to be in Korea during this time. The author writes with an authenticity that is indisputedly real. The reader feels transported to the early days of the Korean War. My overall evaluation is that this novel never quite takes off, although it does make for an entertaining read. First of all, I expected a story dealing with the first desperate days when the Chinese caught the American forces unprepared for their onslaught. Not at all. This novel deals almost entirely with the period before this, where the possibility of Chinese involvement was being hotly debated. There are no "Retreat--Hell" scenarios in this novel. Instead, this book sets the stage for possibly a later story along these lines. Griffen does a good enough job here that I'll probably be up for it.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read, well-written, but not what I expected.
Review: As it happens, I have not yet read any of Griffen's other "Brotherhood of War" novels, so this review may be less insightful than those written by persons who are more familiar with the series. I picked this one up because the Korean War has always interested me, and I am always up for a rousing novel about the courage of the US Marines! This novel was not what I expected, not meaning to be critical. First of all, virtually the whole novel takes place during what amounts to a slow point in the Korean War--where the US/UN forces have the North Koreans on the run after the brilliant Inchon landing, and before the Red Chinese intervention. The story is essentially centered on the interaction between President Truman and MacArthur during this period, and the stupidity of MacArthur's intelligence staff in failing to predict the Chinese entry into the war. The story dwells on small personal and intricate political matters within the American command in Korea. Evidently some of the characters hail from earlier (and later?) "Brotherhood of War" novels, and possibly readers of these books will appreciate the sub-plots involving these characters more than I did. One thing Griffen does exceedingly well is to create the atmosphere of what it might have been like to be in Korea during this time. The author writes with an authenticity that is indisputedly real. The reader feels transported to the early days of the Korean War. My overall evaluation is that this novel never quite takes off, although it does make for an entertaining read. First of all, I expected a story dealing with the first desperate days when the Chinese caught the American forces unprepared for their onslaught. Not at all. This novel deals almost entirely with the period before this, where the possibility of Chinese involvement was being hotly debated. There are no "Retreat--Hell" scenarios in this novel. Instead, this book sets the stage for possibly a later story along these lines. Griffen does a good enough job here that I'll probably be up for it.
Rating:
Summary: REALISTIC, RAW, AND RIVETING
Review: Award winning actor James Naughton has garnered Tonys and won accolades for his screen and TV appearances. He masterfully takes center stage for this no holds barred reading on the Abridged and CD editions of the latest from the literary master of the military W. E. B. Griffin. With the fifth in his series covering the history of the U.S. Marines we are taken to the year 1950 in Korea. General Douglas MacArthur is bent on crossing the 38th parallel and the Yalu River convinced it is safe, that Chinese are not lurking there. However, Major Ken McCoy has an entirely different idea. This is not the only disagreement: as many will remember General MacArthur and President Truman were fighting a different battle of their own. General Fleming Pickering finds himself in the middle of this dispute as tries to bring peace between the two stubborn men.
Realistic, raw, and riveting. Don't miss "Retreat, Hell!"
- Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: REALISTIC, RAW, AND RIVETING
Review: Award winning actor James Naughton has garnered Tonys and won accolades for his screen and TV appearances. He masterfully takes center stage for this no holds barred reading on the Abridged and CD editions of the latest from the literary master of the military W. E. B. Griffin. With the fifth in his series covering the history of the U.S. Marines we are taken to the year 1950 in Korea. General Douglas MacArthur is bent on crossing the 38th parallel and the Yalu River convinced it is safe, that Chinese are not lurking there. However, Major Ken McCoy has an entirely different idea. This is not the only disagreement: as many will remember General MacArthur and President Truman were fighting a different battle of their own. General Fleming Pickering finds himself in the middle of this dispute as tries to bring peace between the two stubborn men.
Realistic, raw, and riveting. Don't miss "Retreat, Hell!"
- Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: still the Five Star General
Review: By late September 1950, sent by General Douglas "El Supreme" MacArthur, the marines make a key landing on the Korean Peninsular. The General plans to send his forces across the 38th parallel in order to repel the North Koreans beyond the Yalu River. Though he expects no Chinese forces, he has USMC Major Ken "Killer" McCoy and his "lost" patrol seek enemy information. Meanwhile BG Pickering earns frequent flyer miles as he struggles to lessen the growing dispute between Commander-in-Chief Truman and ex facto supreme commander of the United Nation's forces MacArthur. Pickering also has a personal concern with his son "Pick" missing in action beyond enemy lines. Pick knows if the Commies capture him, they will execute him. He has survived fifty-eight days due to luck, some local help, and by constantly moving about, but staying near his downed plane. Killer finds evidence that Pick still lives, but cannot search for the MIA as he and his men have captured an apparent Intel Officer with information that massive Chinese forces await the Americans. No one does American military history novels better than W.E.B. Griffin does as he shows with this deep look at the early stages of the Korean Conflict. The story line grips the audience from the moment Pick struggles to survive and never lets up. The key as always to the Corps novels (this is the tenth) is the support cast that brings out real events so that the audience feels the battle as much as the political intrigue at home. Genre fans will once again salute the Five Star General for his wonderfully exhilarating book. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: from inchon to where?
Review: Good action book, however title doesn't reflect book, since the story ends around 5 Nov, about 3 to 4weeks before the Chosin campaign. ONLY mention of the Chosin campaignis is the AFTERWORD, in which Griffin completly underestimates the numer of Chinese that attacked 8th Army, X Corps & 1st Marine Division by over 290.000 men. He ought to have checked the official records, rather than using "El Supremo's' figures. In addition, the cover art is of the late Marine Paul Ison of Florida, and his dash through the 'Valley of Death' on OKINOWA in 1945! What does this have to do with Korea, except Mr. Ison was a Marine. Other than poor facts, book was good. He had the Chinese estimates better in the fiction part of the book.
| 
