Waiting for War

Rating:
Summary: Hey civilians - give this a read!
Review: I'm going to start out with an honest admission: I know the author. I'm telling you this because otherwise, I would have never picked up a book entitled "Waiting for War." I'm about as civilian as you can get; I even lean toward the hippie side of things. So yeah, I read the first four pages as a favor to a friend.

I read the rest of it because I couldn't put it down.

Simply put, it's a laugh riot. The military setting actually translates into a perfect recipe for humor: a group of outrageous characters, plopped in the middle of nowhere, looking for ways to kill time. Some do this by attempting to impress the higher-ups ("We'll clean the tanks so d*mn clean you could eat off them! In fact, we'll have a cookout, and have the General eat off the tank engines!"). Others hustle ping-pong games or try to analyze conspiracies ("Mark my words, the Jehovah's Witnesses are more powerful than you might think! They're on to me, and if I'm not careful, they'll be the end of me"). My personal favorite is the Admin Private, the secretary on a permanent power trip.

All this insanity is duly noted and logged by Specialist Hoffman, who is possibly the sanest person in the camp. Not that that is saying much... he gets this honor by virtue of the fact that he admits he's crazy. But the result of this point of view is a humor tone similar to Ludlow Porch or (dare I say it?) even the late, great Lewis Grizzard.

That having been said, this book is rated at *very least* PG-13. There are several dirty jokes, much swearing, and one (highly amusing) anicdote about a prositute mix-up. And everyone uses the f-word. A lot. This probably isn't a good book for grandma. But if grandpa saw some military action, he'll probably recognize the situations and love it.

In fact, so far this book has been very popular among our troops. The author says he sneaked in some subtle military references that I probably didn't get. Still, lines like "How can you treat crazy people if you can't even use the word crazy? That's crazy." brings a smile even if you aren't familiar with the military reference. (He says there's one in there, anyway...) And it gets funnier from there.

Adding to the overall flavor are a few serious points, offering a different form (but same purpose) of comic relief. Without getting preachy or political, the characters occasionally dip into discussions of war, purpose, and the concepts of sanity. Don't get me wrong - this book is a farce. But it's a farce that will get you thinking.

Bottom line: military or not, this book is well worth the 13 bucks. (Yes, I paid for it. It was just the right thing to do.) Don't let the title or setting scare you off. If you love colorful characters and wacky situations, peppered with a hint of philosophy, you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hey civilians - give this a read!
Review: I'm going to start out with an honest admission: I know the author. I'm telling you this because otherwise, I would have never picked up a book entitled "Waiting for War." I'm about as civilian as you can get; I even lean toward the hippie side of things. So yeah, I read the first four pages as a favor to a friend.

I read the rest of it because I couldn't put it down.

Simply put, it's a laugh riot. The military setting actually translates into a perfect recipe for humor: a group of outrageous characters, plopped in the middle of nowhere, looking for ways to kill time. Some do this by attempting to impress the higher-ups ("We'll clean the tanks so d*mn clean you could eat off them! In fact, we'll have a cookout, and have the General eat off the tank engines!"). Others hustle ping-pong games or try to analyze conspiracies ("Mark my words, the Jehovah's Witnesses are more powerful than you might think! They're on to me, and if I'm not careful, they'll be the end of me"). My personal favorite is the Admin Private, the secretary on a permanent power trip.

All this insanity is duly noted and logged by Specialist Hoffman, who is possibly the sanest person in the camp. Not that that is saying much... he gets this honor by virtue of the fact that he admits he's crazy. But the result of this point of view is a humor tone similar to Ludlow Porch or (dare I say it?) even the late, great Lewis Grizzard.

That having been said, this book is rated at *very least* PG-13. There are several dirty jokes, much swearing, and one (highly amusing) anicdote about a prositute mix-up. And everyone uses the f-word. A lot. This probably isn't a good book for grandma. But if grandpa saw some military action, he'll probably recognize the situations and love it.

In fact, so far this book has been very popular among our troops. The author says he sneaked in some subtle military references that I probably didn't get. Still, lines like "How can you treat crazy people if you can't even use the word crazy? That's crazy." brings a smile even if you aren't familiar with the military reference. (He says there's one in there, anyway...) And it gets funnier from there.

Adding to the overall flavor are a few serious points, offering a different form (but same purpose) of comic relief. Without getting preachy or political, the characters occasionally dip into discussions of war, purpose, and the concepts of sanity. Don't get me wrong - this book is a farce. But it's a farce that will get you thinking.

Bottom line: military or not, this book is well worth the 13 bucks. (Yes, I paid for it. It was just the right thing to do.) Don't let the title or setting scare you off. If you love colorful characters and wacky situations, peppered with a hint of philosophy, you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Catch-22 for a New Mellinium
Review: War satire at its best! This witty novel follows the adventures of an admittedly crazy young serviceman stuck in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert and his equally bizarre comrades, who all seem to _think_ they're sane. Filled with hilarious events and highly entertaining characters, this book offers an extremely amusing look at Army life.

(Note: This book is satire. People looking for a technical and accurate account of military service need to look elsewhere. But if you want a laugh and you enjoyed stories like Catch 22 and MASH, this is a valuable find!)