Rating: 
Summary: Easily the most accurate protrayal of military life.
Review: From a family of charter members to the W.P.P.A. (I have lived in Quarters 1 at Fort Benning and Fort Monroe) this is easily the most accurate and readable series of books about life among the officer class in the United States from the 40's through the 70's. Written in an exciting yet detailed manner, it serves as an accurate history of the United States Army from one who has been there. To me personally, the most exciting part is the history of Army Aviation, from the death of Scotty Laird to the secret wars with the Air Force. Though each book stands on its own, this series is a must read for anyone with an interest in the history of the Army. My only regret is that the series ended. Perhaps one more book - The Cadets? . . . . . .
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, it almost feels as if you're there yourself!
Review: Griffin marvellously creates an atmosphere that really absorbs you as you read. Once you pick it up, you don't want to lay the book down again until you finish it. That goes for the whole 'Brotherhood of War' series, by the way.
Rating: 
Summary: Why???
Review: I am an unabashed W.E.B. Griffin fan, having read all of the Corps series as well as some of his other novels. I finally took the plunge a couple of months ago and bought the entire Brotherhood of War series. I am the first to admit that the themes Griffin tends to use are predictable--obscenely rich characters who manage to enjoy all of the finer things in life while still being "regular guys" to all of their comrades, officers who are grossly disrespected or mistreated by others in the military until they are "put in their place" by superiors, etc.--but I enjoy the books nonetheless. As another reviewed has alluded, they are probably more aptly described as historically-based soap operas than "war novels."
All that being said, I have in the past few months made a substantial investment of time in reading through the Brotherhood of War series, and was enjoying the journey. Reaching the end of "The Generals" yesterday was, however, one of the two or three most unsatisfactory, disappointing, and even depressing literary moments I have ever experienced.
To begin with, the book ends abruptly, with the briefest of epilogues that winds up the lives of all of the main characters in a paragraph or two. These are characters, mind you, that the reader has come to know intimately and love or hate over the last six books and 2,400-odd pages. To have the last ten or more years of their lives suddenly abridged into a few sentences is incredibly unacceptable.
Moreover, there are distressing conflicts that are left completely unresolved. Just before the final scenes in the book, which take place in Vietnam, the main character of the entire series is involved in a scandal that results in EVERY one of his closest friends essentially terminating their relationship with him. That conflict is never alluded to in the final scenes of the book, never addressed in the epilogue, and is simply left hanging in the air for the reader to guess at. I can analogize it to having a terminal spat with a best friend and then having that person die before there is any ability to reconciliation. It is extremely unfair for anyone who has pored over these books for weeks or months.
Last, this book--number six in the series of nine--is apparently the last book, chronologically. I say "apparently" because I am so darned mad about the ending that I have not read books 7 - 9. I have, however, skimmed them, and it is pretty clear from the dates in those books that they are actually PREQUELS to this book. What kind of a numbering system is that? Now that I've read the last book, chronologically speaking, in the series and know what happens to every character for the rest of their lives, whether they live or die, not to mention about the horrible unresolved conflict that this book ends with, why in the world would I want to go back and read about events that took place earlier in their lives?
This book should either be renumbered as the last in the series or labeled with a warning that the reader ought to consider reading books 7 - 9 before tackling it, and should also have the ending either rewritten in more detail or have another warning stating that the reader is likely to be left incredibly angry after turning the last page...
Did I mention that I am unhappy with this book?
Rating:
Summary: Fine writing
Review: I love all of Griffin's books in his Brotherhood of War series. He has humor, and excitement. Men who know the Army will recognize a lot of the situations. I sit and laugh a lot while I read them. I have read most of them 3-4 times.
Rating:
Summary: The brotherhood's end
Review: In "The Brotherhood of War Book IV: The Generals", it is now the mid and late '60s. Vietnam is in full swing, and Major Parker has been captured by the NVA. Now Col. Felter has put together a daring rescue plan with his closeset Army friends, Col. Lowell, Generals Hanrahan and Bellmon, and Col. MacMillian, to go into the Hanoi Hilton (the meanest VC POW camp) and get the POWs out. Most series books run out of steam if they go on too long, but the Brotherhood of War books were all just wonderful, great and ingaging books all the way. In a way, the topic of POWs seems as prevenlent today in the War on Terror as it did in the mid 80s, when this book was written, and Vietnam POWs were still a very sensitive subject. I read "The Generals" in two days it was so fast paced and exiting. There are three major battles; one as young SSG Craig (COL. Lowell's cousin) is attacked on a remote hill, Parker's being shot down over the jungle, and the final invasion at the end. As usual, the cast of characters are diverse, but the spotlight is mostly on COL. Lowell, nicknamed 'The Duke'. As usual he can not keep himself out of trouble, but this time it nearly cost them the very Top Secret mission, and this time his career dosn't recover from it. COL. Felter is missing for the first half of the book, but comes on stronger than ever before by the middle. The other officers are around and are amusing, but they just can't hold a candle when next to Lowell. The best scene in the book is when Lowell must confront his estranged son about some pictures that Peter-Paul took, pictures that could jepordize the mission. It is very tense and shows just how mature and responsable Creig Lowell has become since he was first commisioned years ago. I am a little sad to be done with this series. I know there are more after "The Generals", but I am not sure if I will get around to those. The endind epilouge makes it seem like that is where W.E.B. Griffin wanted the story to stop, so it only seems right to quit there. But what a way to go, in a blaze of glory. If you have read all the books up to this point, than I am sure that you will not be disappointed by the end.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding.
Review: The author once again captures the essence of military life and the bond of those who take part in it while still managing to create an interesting, fast-paced, and humurous story which just about anybody can enjoy
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: The best in the Brotherhood of War series. I generally like more mainstream war novels like THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY than Griffin's books, which are more tightly focused on the military life, but they are still great. Griffin is still the best at what he does!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The book doesn't resolve anything -- and doesn't complete the story. Read the last few pages, put it back on the shelf and go home. You'll be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The book doesn't resolve anything -- and doesn't complete the story. Read the last few pages, put it back on the shelf and go home. You'll be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: The best of the "Brotherhood of War" series
Review: The only reason I started reading "Brotherhood of War" is because I needed something to read to pass the down time at Camp Geiger, NC, and these books were the most interesting ones they sold at the PX. (BTW, isn't it sad that 10 year-old books are being passed off as new? I had no idea these books were as old as they are 'til I looked inside the cover.) This is a weak series of books, as far as war novels go. They're more like an ongoing soap opera than gritty war drama (think "General Hospital" as a novel, only set between 1945-1970 and revolving around the Army instead of Port Charles.) The characters are given plenty of time to evolve, and some do (Lowell, in particular.) But it all seems too phony. A good war novel should have some truth in it, but it is in short supply with these books. "The Generals" is the best of the bunch. It is actually a decent book in it's own right. It could have been better if Griffin had developed it as a stand alone novel and gotten deeper into it's specific story (a Song Tay-type mission to rescue POWs held in North Vietnam) rather than diluting it for the sake of continuing the series. If you like military fiction, buy this book, but stay away from the rest of the series.
|
