Rating: 
Summary: A wild book.
Review: The book is the story of a small group of Marines in China led by a young officer who escape through the "back door" just after Pearl Harbor. Brady, a former Marine officer, captures the daring of the Marines as they use their initiative under difficult and changing circumstances.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting story needs better tellling
Review: The facts are worth learning about, but the story drags when it shouldn't.
Rating:
Summary: this is a good book, entertaining and time well-spent
Review: The New York Times gave Brady's new novel a luke-warm review.
It seems clear that the reviewer merely skimmed the book or just read the end-papers. This is a good book, a fine adventure with just enough authenticity to suggest elements of a true story. And Brady is good writer with a fine "author's voice."
Rating:
Summary: Great Idea Poorly Executed
Review: The premise for this WWII novel is excellent, however the execution is awful. This is just about the worst written historical novel I've ever read, and I've read a bunch. The story is based on a Marine Corps myth, which the author notes there is absolutely no record of, or any of the participants, in any USMC records. A number of readers seem to have totally missed this distinction, and think it really happened! Oh well... the story starts by establishing wartime Shanghai, the far eastern city of spies, where American soldiers mix with British administrators, exiled White Russians, and diplomats of all shades and stripes. When a warning of imminent war with Japan is sent out to all American forces in the weeks prior to Pearl Harbor, it becomes clear that the American units will need to retreat from China, which is largely under Japanese occupation. Although most of these troops are concentrated in various bases, there are a few isolated outposts. This is where Cpt. Billy Port, USMC comes in. The younger son of a prominent and somewhat notorious Boston family, Port is highly regarded in the Marine Corps for his works with Gen. "Chesty" Puller in Central America. The first part of the book establishes the lush life of Shanghai and his comfortable living, including an "arrangement" with a beautiful young White Russian exile woman, and weekly tennis matches with an American-born, UCLA educated, Japanese officer. No points for guessing that the latter part of the book will pit friend against friend... When the warning of war comes, Port is tasked with traveling across China to gather up the far-flung American units, and lead them to safety. To do so, he handpicks a small unit and sets up a convoy of four trucks and his Bentley convertible for the mission. The unit he assembles is part central casting, part improbable fancy. There's a Mexican sergeant who's gimmick is that he served with Pershing against Pancho Villa and talks about it incessently. Somehow this manages to be as equally irritating to the reader (because it's not funny), as it's meant to be to the other characters. There's "Sparky" the radio guy, the grease-monkey/mechanic, a big brave lummox carrying the heavy gun, a bunch of anonymous BAR grunts, a college-boy Naval reserve lieutenant, and (I'm not making this up!), his Chinese butler, a world-famous French race-car driver, and a White Russian alternately referred to as "General", "Count", and "Prince" Yusopov. Along the way, they pick up a female Chinese doctor, and a British Catholic priest/paleontologist. Now, an able writer (such as George MacDonald Fraser) could have had a lot of fun with this wild and wacky cast, but Brady just isn't up to it. These characters either seem to serve no discernable purpose (such as the Naval officer), or are very convenient devices (the Russian teaches the Marines how to make a Molotov cocktail and just happens to have a brother at a monastery where sanctuary is available at a critical time, the English priest just happens to know the whole country like the back of his hand and speaks the dialects, etc.). The bulk of the book is one extended chase scene, as this motley band of brothers makes its way across the Chinese country, skirmishing with bandits, ducking Japanese Zeros, suffering in the elements, and ultimately, racing for the Soviet border. The action sequences are far and away the strongest parts, from ambushing a pursing patrol, to facing down huge bandit hordes, it's good stuff (if somewhat predictable). Alas, the bulk of the book is riddled with cliche, repetition (for example, the term "top sergeant" is explained several times), and awkwardness (for example, every time Port meets with his "staff", Brady feels compelled to run through the roll call of who is present). It's the kind of story that might work better as a film, where one is a little more forgiving of hokiness and the dialogue would be much tighter. In any event, Port's race across China is a promising idea for a story, but this book just doesn't deliver the goods.
Rating:
Summary: Warning . . . . of a great read
Review: There's a lot of Ken McCoy, if you're familiar with W.E.B. Griffin's "Semper Fi" series, in Captain Billy Port, U.S.M.C. They're are both 'China Marines,' underscoring the presence of an American Infantry force in China that in the summer and fall of 1941, had been in Asia since the turn of the 20th century. They both are encouraged by a strong sense of honor or fidelity, have expensive tastes, high intelligence, and have earned the respect of hard men. I am reminded of Orwell's comments that we who are bathed in the warmth of freedom, sleep well because there are 'hard men' who guard our gates. Billy Port, trapped behind enemy lines by the whims of the Japanese government having selected December 7 to bomb Pearl Harbor, doomed by his own sense of honor, recognizing that the only chance he has for himself and his men is to advance smartly in the opposite direction toward Russia, is one of those men.
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. It is a novel, we have to remember, although things like that surely happened. Perhaps there was a Billy Port. There certainly were White Russians, Jewish intellectuals, French dilettantes, beautiful courtesans, Mongolian bandits and the above mentioned Marines trying to get the heck out of Dodge when Pearl Harbor happened. Brady, who himself is not unfamiliar with winter in that part of the world, having spent a cold year in the Marine Corps in Korea 9 years after the events described in Warning of War, does an above average job in making the reader 'feel the cold.' You might want to pick up "The Coldest War," Brady's auto-biographical account of his year in the infantry in Korea in 1950-51. Additionally, I believe the style of the infantry officer, his concern for men, his focus in times of battle, his remorse for losses, brief but heartfelt, is well reported. At one point Captain Port arises at 2 in the morning to walk the perimeter in 18 below zero weather. He stops and talks to the men on watch, saying a few words to each of them, spending a moment with them. He does that, he tells us, because 'that's what combat officers do. Let the men know that you're willing to spend time with them when it's damn cold.' Despite the tale revolving around the character of this infantry officer, this is really a tale of an event. Billy Port is the central piece of the puzzle, but it's a well crafted story of an escape from the great shadow of war by an odd crew of individuals cast, inadvertantly, behind enemy lines. Definitely worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Worst
Review: This is one of the worst examples of the war genre I have read. I spent almost 30 years in the military, and we were continuously taught to keep our writing at the 5th grade level so that everyone could understand. I think Mr. Brady took this to heart - repetition does not make good reading and the book seems to concentrate on making sure we understand what First Sergeant's do. The characters lack reality, and it appears the author is hoping to sell this work as a movie. I was completely disappointed, and find it hard to believe a senior Marine Corps General Officer endorsed this drivel.
Rating:
Summary: God Bless Chesty Puller and the United States Marines...
Review: This novel surprised me from start to finish. Its rare that one finds so many elements of a great novel within the pages of a single book. Warning of War is well written and so detailed, it could easily pass for non-fiction if the reader wasn't aware that it was a novel. The characters are well developed, believable, and true-to-life. Federales is a great example of a 1940's era marine squad leader and 'Top,' the link between Port and the enlisted men, adds perspective, especially to the battle scenes. Another great character is the priest, dubbed 'padre' by the marines. There are many fine characters in this novel but they are all distinguishable and unique, a testament to the author's skill in writing. This novel is entertaining. It is poignant at times and violent at others. Readers will not be disappointed...
Rating:
Summary: CHINASIDE AS A FILM
Review: While I am sure that the United States had military personnel many places in the world on the eve of World War II certainly those in Shanghai would appear to be trapped when the United States was attacked and declared war on the Japanese Empire. The story of Captain Port and his trek to Siberia with the adventures on the way would make a really excellent motion picture both because of the story content but because it is timely. Vietnam, the Gulf War, Kosovo, 9/11 and Afghainistan are too much with us and are difficult to digest but this story can be digested with perspective and like Casablanca would be like any great book one has read impatiently waited for to see on the screen
Rating: 
Summary: Reviewers need to check their own facts
Review: While I would not call this the best book I ever read, it was certainly entertaining and kept my interest. A previous reviewer criticized inaccuracies which I did not find. First of all, the Flying Tigers did exist before the outbreak of the war (they were mercenaries--$500 a plane). Also, the book had ongoing updates via radio which were repeated to the Marines at the time. That is, the story provides information based on what was known at the time. Not corrected information provided 10 years after the war ended.
Bottom line, I would recommend this book and have been happy with other Brady work in the past.
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