Rating: Summary: Great, typical W.E.B. Griffin Review: The book is great, typical of what one expects from Griffin. "Comfortable reading", books that can be re-read over and over.
Rating: Summary: Delivers the goods. Review: The Soldier Spies is classical but not great W.E.B. Griffin. It has what is fans have come to expect. Heroic characters in an engrossing plot. Language that at its best compares favorably with Herman Wouk and Scott Turow, and at its worse would draw reprimands from most conscientious eight grade English teachers. His faith in the moneyed classes continues unabated as does his rather juvenile view of women. The finish, traditionally weak in Griffin's books is especially limp in this volume. It reads as if he was late for an important social event and chose to stop in mid paragraph. But one reads Griffin for the flow not the finish, and for those of us who are fans, Soldier Spies once again delivers the basic goods. Bottom line: If you started the Men at War series you will enjoy reading the Soldier Spies and will happily purchase the next volume; if only to learn the fates of the spies and soldiers left stranded from Budapest to Manila. If you are new to Griffin start with the Marine Corps series.
Rating: Summary: WW II in the Phillipines Review: This book is imaginative, and tells an exciting story of the battle for the Phippipines, and the men fighting there. I personally like it very much, more apparently than other people did.
Rating: Summary: A Good Book Review: This is a very good book. It had a lot of excitement in the storyline, the characters were very indepth. The characters were as if you knew them your whole life, and by the end of the book you could almost tell the rest of the story yourself, you knew what they said even before you read it. You feel joy for them when they get permoted you feel that you should walk over and shake their hand and congratulate them. When one has to leave his wife or his girlfriend you feel a need to go and comfort them and say it's ok they will be alright. W.E.B. Griffin really knows what he is doing when he wrote this book. At first the book starts off with about four different stories all going on at the same time. This can become rather confusing but the more and more you read the stories one by one come together and everything makes sence. When the stories start coming together that is when it really gets good. If you enjoy books that make you think than you should really consider this book
Rating: Summary: A Good Book Review: This is a very good book. It had a lot of excitement in the storyline, the characters were very indepth. The characters were as if you knew them your whole life, and by the end of the book you could almost tell the rest of the story yourself, you knew what they said even before you read it. You feel joy for them when they get permoted you feel that you should walk over and shake their hand and congratulate them. When one has to leave his wife or his girlfriend you feel a need to go and comfort them and say it's ok they will be alright. W.E.B. Griffin really knows what he is doing when he wrote this book. At first the book starts off with about four different stories all going on at the same time. This can become rather confusing but the more and more you read the stories one by one come together and everything makes sence. When the stories start coming together that is when it really gets good. If you enjoy books that make you think than you should really consider this book
Rating: Summary: Weak writing, weak ending. Review: This is the first Griffin book that I have given less than a perfect score. He's falling into the Ludlum trap, with too many "Jesus Christ, (insert name)". The book was more of a series of vignettes rather than a plot-driven novel. With all the mavericks he is developing, it's amazing that the war actually was won. It's time to go back to The Corps and Badge of Honor.
Rating: Summary: Disappointing Review: This is the first Griffin book that I have given less than a perfect score. He's falling into the Ludlum trap, with too many "Jesus Christ, (insert name)". The book was more of a series of vignettes rather than a plot-driven novel. With all the mavericks he is developing, it's amazing that the war actually was won. It's time to go back to The Corps and Badge of Honor.
Rating: Summary: Excellent adventure, a page turner Review: This third volume in the Men at War series continues and builds on the excitement of the first two volumes. The action is fast-paced and the characters are developed well. Highly recommended.
Rating: Summary: Weak writing, weak ending. Review: This was my first (and last) Griffin book. As I commenced reading, I thought, "ah lots of characters, this is goiing to be a rich plot as the author crafts a tale to blend all these parts together." How wrong I was. Griffin provides details of these new cast members, and then promptly discards most of them. And he is still introducing new characters after 100 pages. And this is part of the reason that there is no rhythem to the book...his interesting plot is strangled by distracting detail and weak plot building technique. I felt as if he was writing a book following the dot-to-dot method, and at the end, he just got bored with it and, realizing that it was time to end it, just tossed in of a few pages of writing to end it. A five star concept that became a one star book.
Rating: Summary: some Griffin goodness, but also disturbing flaws Review: This, the third in the Men at War series, takes us to the European theatre with Canidy, Whittaker, Bitter and company. Strong characters such as Fulmar, the Duchess and Canidy are back.There's a reasonable amount of action, although it's somewhat disjointed, as if certain minor gaps in the story were a little too much trouble to fill. The large amount of material on the German characters gives an interesting look at life in the black of the SS-SD. We see some of the 'military/naval moments' that Griffin does so well. On the other hand, we have the usual bodice-ripping sexual stuff, with the normal number of oversexed females practically ravishing males. At least in this book none of them seem to be virgins suddenly surrendering their 'pearl of great price', as Griffin usually describes the hymen. And, of course, we cannot get through a book without at least one character being unfaithful to a spouse. Be advised also that this is a reprint of a book first published long ago, so its current state may not reflect the evolution of Griffin's style in the intervening time. If you are new to Men at War but not to Griffin, this may catch you a bit off guard. Recommended provided you are accustomed to, or don't much mind, some of the weaknesses.
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