Rating: 
Summary: First rate epic with history and romance
Review: I finished War and Remembrance last night and, after 1800 pages of it and the prequel (Winds of War), I wish it had been longer. Wouk defines the genre of historical fiction with a cast of characters that bring World War II to life. I would strongly recommend that you read Winds of War and War and Remembrance in sequence, because it adds an extra dimension to the main characters.Where Herman Wouk succeeds beyond measure is in providing glimpses into nearly every perspective in the war, making this a sophisticated tour of the unprecedented industrial war that defined the last century. You will visit the Pacific war, London during the blitz, Poland during the German invasion, occupied France, Moscow, Leningrad and Berlin. When the truth is as incredible as WWII, little fiction is needed: Wouk takes few if any liberties with the facts, and the result is both riveting and educational. Particularly refreshing: the characters are real, not perfect, and we can identify with their problems. The desperation is real, and the story unfolds with utmost realism. The author obviously recognized a duty to treat his subject with complete respect and accuracy, sacrificing nothing to commercial demands for fiction. I would agree with several other reviewers that this could well be the best means of learning the history of the war ever conceived. Yes, it takes a long time to read. But the immensity and quality make it an experience. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Introducing Terezin-a fake Jewish town with bad food
Review: I found War and Remembrance a fascinating read. It continues with the plot lines from The Winds of War and introduces new ones: an affair between in-laws Janice Henry and Byron Henry; how Auschwitz was constructed from the ground up, using Berel Jastrow as its narrator; how the US Navy creamed the Japanese at Midway; and other battles (I forgot the name of the other one, but it used the code word "Sho") we got a glimpse of Oak Ridge National Lab using Capt.Pug Henry's eyes, as he sought a solution to a D-Day landing craft construction problem; we were introduced to Terezin, a town founded by Nazis as a "Pushkin village," to demonstrate that the cream of European Jews weren't being butchered like sheep--oh yes they were!; and the world's reaction (or its disbelief) to the shock of the Nazi death camps' existence-embassy staffer Leslie Slote and Berel Jastrow both tried to get the world's attention on this matter, with neglible results. The novel is a thick tome, but it reads fast.
Rating:
Summary: Like Dickens - big, fat, dense, demanding and rewarding.
Review: I often look for books that take demand much of the reader and reward him with something that small, less involved books can not do. Herman Wouk's epic "War and Remembrance" is that kind of book. As a history major in college I search for historical fiction that can not only describe the Zeitgeist of a time but rather transport me into the overall feeling of the time - the language, mannerisms, imagery and sense of knowledge. Mr. Wouk captured this feeling for people who did not have the experince of living through the greatest world conflict in history. His character development is exceptional, his writing style - while rough in the beginning of the prequel, "The Winds of War" - matures fully and reaches full stride. The result is one cannot imagine another person even attempting to write what Mr. Wouk did as he closes out the saga of the Henry family - it is that well done. His historical themes are accurate and at times, illuminating. One cannot but respect the knowledge and insight that Mr. Wouk brings to his German character, von Roon, in von Roon's fictional military works throughout the work. His portrayal of the Jewish experience is involved and accurate and his treatment of treating war as hell - no good guys or bad guys, just players - is also accurate. By the end, one wishes that the saga of the Henry family would continue much in the same way as John Jakes takes his readers through several centuries with his family, the Kents. Overall, a masterpiece that will become part of the WWII canon of literature and a requirement for any serious reader who looks for something more in a book than an alternative to television.
Rating:
Summary: Like Dickens - big, fat, dense, demanding and rewarding.
Review: I often look for books that take demand much of the reader and reward him with something that small, less involved books can not do. Herman Wouk's epic "War and Remembrance" is that kind of book. As a history major in college I search for historical fiction that can not only describe the Zeitgeist of a time but rather transport me into the overall feeling of the time - the language, mannerisms, imagery and sense of knowledge. Mr. Wouk captured this feeling for people who did not have the experince of living through the greatest world conflict in history. His character development is exceptional, his writing style - while rough in the beginning of the prequel, "The Winds of War" - matures fully and reaches full stride. The result is one cannot imagine another person even attempting to write what Mr. Wouk did as he closes out the saga of the Henry family - it is that well done. His historical themes are accurate and at times, illuminating. One cannot but respect the knowledge and insight that Mr. Wouk brings to his German character, von Roon, in von Roon's fictional military works throughout the work. His portrayal of the Jewish experience is involved and accurate and his treatment of treating war as hell - no good guys or bad guys, just players - is also accurate. By the end, one wishes that the saga of the Henry family would continue much in the same way as John Jakes takes his readers through several centuries with his family, the Kents. Overall, a masterpiece that will become part of the WWII canon of literature and a requirement for any serious reader who looks for something more in a book than an alternative to television.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbroken!
Review: I read some chapter in library every day. Today, i read the chapter of the little girl Miriam going on the train with her teacher, Ms. Rosen behind her. The scene is really heartbroken. In reading this, i hate Nazis to a degree not able to be expressed in words.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest novels about World War II
Review: I'm a bit too young for World War II, but my dad--enlisting in the Navy at age 17--survived Pearl Harbor, a close-range battleship attack on his ship (the USS San Francisco) at the battle of Guadalcanal, and personal participation in the invasion of Guam (3rd wave, to set up a communications station). As a Navy brat, I played on abandoned pillboxes in the jungle outside of Subic Bay (Philippines) in the late 50s and picked up empty shell casings on a group family outing to Corregador. That said, I consider _The Winds of War_ and _War and Remembrance_ to be the greatest novels written about World War II. The historical detail is dead on, the military, political, and social commentary is brilliant, and the story itself keeps you page-turning for a few thousand pages. It is a heart-wrenching book that helps one grasp--six decades later--what it was like to have the entire world plunged into war, with a close look at the horrors of the Holocaust. Wouk actually served in the US Navy in the Pacific during WW II. He lived through the war and brings that whole era to life in a way that I doubt any current author could. And yet they are utterly relevant today. I frankly think they should be required reading in college or even high school. Read them. ..bruce..
Rating:
Summary: AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER ALL THE WAY.
Review: IF YOU DON'T LAUGH AND CRY IN THIS BOOK, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP READING ALL TOGETHER. THIS IS THE BEST HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL EVER WRITTEN. IT TAKES YOU FROM AMERICA'S ENTRY INTO WWII TO THE EMOTIONAL CONCLUSION IN 1945. THIS IS THE CONTINUING STORY OF ONE FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITH THE WAR ON 3 CONTINENTS. FROM THE SUBMARINE BATTLES IN THE PACIFIC TO THE HORRORS OF THE NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS, THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL. A REAL WINNER, AND MAYBE MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME. BUT READ THE WINDS OF WAR BEFORE YOU PICK THIS ONE UP. ALSO A GOOD MINI-SERIES
Rating:
Summary: A really sound job of making history come alive....
Review: If you've never read any books by this author, and you're a fan of anything historical, you've really missed out..... This was the third book by Wouk that I read (after the Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War). His works of fiction can in many ways bring home history better than most textbooks: his carefully sketched portraits of Rooseveldt, for instance (in this book) make him seem to me, at twenty-two a person whereas any biography of him would make him seem more of a demigod.... Wouk aside from this is just a good read. He presents characters that you care about-- they seem almost real. You feel for loves lost and loves spurned, and-- as I did-- get so caught up in their lives that often you have to read more of his books to find out how they turned out.... For anyone who is a fan of history and isn't put off by reading eight hundred pages that you can't put down prose, I'd highly recommend this book.... read "Winds of War" first, though, such that you don't spoil it....
Rating:
Summary: An outstanding mix of fiction and non-fiction
Review: Mr. Wouk is the master at weaving interesting fictional characters and storylines into real-life historical drama. In the beginning I was enthralled by the Henry's and the war. By the end I was touched by the reuniting of Louis and Natalie. I've read the book twice and I watch the entire mini-series about once every two or three years.
Rating: 
Summary: To the reviewer from Turducken
Review: Please oh please do not give away the ending as you've done! Or at least warn the reader you're about to spill the beans. I was so looking forward to reading the follow-up epic to Winds of War. Now, half the fun is gone.
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