The Bridges at Toko-Ri

This book was fast paced and well written. The authors descriptive powers were excellent. You saw what he described in your mind. The story brought to life the Korean war and what it was like to land a plane on a aircraft carrier. It was way to short and could have been longer.

I have heard the Korean War described as America's "forgotten war," so I was eager to read James Michener's "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." A short novel about United States fighter pilots taking part in the Korean conflict, this book is an entertaining, and often very thoughtful, story of this era.The plot of the book is driven by a daring plan to destroy the strategic bridges of the title. The main characters in the story are George Tarrant, a no-nonsense admiral with a painful personal burden; Mike Forney, a tough and passionate Irish-American enlisted man; and Harry Brubaker, a husband and father who resents being recalled to military service as a pilot.Michener creates an effective blend of action and personal drama. His narrative is full of interesting, vividly rendered details about life on an aircraft carrier.Yes, some of the book's characters and situations seem a bit stereotypical; the female characters, in particular, struck me as one-dimensional. But overall this book is an impressive achievement. Michener creates a compelling portrait of men at war. This book deserves a continuing audience; I thank Michener for helping to keep the legacy of Korean War veterans alive with this novel.

This is almost a novella; it can easily be read in an afternoon. I read this after seeing the movie, and it's one of those rare occassions where I like the movie better than the book. The book is still compelling, though. A Navy attack pilot is reluctantly thrust into the Korean War, and seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This man wants nothing more than to come home to his wife and kids, all of whom he loves deeply. In case you've never seen it, I highly recommend the 1954 movie with William Holden, Frederic March, Grace Kelly, Mickey Rooney, Earl Holliman. Only minor parts of the story were changed for the movie, otherwise it's very faithful.

This book, although short, got to the point quickly. After the pilot goes to war, he soon discovers what actually goes on there. The book soon progresses into an emotional rollercoaster where only one man seems important. The ending of this book can teach a lesson to those who havn't experienced war first-hand.

In this story, Michener describes the true horrors of war. He tells in a spellbinding fashion the story of a pilot in the Korean War. His wife visits him during the book and tells the pilot no one cares about the war in the United States. The pilot goes through a period of doubt that ultimately brings the story to an end.