War and Remembrance

Being a woman not well versed in military terminology or familiar with WWII, I was unprepared for this magnificent, captivating and thought provoking novel.The descriptions of the submarines and the war strategies were as interesting as the characters. I agree with another reviewer that the Holocaust descriptions were horrifying but nonetheless accurate. When I read the descriptions, I kept thinking about my Jewish friends and wondering how a man as deranged as Hitler could hypnotize so many people into performing those hideous acts. Mr. Wouk stated that he hoped to see the end of war, yet he clearly understood that war is not simply a necessary evil but necessary because of evil. The events of the Holocaust must never be forgotten. Mr. Wouk created memorable characters, each flawed in their own way, yet engaging, very likeable and often heroic. The depth of research required to create this story staggers the mind, yet history and fiction meld into a wonderful story that will stay with you long after you close this book. This is a great story told by a great writer.

WOW. Exceptional historical research, developed characters and subplots, great storytelling. A book for the ages. With Winds of War (read it first), this was a 2000+ page trek. Worth it and very satisfying. While being entertained, the reader receives an educational narrative of the progression of events, the atmosphere, and the personalities of WWII. Among the most enjoyable aspects for me was reading the face-to-face encounters with important personages of the war (at least Wouk's interpretation of them). It was the next best thing to having sat in a room with these people. By cleverly using a fictional family and its involvement in the war, Wouk takes the reader all over the world, providing a wonderful comprehensive overview of WWII. Finishing it meant saying goodbye to old and beloved friends. I repeat . . . WOW.

Herman Wouk is a great writer. With War and Remembrance and its predecessor, The Winds of War, He sealed his reputation as a great writer of historical fiction. Unlike such writers as Leon Uris, who tends to create heroic larger than life heroes and James Michener, who skimps on characterization altogether, Wouk creates brilliantly real figures who seem to live, breath and sometimes die. Whereas the Winds of War covers the period from just prior to the German invasion of Poland in Sept. 1939 through Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, War and Remembrance covers the period from after Pearl through the surrender of Japan in August 1945. As with the previous book, Wouk blends his fictional characters with real figures such as Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin and Hitler. By exploring the experiences of the fictional Henry family and their extended acquaintances, Wouk manages to cover virtually every aspect of this sprawling epic struggle between good and evil. There is Victor "Pug" Henry, stoic Navy captain, his dutiful bound son Warren, a Navy flyer bound for action in the Pacific, his formerly wayward son Byron, now a submarine officer who marries the Jewish woman Natalie Jastrow in Europe. Natalie herself is trapped in Italy with her Uncle, the intellectual scholar Aaron Jastrow and her baby Louis. The Nazi vice that slowly closes on the American born Natalie is excruciating yet stunningly realistic. There is Leslie Slote, the callous foreign service officer who has an epiphany when he discovers the plans for the Final Solution and there are many many others. Wouk blends the personal stories of these characters with an expositional account of the war. He uses the device of a fictional memoir of an imprisoned German officer to prsent the war from the German perspective. It is bone-chilling reading. Finally, Wouk's stunning descriptions of Auschwitz are the most realistic and engrossing description of the Holocaust I have ever read. This book is moving, gripping and engrossing. It is also highly educational. The reader of War and Remembrance will learn a great deal about the Second World War and the War will be brought to life by this book better than any history. This novel should not be missed nor should The Winds of War.

All at once , this book is the greatest history lesson, the most exciting drama and the most intriguing story I have ever read. The 1500 or so pages ( and of course, the prequel "Winds of War") may seem intimidating at first, but trust me, stick it out. The temptation is great to skip around in this book, especially to fictitous general Armin Von Roon's continuing analysis of the war from a German perspective, but the story should be read cover to cover to get the true flavor and development of the story. The heart rending trimphs and tragedies that strike the Henry clan in every theatre of the world make war and Rememberance an emotional thriller as well. Character development is also a Wouk strong point. Byron Henry starts Winds of war as an irresponsible loafing boy without a care in the world. By the time the novel ends, Byron has become a serious, emotional, successful naval officer with a wife that he would do anything to save and a son he'd do anything to find. The great thing is though, that Wouk does not skip a stage in Byron's development. By the time I finished reading both novels, it was hard to avoid identifying with Byron as if he were a real person. By the way, I also think that the ABC mini- series based on the book was the greatest picture to ever appear in the history of television and movies. I realize I sound a little exagerated and corny, but I simply can't believe that there has been so little attention paid to this masterpiece and the tremendous mini- series.