book reviews
Reviews of must-read military books including military history, veteran memoirs, the politics of defense and of war.
Book Review - The Paris Library by Janet Charles
Namo Namaha friends. In this post, I'll be reviewing The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. This is a World War II historical fiction novel about a group of people doing their best to keep a library alive despite the entire world around them falling apart!
3 Obscure Novels of the World Wars
Some of the most turbulent times in modern history have been the world wars lasting from 1914 through to 1918 and then again from 1939 through to 1945. Many authors have written novels set in or about this time - both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the most famous including "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusack (fiction), "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank (non-fiction) and even "All Quiet on the Western Front" by EM Remarque (semi-autobiographical).
Annie KapurPublished 3 years ago in ServeBook Review: "Balcony in the Forest" by Julien Gracq
Set in the war of 1939, the Second World War that is, this book makes an attempt at being a subversive war novel from the rest. Including dream sequences, almost folklore-ish creatures and stories, the book is almost trying to hard to get away from the type that is already running through it via its premise: a war novel. Do I think that this takes away from the harsh realities of the war? Yes, but only slightly. Let me explain.
Annie KapurPublished 3 years ago in ServeCounter-transference
In this paper I will discuss my reflections about countertransference regarding the novel, Sparta by Roxana Robinson. Conrad experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and severe anxiety reminded me of friends and family members that have served in the military. A few people that I know have expressed to me their thoughts and feelings of being torn between civilian life and the life of a soldier. I have seen their pain. And to read about another person’s experiences, reminded me of those long nights of comforting my friends and family members. I have seen people that I care about try to hide or deny what they are experiencing, and eventually, they explode and have come close to hurting someone that they love. Reading Conrad’s story took me back to those moments in my life. This book helped me to gain a better understanding of my experiences with second hand trauma and my view of the military world.
Book Review: "The Memoir of an Anti-Hero" by Kornel Filipowicz
“The Memoir of an Anti-Hero” by Kornel Filipowicz is a book about a man who wants to survive in the midst of a world war. Whilst everyone else is concerned with doing something heroic to save themselves or their fellow man from the German Nazi invasion, this guy tries his best to hide from the limelight and thus protect himself. For the most of it, he really doesn’t mind either. He doesn’t seem to be impacted by this and he states that these people don’t require ‘pity’ or salvation. However, as the book progresses, there are a number of thoughts that come pouring in through his mind, sort of breaking their way through in small bursts until the end of the book.
Annie KapurPublished 4 years ago in Serve'Our Sins' by Geoff M. Pereira
Working as a writer is not easy. The establishment often turns its back on independent writers, even though most of the great literature of history has come from authors who existed on the fringe. If you are a writer looking to generate some buzz for your novel, check out this article about how to get book reviews.
Walter RheinPublished 5 years ago in ServeTop 10 Books Inspired by War
War is a dark cloud that has hovered over the shining sun of human's time on Earth. Between heartbreaking casualties, the burden on families, and the overall feeling of dread within the bleak trenches of despair, wartime is far from a pretty picture.
Brett TortorelloPublished 5 years ago in ServeThe 10 Best Military Biographies of All Time
War is hell; there is no denying the atrocities committed during a time of such insurmountable strife. Unfortunately though, war is a reality that people have had to face as long as this species has walked the Earth. Generals, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Army foot soldiers alike have been writing down their experiences with war all this time, to give the civilian population a look at war is really like, as well as teach future leaders the skills they need to learn if they are to find success on and off the battlefields. Many of these military biographies are true stories about brave service members and their unmatched heroism and experiences, but the best military biographies to have ever been published are a step above the rest.
Bill ShaffirPublished 5 years ago in ServeBest World War II Memoirs
There are very few, if any, wars that are quite as fascinating as World War II. It was one of the deadliest wars in world history, filled with action-packed fighting and daring rescues. It was a war filled with stories that are both surreal and relatable at the same time.
Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 5 years ago in ServeThe 10 Best Books Written by Vietnam War Veterans
Few American military conflicts of the 20th century were as controversial as the Vietnam War. Being the first major American military blunder to happen, more or less in the public eye, it comes as no surprise that there has been a lot of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, centered around it. However, the deep division brought on by the conflict served to distort our understanding of the events and the impact it had on our country.
Fred Eugene ParkPublished 5 years ago in Serve10 Books About WWI That Will Make You Think
In today's society, people are too often ignorant of certain historical events of great significance. While pop culture has heavily analyzed World War II—among other wars in American history (even that of today's ongoing war in the Middle East with many must read books about the war in Afghanistan)—in film, literature, and television, they have paid considerably less tribute to World War I. Though it was an incredibly important event in its own right, many people simply see it as the prequel to World War II. Those same people likely are unaware that, in its time, World War I was known as the Great War, or that the spread of the so called "Spanish Flu," worsened by the war, was one of the deadliest epidemics in recorded history (far deadlier than the war itself). However, if you wish to learn more about this critical event in world history, there are still many books about WWI that cover every aspect of the war from trench warfare, to dogfights in the sky, and much more.
Fred Eugene ParkPublished 5 years ago in Serve'All Quiet on the Western Front'—Food for Sustenance
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is considered the greatest war novel of all time. The perspective of the story takes place from a soldier on the enemy side of World War I. Readers get to walk through the life of a young soldier, Paul, on his perspective of the events of the war. Paul and many other soldiers go through the difficulties of war as they face many near-death experiences. This book really shows how war can eat away someone's sanity through the traumatizing effects when watching your friends die and killing a person who you don’t even know. This affects Paul the most because he doesn’t know how to put his feelings into words. As the events go by in the story, rather than staying at home with his family, Paul would rather be in the war fighting so he can ignore his feelings and thoughts. This section in the book makes one wonder if all the soldiers felt this way. The soldiers don’t have much of anything in the war to make them happy, but a quote which stands out from the story is, “Now they have the two things a soldier needs for contentment, good food and good rest” (138). A soldier never get much food and it’s amazing the soldiers ever get to eat. Food for sustenance is a very important theme in the story of All Quiet on the Western Front and it becomes a major aspect of the soldier's lives while they fight.
Marielle SabbagPublished 5 years ago in Serve