Herman Wouk wrote this guidebook to explain Judaism about 40 years ago:
One of the giants. RIP.
I always thought The Caine Mutiny was a very good book. I don’t think I ever saw the movie.
These are great books IMHO. Kind of long-1200 pages or so each, but great. FYI "Winds of War" is the lead-up to war and more or less ends at Pearl Harbor. "War and Remembrance" is about the war itself and the Holocaust.
I recall being in the Library passing by a few shelves full of his books. Most Herman Wouk books were physically HUGE! The book spines would measure 3.5 inches across on some.
Too much of a challenge for me to even begin.
I had a big enough battle plowing through War & Peace.
Somehow I'm thinking of the SNL Cowbell skit where Christopher Walken (aka Bruce Dickinson -- yes: the Bruce Dickinson) says, "You're all going to wearing solid gold diapers!"
And someone says, "What does that even mean??"
I had the great honor of hearing him a few years ago at the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA. One of the few authors worth a damn that show up for that far left affair. I have rarely felt more honored than to be in the presence of someone. He was a GIANT, and amazing national treasure. Ive read many of his books and plan to read them all.
Herman Wouk wrote this guidebook to explain Judaism about 40 years ago:
Best line. “You respect the Captain because he is the Captain and you are not.” Respect means support and service to the best of your abilities despite difficult circumstances. The veterans who read Caine Mutiny inherently understood the concept and its value. Today narcissistic millennials and most Americans find such insights incomprehensible.
Rest in peace, Chaim ben Avraham. Thanks for your incredible books, and your attempts to keep this a moral nation. Sincere condolences to your family.
One of the great ones. I don’t know his equal among the current crop.
May he RIP.
5.56mm
well I’ll dig them out and watch all 20 segments again
Winds of War and War and Remembrance are the greatest fictional account of WW II there is.
Pug Henry, the definitive Naval officer was everywhere and saw it all. What a fabulous tale
God bless him. Rest in peace, Mr. Wouk.
Wow, great author. R.I.P. Loved Caine Mutiny book. And great flick with Humphrey Bogart.
Like Fritz Hollings a few weeks ago, though, definitely one for the category of “Wow, actually kind of surprised to hear that he was still alive so recently.” May we all end up in that category.
What kind of title was that for this article? I find it kind of insulting.
I loved reading Herman Wouk novels.
He appeared as a mystery guest on “What’s My Line,” and that’s how I found out he started as a comedy writer. Coincidentally, Fred Allen was a panelist on that show. One of Wouk’s books came up just yesterday as a suggestion on Kindle. I knew he was old, and wondered if he were still around. A great writer and man. RIP.
I had been trying to remember the name of a Herman Wouk novel that I considered one his most underrated, it was “Inside/Outside”.
I remember my Great Uncle John telling me to read it as it was unlike any of Wouk’s other novels and he was right. It was different, funny and poignant at the same time.
Great novel.
This "Jackie Robinson of jewish authors" is an interesting claim. In college I took a class on short fiction and the fiction of ubran jewish authors in the 40s and 50s was obviously a pet rock of the professor. We read a lot of Bernard Malamud and Philip Roth and people like that. But Herman Wouk's name was never mentioned. I guess he just wrote novels, not short fiction. I never knew he paved the way for those other guys.
----------------------Robinson Of Jewish-American Fiction,' Dies At 103,P.-----“I’m a lot drunker than you, so it will be a fair fight.”
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