The Winds of War

By: Herman Wouk

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

Length: 45 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

A masterpiece of historical fiction, this is the Great Novel of America's "Greatest Generation".

Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues in War and Remembrance, stands as the crowning achievement of one of America's most celebrated storytellers. Like no other books about the war, Wouk's spellbinding narrative captures the tide of global events - and all the drama, romance, heroism, and tragedy of World War II - as it immerses us in the lives of a single American family drawn into the very center of the war's maelstrom.

Also listen to War and Remembrance.

©1971 Herman Wouk (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Wouk's real genius lies not just in the narrative power of his books, but in his empathy with the people and the times of which he writes…. The genius of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance is that they not only tell the story of the Holocaust, but tell it within the context of World War II, without which there is no understanding it." ( The Washington Post)

Wonderful book with an amazing narrator!

Narrators can make or break even the best of books...Kevin Pariseau was absolutely amazing. I always knew what character was speaking and the voices were so consistent throughout this lengthy book. I was impressed with Kevin's accents...nice job!
The Winds of War is a masterpiece and classic in my opinion. Herman Wouk developed the characters so well that you feel you know them and want to know more about their lives by the end of the book. Loved it!

enjoyable book and series

Would you listen to The Winds of War again? Why?

It was most interesting and the story didn't bog down like some

What other book might you compare The Winds of War to and why?

the companion book read this one first

Holds up well

I first read the book 30 years and thought it was great. Hearing it now reminds me why I thought that. Great listen. Will go on to book 2.

awesome ww2 saga

This was a pretty awesome World War II saga. Looking forward to the sequel. Great characters and an interesting snapshot of what led to America entering World War II.

Excellent period piece

Great novel, wonderfully narrated, much better now than when I read it in high school.

Fantastic book(s)!

This is a great listen!! It helped me understand WWII so much better, but you have to be prepared to listen to War and Remembrance immediately after Winds of War. The way it's written really made this period of history come alive for me. Plus, the narrator made it come alive with his various character voices and pleasant voice. I thoroughly enjoyed these two books, even though it was a long listen!!!

Absorbing historical novel

Set in the years leading up to U.S. involvement in WWII, Herman Wouk's multi-dimensional historical novel brings the conflicts, the complex issues and the key players to richly imagined life. It's easy to forget these are fictional characters and I found it fascinating to see the approaching inevitable war through their eyes. This is a very long audiobook but well worth the dramatic hours. I immediately added Wouk's War and Remembrance to my list when I finished it.

An excellent story, well-read.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Winds of War to be better than the print version?

I've never read the print version of this book, nor had I seen the television version of it, so the story was all new to me.

Any additional comments?

I thought it was an excellent story. To me, the only character that was really developed was Pug Henry. You don't really get to know any of the other characters -- especially the women, who can seem shallow or mere caricatures. Despite this, I enjoyed the book. I found the historical aspects of the book to be very interesting, and I would think that anyone who is not interested in WWII history would not be interested in this book at all.

The performance was excellent and it was easy to listen to.

Great historical fiction!

What did you love best about The Winds of War?

The interwoven people and their own '6 degrees of separation'.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoy historical and military related stories and this one brings the world of pre-WWII and on into the start of WWII events into perspective.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Pariseau – was your favorite?

I liked the main character (Pug Henry).

If you could rename The Winds of War, what would you call it?

The existing title carries a good/informative sense of the story line. No change!!

Any additional comments?

No

A War Drama

If you could sum up The Winds of War in three words, what would they be?

family;ignorance and prejudice

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gives a good description of the dynamics of the start of World War Two.

Which scene was your favorite?

by writing different characters with a lot of different ways of looking at a situation.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nothing excellent performance.