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)

The Winds of War

Winds of War is part one, followed by War and Remembrance, of the story of the Henry family in the period leading up to Pearl Harbor. Herman Wouk has distilled much of the history of World War II in these two volumes, seen primarily from the point of view of an American Navy family. It covers a lot of territory -- not just the United States mainland, Hawaii (not yet a state in the union), prewar Germany, Russia, and Italy, among other places. Wouk clearly draws on his experiences in the U.S. Navy in World War II, which gives great authenticity to the story, His solid background research makes this a good overview of the developing war and its complications make this suitable for anyone who might read a sweeping novel, but be reluctant to read a non-fiction account, no matter how well-written (and there are great historian writers out there whose work is quite accessible to armchair historians). One intriguing feature of the story is the inclusion of the overview of the war from the German point of view, as written by the character of Armin von Roon, a German submariner during his postwar imprisonment.
The story is in the family saga genre, which I usually don't care for. but the characters are plausible, and their dilemmas and adventures kept my attention throughout. I did find it rather strange that Bryan Henry, the wayward son who went to Italy to study art, ends up marrying a Jewish woman, but this served to open the narrative to bring in more of the European aspects of the war, and begin to address the dire consequences for the Jews of Europe. The situation in which Natalie Henry (nee Jastrow) finds herself, trapped in fascist Italy as the war in Europe progresses, seemed at first far-fetched, but in fact, many real Jews found themselves in equally strange circumstances with bizarre escapes as well as tragic ends. Having worked with some of the major Holocaust historians, I know that many events were in some cases stranger than fiction and well-documented.
The narrator is quite good, which adds immensely to the enjoyment of this long, long novel. I have only some slight quibbles about his attempts at pronouncing the few Hebrew words, and the German and Italian and Russian accented-English of the characters.
My only complaint: it was hard to make myself turn off the recording and get on with my work or go to sleep. Like any great novel, hard to put down.

I am enjoying it.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended it, but most think it is too long, and would be too slow.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Winds of War?

Escaping from Warsaw after the German invasion.

Which scene was your favorite?

Not sure

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

No

True to it's subject and time.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, It's historically accurate as well as entertaining

Who was your favorite character and why?

Victor "Pug" Henry

Have you listened to any of Kevin Pariseau’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I intend to add him to my list of outstanding performers. He is a very intelligent narrator, actor and personality. He is thoroughly prepared to introduce you to every charactor in these books. They come alive and you forget that this is one man performing every role.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Years ago, I watched the mini-series on TV. The book is so much better.

BEHIND THE SCENE CLOSEUP

Through the eyes of a naval family we are taken to Berlin, London, the Kremlin and the White House where we get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in world dramas. One family member marries a Jew hence we also get a thorough look at the attempted genocide of the Jewish citizens who come under the sway of the Nazis. The author also attempts to show us a history of World War II from the point of view of a German historian.

The Narrator's stulted rendition takes a bit of getting used to but the story is so riveting this can be forgiven.

A great story and a wonderful way to absorb history! I didn't want the book to end.

Simply great

The performance is top notch, which is fitting for such a top notch piece of literature. Wonderful historic novel. Recommend listening several times in your lifetime.

Why did it end there?!

Loved the story, although was a bit snobby about how 'low-brow' it seemed at first. Came to love following the different tracks of the characters (even those I thought were awful!), but was rather peeved to be cut off less than halfway through the war! The extent of the bok wasn't apparent, and certainly wasn't indicated by audible...

the greatest generation THANK YOU TO THEM ALL

If you wonder what we've lost
by forgetting who we are give a listent soonest

Great novel, great performance

The array of distinct voices by the single narrator is amazing. It felt like a full-cast production. The novel is great, the "War and Peace" of WWII.

Rare Masterpiece! 10 stars!

It's been said that a masterpiece is perfect intersection of intention and execution; thus is The Winds of War. The voice acting couldn't be more perfectly paired with such a timeless story - the
way Herman Wouk's characters are brought to life by Kevin Pariseau is unmatched in the audio book world where the sometimes the wrong actor is voicing the wrong book. This is my second listen of both The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, and if i could give it 10 stars, I would.

Fantastic

Very good story and history lesson combined. I enjoyed every minute. The narrator was phenomenal. I will listen to War and Remembrance next.