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)

Still a fantastic work

I read Winds of War 40 years ago when it came out & have reread it at least once since. It has always remained one of my all time favorites. The audio version is just wonderful with great narration that brings the characters to life. As with the book, I lived the story for the last several days as I listened every minute available.
The depth of the story, large cast of characters that Herman Wouk handles like a master so you never think, "now who is this?" & the way he paints visual images of people, places & events fully immerses the reader from page 1.
There is never a boring minute. Even with the length of this book, I was ready for more as it finished, not glad it was done.
I would recommend this audiobook to everyone & only hope War & Remembrance will come next & soon.

I had forgotten

I seem to fit in the same demographic as many other reviewers of this book. I first read it about 40 years ago when it was released and then saw the made-for-TV movie. In the intervening years I had forgotten how well Herman Wouk wrote (as of today he is still alive but no longer writing) and how well drawn and compelling the main characters of the book are.

The story, of course, is that of a naval family drawn into the start of World War II up to the point of America's entry into the war. As a vehicle for telling the story of the period up to the Pearl Harbor attack the main character, "Pug" Henry, ends up being assigned to posts that have him, or members of his family, at important places during important times. Thus we get to see vignettes of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Joesph Stalin and Adolph Hitler as well as those around all of them.

The characters are compelling, the events were real, the story well-drawn and important and the family large enough to have members scattered around the globe and seeing events from many different perspectives. This is a first class book, extremely well read and highly recommended.

An Epic Worthy of Your Hard-Earned Audible Credit

Where do I begin on this audiobook? Hmmm.

It's hard, as there's so much that's already been stated in other reviews.

Ok, I'll keep this one very short and to the point.

Good historical novels engage you. They pull you into a maelstrom of events that will define future history, if you will. You'll relate it to where our nation is today. The sign that you've an excellent historic novel is that you'll want to read another excellent one. And Wouk's novel does exactly that, and much more.

Be prepared to have a better understanding of exactly WHY we went to war, and I mean the PERSONAL why. Why individuals chose to put their life on the line. You'll see how events came together to move the war as it did. You'll also gain a fantastic insight on how this war affected people on a gut level. Not just the news and facts, but how the news and facts shaped individuals as well as nations.

And again, I do NOT give spoilers or reveals in my reviews. The journey of an excellent audiobook shouldn't be ruined in a review of the work.

So, if you want fluff, then do NOT select this audiobook.

However, if you're looking for a thought-provoking, challenging, stirring and entertaining listen, you must have this audiobook.

Enjoy!

Best fictionalized novel re WWII

Everything in this book superior; the character development and descriptions, from the hairs on an old woman's chin to the strong smell of garlic and tobacco on a peasant, relationships between spouses, lovers, children, rivals, nationalities shows a real knowledge and understanding of people. Exploring the mindset of the German, Russian, Italian, British, US, Japanese, Philipino groups fascinating. What led up to the mass murder of Jews and the deaths of millions of other people explained. Much preventable bloodshed due to inaction, indifference, selfishness, fear, hatred, prejudice, ignorance, and stupidity.

Learned A LOT. The length a bargain; I was sorry when it was over, it flew by and am very glad there is a sequel.

The narrator EXCELLENT; different accents of the different nationalities, socio-economic groups, male and female, always right.

One of the BEST ficticious/histories out there

Being able to blend pure fiction with actual historical events takes something akin to genius. It's done here perfectly. IF you love WWII, and you are in need of a compelling story about that time in history, then this is an absolute gem. It's a commitment, but well worth it. To echoe a few other reviews...I NEVER would've thought an audiobook could hold my interest for over 50 hours, but this one did!

For those who slept through World History class.

A most informative history lesson of World Ear II told amidst a most enjoyable fiction of a war time family.

Almost causes me to wish I had been there

In the past month, I have waded through both Winds of War and War and Remembrance. I suppose preferences for narrators are highly personal, but I cannot understand any of the objections to Kevin Pariseau. I found his work delightful, with particular regard for the voice he assigns Pug Henry. With dozens of voices in an epic of this magnitude, Pariseau makes each character recognizably new.

The quality of Wouk's fiction is unimpeachable. Within the genre of historical fiction, this work commands both respect and engagement of the reader. Naturally, having one character appear in so many different parts of the world in such formative events politically and militarily stretches the imagination a bit, but this is the nature of fiction. Wouk makes this nearly credible while drawing in the dominant historical figures of the era.

Read it twice

I have read this book twice. Everything about it is perfection. Better than the movie version. Plus it's length prevents me from the crippling anxiety of starting a new book for at least a week or 2

An absolute masterpiece

Books do not get any better than this. As a novel it is superb. As a memoir, on history it is remarkable. Somewhere I recently read that this book is not studied in the colleges of the United States. This is a big mistake. In addition to telling a wonderful story, Herman Woulk invents several wonderful literary devices to document the historical occurrences that the story doesn't directly touch. His Empire Lost "book within the book" is a brilliant device. I read this and War and Remembrance as a young man in the Navy in the 70's and was very moved. I have now re-read it as an old man and am even more moved. But more than that, it reminds me of the history that we seem to be forgetting and possibly repeating these very days.

Two Stars !

Yes, I rated this book 5 Stars in all three categories.

But, there are two stars here; Herman Wouk and Kevin Pariseau. The story Wouk tells is incredibly compelling and engaging. Just when I though I might have had enough of one character or situation he switched gears and always left me wanting more.
Pariseau, I think, is brilliant. So many characters, nationalities, accents and ages; but he does them all and does them well. He brought those characters to life for me in a way I may not have done reading the book.

I can't wait for War and Remembrance.