War and Remembrance

By: Herman Wouk

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of World War II, which begins with The Winds of War and continues here 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.

These multimillion-copy best sellers are stirringly read by Kevin Pariseau for their first appearance in downloadable audio.

Also listen to The Winds of War.©1978 Herman Wouk (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliant…. An outstanding novel and at the same time a great work of history…. Wouk has more than recaptured the period; he has given it life." (Henry Kissinger)

"Those who lived through World War II can most fully appreciate the resonances in this uncommonly readable book. But it is clearly meant – and recommended – for those who did not." ( Time)

"Moving, thrilling fiction…. Wouk is a magnificent storyteller." ( Boston Globe)

Wouk plus Pariseau equals genius

After reading and listening to "The Winds of War" I knew I would love "War and Remembrance" but the achievements of Wouk as a dramatist and historian in this sequel are significantly surpassing the first part. Not only are characters and scenes masterly presented but is the entire saga from the fist minute to the end consistent and captivating. I have never heard a more artistic and enjoyable narrating as the one by Kevin Pariseau. Only a person deeply enjoying his work is able to achieve such an outstanding performance. Kevin is coloring the entire story - just listen to part 4, chapter 5 @ 25:43 where he reads the scene on the airbase in Greenland - comedy pure. Pariseau manages all emotions, sings (and I guess dances) and he is also amazing when compassion and silent tones are required. I read and heard a lot about WW II history but can even recommend "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" to learn about this global disaster - better than a lot of history books. All in all a revelation - nothing more, nothing less.

Always Remember . . .

If you could sum up War and Remembrance in three words, what would they be?

Thought-provoking, stunning, unforgettable.

What was one of the most memorable moments of War and Remembrance?

Aaron Jastrow's eventual transformation, as a parable for Jews everywhere.

What about Kevin Pariseau’s performance did you like?

Loved the performance . . . Pariseau had numerous characters with various accents, and handled them well. Loved his pronounciation of "renaissance" (usually pronounced ren-ah-sance) as "ree" + "nascense". Really brings home the meaning of that word.

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

Too many applicable clichés: Epic, sweeping, detailed, grand . . .

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the book so much I involuntarily made a rude gesture at my iPod as one of the characters did something oh-so-predictable, but destructive. I was truly engaged from the start of the Winds of War through the end of War and Remembrance.

Want to know what's historically accurate? Read the historical notes - don't try Wikipedia, plot spoilers abound.

So Glad I Read This Book

Excellent book and story. Excellent narrator. Great character development. I love historical fiction and can't wait to read Herman Wouk's next book. I enjoyed the story and I learned so much at the same time. What a treat!

Outstanding ~ !

This book, and the first, are enthralling works of literature - each character, each story line, each word - simply outstanding. The performer is as magnificent as the writer. Worth every minute.

Incredible story, incredible narrator!

This book is a masterpiece! It is a learning experience, wrapped up in a good story... Exciting, interesting, heart-rending... I just couldn't wait for my next "session". I listened to it while commuting, doing my yoga, painting, cleaning, picking berries... It was 55 hours of GREAT entertainment! Some people might find the battle details a bit boring, but I enjoyed them because I learned so much about WW II, and the forgotten heroes.

The narrator was incredible! He did accents from Roosevelt's, Churchill's, Hitler's, Stalin's, and Polish, Russian, German, British, Southern,.... I was so impressed, I just wanted to shake his hand and congratulate him personally! Haha!

The Winds of War, and this sequel, War and Remembrance stand out among the great books of the 20th century... The don't make 'em like that anymore... If you have the attention span for a great work, this is it!

Great novel of World War II

This novel that runs almost 60 hours was excellent! The fact that I not once was tempted to quit a novel of this length is quite an achievement for the author. This is the sequel to Winds of War, and it's best that Winds of War be read first. I loved Winds of War, and that was the better novel of the two. The first is one of my all time favorite novels, while the sequel is merely one of my favorites of the year. This one lets the listener experience the war through a handful of characters we got to know in Winds of War. The Henry family, which includes three officers fighting in the war, is a big part of this book again, yet the Jewish characters, the wife of Byron Henry and her author uncle, are even bigger characters in this. War and Remembrance captures the war from ships, planes, and submarines. It has war and love and political intrigue. The Holocaust is central to the novel, and I felt that this was the most moving Holocaust novel I have read. After spending over 100 hours listening to these very believable characters, the horrors of Nazi Germany come as alive as can be. Like the previous story, this one spends much time on the history of the war, from German and American perspectives. If there is a criticism, it's that there are too many stories and characters and too much history woven in, and the impact of some gets slightly diluted compared to Winds of War. Still, War and Remembrance kept my interest throughout, and I was near tears a number of times. I strongly recommend this to anyone with some interest in World War II history.

A Historical Fiction of a War to Never Forget

Hermon Wouk's research and skill in presenting this story are of the highest caliber. The characters both fictional and historical are fully engaging. This story as a follow on to "Winds of War" is something you should make every effort to read or listen to. The two stories are a reminder of both the courage as well as savagery which our race is so easily capable of.

My review

I loved it. great story with historical facts. I highly recommend both Winds of War and War and Remembrance. Narrator is fabulous.

Stunning... Historical Fiction at its Best

Any additional comments?

Just like the first book, Winds of War, the second installment is absolutely amazing. All and all it took me about 2 months to get through these books and I count it as time well spent. The author does a brilliant job of depiciting WWII from all of the vantage points of the characters he portrayed. You get a truly multi-faceted perspective when considering the motivations and occurences of this war. He does an absolutely amazing job of marrying little known historical facts and lenghty commentary on significant battles all while making the book feel like an experience rather than a lecture. By the time I got to the second book, I was already deeply invested in the characters so wrapping up War and Remembrance is like saying goodbye to friends. All and all this book is masterfully done and leaves me with a much deeper understanding of WWII from both a historical and human standpoint. Recalling the events portrayed in these books forces one to truly consider what it is to be a part of the human experience.

Historical Fiction

This book was great. It put personality and characters to a terrible time in our world. The narrator was great! The subject can be difficult at times but only because it was history. I enjoyed looking at the war time through each character, a captain, a son, a widow, Jewish American girl etc.