Williwaw

A Novel

A gripping tale of men struggling against nature and themselves, Williwaw was Gore Vidal’s first novel, written at nineteen when he was first mate of the U.S. Army freight supply ship stationed in the Aleutian Islands. Here he writes of a ship caught plying the lethal, frigid Arctic waters during storm season. Tensions run high among the edgy crew and uneasy passengers even before the cruel wind that gives the book its title suddenly sweeps down from the mountains. Vividly drawn characters and a compelling murder plot combine to make Williwaw a classic war novel.

©2003 Gore Vidal. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

So clean and so good.

Gore Vidal does his best impression of plain, easy, simple, raw war narrative without falling into typical war glories.

Banal

"Written by a 19 year old" is about right. The narrator makes unnecessary voice characterizations, as well, which make the writing less enjoyable.