I’ve read excellent books about the war in Iraq. Thomas Ricks’ Fiasco and Imperial Life In The Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran come to mind. But fiction about the Iraq war has been disappointing. I started Kevin Power’s The Yellow Birds with high hopes. After all, it was on the front page of the New York Times Book Review a couple weeks ago. But just a few pages into the book, I realized this was not the “classic” a blurb on the back of the book claimed it was. The story is simple: a young soldier promises to take care of a younger soldier. You can guess what happens next. Yes, Bad Things happen. The book jumps back and forth in time from the fighting in Iraq to the attempt to adjust to civilian life. As I was plodding through The Yellow Birds to the end, I was thinking: “This would be a much better book if Jack Higgins, Tom Clancy, or W.E.B. Griffin had written it.” GRADE: C
Certainly not improved by that jumping back and forth in time, which you know is a per peeve of mine. There are so few “classic” war books any more. It seems to me the best ones were about WWII, though The 13th Valley, about Viet Nam, was certain’y excellent, from what I know of it. I think I have a copy of it somewhere and should pull it out and read it.
Exactly, Rick. THE YELLOW BIRDS is being touted as a classic war novel when it really is a soapy mess. THE NAKED AND THE DEAD by Mailer and DOG SOLDIERS by Robert Stone are two of my favorites.
DOG SOLDIERS was a favorite of mine as well. I think this is a no go. I also liked Tim O’Brien’s books, THE THINGS THEY CARRIED and (non fiction) IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE. And Stewart O’Nan’s THE NAMES OF THE DEAD.
THE THINGS THEY CARRIED, IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE, and THE NAMES OF THE DEAD are all solid war books, Jeff. The really good war books make up a short list.
I think if just was nominated for the National Book Award too. The three Jeff mentioned are about the best although I haven’t read many others. RED BADGE OF COURAGE perhaps.
I was always amused that Stephen Crane never fought in the war he based his classic novel on, Patti.