Hart's War

Rating:
Summary: More than a mystery, this is a phenomenal book
Review: John Katzenbach's latest is a bit of a departure. Set in a POW camp during WWII, it combines incredible drama with timeless lessons about race, duty, and honor. The characters are unforgettable, this is a classic in the vein of To Kill a Mockingbird. The best book I've read in a while.

Rating:
Summary: Very well done book from a great writer
Review: * Every bit as gripping as this year's other novels set in WW2, but the setting of a POW camp sets Hart's War apart from more traditional war novels like The Triumph & the Glory or War of the Rats. Katzenbach has given us a fine novel and I thank him, his talents are very evident to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK--BUY IT
Review: This may sound funny but if you watched Hogan's Heros more than once and you like Grishan you will love this book. I truely enjoyed the book. Also try the book Birdsong..outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but could have been much better.
Review: While the plot is often spellbinding, the book disappoints through the lack of character development and a stunning number of anachronisms and inaccuracies. To cite just a few, the character of Trader Vic is supposedly named after "the famed restauranteur". In fact, Victor Bergeron, the real Trader Vic, had only renamed his Oakland California restaurant, Hinky Dinks, Trader Vic's in 1937, and was hardly famous outside of the Oakland area in 1943. Willy Messerschmitt would have been dismayed to find his fighter planes referred to as "Messerschmidts" thoughout the book. When Hart decides to elist, he "heads towards the T" in Boston,although the usage at the time was the MTA. Guns have the wrong calibers or spellings or both. In the end, these errors are a constant distraction, and undermine the authenticity of the world of Stalag Luft 13.

Rating:
Summary: If you read only one book this year, make it "Hart's War".
Review: Here's one that lives up to it's hype. I am not sure if this is the best book I have read this year, but I suspect it is. What I certain of, is that it is easily the most powerful book I have read thus far in 1999. Wonderfully deep characters, twists and turns that offer constant surprises, clear writing. After you live the lives of the main characters, the final chapter is especially moving. John Katzenbach is a marvelous writer. I know two of his novels have been made into movies. It would be great to see "Hart's War" make it to film.

Rating:
Summary: Can't believe it's not a best seller!
Review: It's the best book I've read this year. Every bit as good as Stalag 17 with great suspense and wonderful insights into human emotions. Somebody should make this into a movie.

Rating:
Summary: NEEDS TO BE FILMED!!!!!!
Review: VERY MUCH ENJOYED......THE ETHICAL STRUGGLES WERE WRENCHING AT TIMES AND THE CHARACTERS DEEPLY DRAWN......BOTH THE PLOT AND THE CHARACTERS ARE MADE FOR GOOD ACTORS......NOT AT ALL THE SAME IN PLOT OR VERBALLY, BUT CHARACTERS AS SURELY DRAWN AS THOSE IN THE PLAY "ART" AND CERTAINLY WOULD APPEAL TO MALE ACTORS.........

Rating:
Summary: Sometimes slow...but worth the time to finish.
Review: A very enjoyable and informative read. I found the pace slow sometimes, but it is worth the time to finish it. It has caused me to look more into the POW camps and stories.

Rating:
Summary: An under-rated writer
Review: I have read everything John Katzenback has written and I think this is his greatest achievement. (I also had the pleasure of meeting him at a writer's seminar where he led a workshop.) He is a talented writer, with an insight of human nature, with all its flaws and glories. I highly recommend this novel, and as others have stated, I, too, had tears in my eyes at the ending.

Rating:
Summary: A book with great depth
Review: I have read several other books by John Katzenbach and was pleased to see that there was a new one on the bookstore shelves. HART'S WAR is a story with great depth. The characters are well drawn and complex and the situations are, too. I couldn't put it down and was deeply moved by the relationship between Tommy Hart and Lincoln Scott. I think that the story serves to remind us that we never know how and when we will have an effect on another's life. A truly superb story.