Retreat, Hell!

Rating:
Summary: still the Five Star General
Review: By late September 1950, sent by General Douglas "El Supreme" MacArthur, the marines make a key landing on the Korean Peninsular. The General plans to send his forces across the 38th parallel in order to repel the North Koreans beyond the Yalu River. Though he expects no Chinese forces, he has USMC Major Ken "Killer" McCoy and his "lost" patrol seek enemy information.

Meanwhile BG Pickering earns frequent flyer miles as he struggles to lessen the growing dispute between Commander-in-Chief Truman and ex facto supreme commander of the United Nation's forces MacArthur. Pickering also has a personal concern with his son "Pick" missing in action beyond enemy lines. Pick knows if the Commies capture him, they will execute him. He has survived fifty-eight days due to luck, some local help, and by constantly moving about, but staying near his downed plane. Killer finds evidence that Pick still lives, but cannot search for the MIA as he and his men have captured an apparent Intel Officer with information that massive Chinese forces await the Americans.

No one does American military history novels better than W.E.B. Griffin does as he shows with this deep look at the early stages of the Korean Conflict. The story line grips the audience from the moment Pick struggles to survive and never lets up. The key as always to the Corps novels (this is the tenth) is the support cast that brings out real events so that the audience feels the battle as much as the political intrigue at home. Genre fans will once again salute the Five Star General for his wonderfully exhilarating book.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: from inchon to where?
Review: Good action book, however title doesn't reflect book, since the story ends around 5 Nov, about 3 to 4weeks before the Chosin campaign. ONLY mention of the Chosin campaignis is the AFTERWORD, in which Griffin completly underestimates the numer of Chinese that attacked 8th Army, X Corps & 1st Marine Division by over 290.000 men. He ought to have checked the official records, rather than using "El Supremo's' figures. In addition, the cover art is of the late Marine Paul Ison of Florida, and his dash through the 'Valley of Death' on OKINOWA in 1945! What does this have to do with Korea, except Mr. Ison was a Marine. Other than poor facts, book was good. He had the Chinese estimates better in the fiction part of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Historical Fiction!
Review: There have arguably never been more substantial real-life characters than Harry S. Truman and Douglas MacArthur. To bring their personalities and significantly different styles to a work of fiction, and do so in a manner that makes the reader feel " in the room" with these men, is nothing short of masterful. To bring the historical significant year of 1950 to life, and then weave through it a tale replete with anguish, danger, intrigue, frustration, elation, humor, heroism, and moral outrage, is nothing short of phenomenal. To develop fictional characters with dynamic and diverse personalities, and bring them to life through dialog, is nothing short of fantastic. A work of fiction that can do all three is brilliant. Retreat Hell! is W.E.B. Griffin at his finest. Retreat Hell! is brilliant, and the W.E.B. Griffin is a literary genius by any standard. This is his best work to date. If you can read this book without laughing out loud, you never served in the military. If you can read this book without tears, you never served in the Marine Corps. If you can read this book without feeling outrage, you must be related to MacArthur. If you can read this book without being thoroughly entertained, then great historical fiction is beyond you. Five Stars!