Men at Arms (Sword of honour)

Rating:
Summary: lost aristocrat
Review: i've just finished all three novels in the 'sword of honor' trilogy: men at arms, officers and gentlemen and the end of the battle. not being a fan of satire, i've come late to waugh. to call him simply a writer of satire, as many persons do, is a serious literary mistake. these novels have comic and satiric flavors, but actually are quite serious, poignant, painful, and powerful. his technical style is understated and, thus deceptive in its weight.

the main character in all three novels, guy crouchback, is forced onto his privileged knees, and made to crawl to insight into the human condition, primarily to learn that war is only an occasionally more deadly mirror of peace, and that an absence of empathy is the start of it all. danger does not justify privilege for a man or a nation.

these are very sad, funny, wise, and deeply well written novels and i would highly recommend them.

Rating:
Summary: A lighthearted look at British military life
Review: This is the first in the 'Sword of Honor' trilogy of novels by Waugh, describing one man's experience in the British military establishment. At the onset of WWII, divorced thirty-something Guy Crouchback anxiously longs to serve his country in its time of need, but can't find a branch of service that wants him. By the end of this book, his training completed, he begins to wonder if his country (represented by its armed forces) really knows what's good for it. This book is a fairly realistic and often rather lighthearted look at the training received by an officer of the Halberdiers during the early days of WWII, before the true terrors and horrors of that conflict had become apparent. This volume contains some fine portraits and vignettes from British army life, after which an officer's death and the questions of responsibility it raises cause Crouchback to doubt the wisdom of his beloved leaders.

Some of the more humorous moments include the incidents involving Apthorpe's port-a-john (not as disgusting as you might fear), Crouchback's attempted reconciliation with his wife, and the ego-driven absurdities that lead to the Brigadier's reconnaissance mission, but the humor is of the dry British
sort, with few of the belly laughs that make books like Catch 22 so unforgettable. Rather more to the point is the mildly biting satire exposing how ill prepared for war Britain really was at the time, particularly in light of the high price Europe paid for that negligence.

While this reviewer certainly enjoyed the book, its target audience is probably not as broad today as it would have been forty years ago. Veterans of the armed forces who are interested in a nostalgic look back at this era will probably get the most out of it, followed by admirers of the gentle art
of British humor, while on the other hand, women looking for romantic adventure will find very little femininity in the book, and Gen-Xers hoping to read another 'Catch 22' or 'MASH', will likely find the story dry and insipid. So don't go into this book looking for a comedy - it stands better as a fictionalized portrayal of a particular time and place in history.

Rating:
Summary: A Subtle, Understated Satire
Review: Waugh had a sure grasp of the language, which makes this novel a pleasure to read. He was a natural writer, and a natural stylist. This particular novel is a satire, although a subtle, understated one. Even though Waugh never really comes out and says it, he thinks WWII might have been an unnecessary war. Parts of this book are obviously autobiographical. Some parts are hilarious, especially the "thunder-box" and all the machinations surrounding it, and the fierce and terrifying Ritchie-Hooks, who's missing an eye and some fingers, and who has a penchant for shrunken heads. Don't expect any big yucks. But if you like quiet satire, take a look at it.