Once There Was a War (Penguin Classics)

Steinbeck's war correspondence is very real.He did not write about how many miles tanks took in a day or how many killed.Instead, he writes about the people stuck in a both horrifying situation and ludicrously doing the crazy things we all do.There are stories about heroism, but it's mostly about how these soldiers cope with an impossible situation. Like Grapes of Wrath, it's about people in all their glory and foolishness.Maybe the best war stories I've read - and I've interviewed a number of WWII veterans as a newspaper writer myself. True writing skill.

Steinbeck, using his straightforwrd, honest, descriptive style, brings the realities of war to the page. The mud, stink, boredom, and drudgery are posted along with the sorrows and bravery. Individual personal stories are told in a manner that sweeps the reader forward.

This book really draws out my empathy towards how we can simetimes take the protection of our country for granite. He exposes the painful, uncomfortable, and even sometimes humorous side to what our men and women go through after joining the service.

If you're a history buff, this is a refreshing slant on the war. If you're a Steinbeck fan, you won't be disappointed either.

See above...He has the skill to transport you into real feeling situations with his tongue in his cheek. It's beautiful.

John Steinbeck books have enriched my life in ways I can't even put into words. But, I'm sure he could...

Wonderful insight into the horrors of war, attitudes and the zeitgeist of the time. The writing is dated, and no doubt today’s practitioners would do much more with the scenes, a little less feel-good, and much more grim reality, but still a joy to read.

John Steinbeck - unlike Hemingway or other war correspondents - was not a news reporter. Therefore he saw things differently. It's well written; you wouldn't expect anything else from Steinbeck. It's not just war reporting but has all the little details which get left out normally, such as a description of an aircrew barracks or the fact that the women in an antiaircraft battery don't date the men from the same battery or the logistics of housing and feeding the men on a troopship. I found it an absorbing read and highly recommend it.

This is a book that you keep coming back to. You must remember the characters. Interesting.

A truly wonderful book, beautifully observed and written.

A collection of Steinbeck’s newspaper filings. Great insights into the effects of war on the ordinary i dividuals involved. Just read the book a second time after many years and it gets better. Enjoy the Steinbeck style.

Steinbeck JournalismSteinbeck's journalistic pieces. Illuminating short reads giving up close details of wartime experiences.

Incredibly insightful and written in typical Steinbeck style. He really understands the human mind and how to explain the way it ticks. Captures moments of fear and anxiety in one account and then a more light hearted story in another. An absolutely brilliant up close view of people at war.