Not just a Novel about War

I was pleasantly surprised when I started listening to this novel. I had been steered towards W.E.B. Griffin by a friend of mine but had been dragging my feet about reading them because of the "orders" that are so numerous within the novel. I knew that if I had to read them I would soon find myself bored to tears and skimming more than reading.

When I discovered them here at Audible.com I was delighted. I knew that I would be engrossed in the story and could easily get through the "orders" if they were read to me, rather than being forced to read them myself.

The Lieutenants gives a wonderful foundation for the series, giving us the background needed to follow the 4 main characters throughout their careers and their personal lives.

Griffin is a first rate storyteller, making his characters memorable. I found it difficult to turn the book off.

As a narrator, Eric G. Dove is pure delight to listen to. Griffin's writing stands on it's own, Dove however, breathes life into the characters, not just the males but the many women portrayed in the novel as well. He personalizes each character so that even if you have not listened to the novel in a few days when you hear his voice you know which character is speaking.

What I have enjoyed most about the series is that even though it is military based, it is not all about war...the novels are about life, military life and as a military brat, I do have first hand knowledge of what military life is like.

My only concern at this point is that even though there are 9 novels in the series, Audible.com, only has 4 of them recorded with the 4th not being released until October of 2012. I do hope that the other 5 will be forthcoming.

18 people found this helpful

potato chip warning

These books are addictive , you may even find yourself downloading the next one before you get finished the the current one. Plain great story telling. Enjoy!

15 people found this helpful

A Classic Series

I wonder if something like The Brotherhood of War could be written today. Begun over thirty years ago or thereabouts, it candidly but often light-heartedly tells a tale that begins where and when the author served, Germany immediately after World War II, and follows the personal and professional lives of a very diverse cast of characters as they rise through the ranks in the aftermath of the Second World War. During this time, the very nature of war was thought to be changing, though no one quite knew how.

Despite war and the profession of arms forming the core of the story, combat makes up very little of the narrative. Instead, we come to know the characters through the way in which they conduct their lives; the degree to which they play the army's political games, the passion with which they pursue the women they love and the degree to which they remain faithful, and ultimately the bond that links them as fellow officers. Along the way, we get a colorful depiction of life in the post-war army.

As we watch them grow, we see the army transform to meet the challenges of the new Cold War. We see this in the advisory duties two of our new lieutenants in this first volume, as well as the hints that the airborne legions that stormed into Normandy may soon be a thing of the past. Later installments would deal with the advent of army aviation and the rise of the army special warfare community.

These new unabridged editions are quite good productions. Dove's reading thankfully imparts a great deal of humor and self-awareness but also can bring seriousness and drama where appropriate.

Across nine volumes starting with this one, the army's triumphs and tragedies forms the backdrop for the drama of some extremely memorable personalities, and some of Griffin's best characters. This is why after all these years, technical errors, typos and continuity problems aside, the series as a whole remains a favorite and an easy recommendation for anyone remotely interested in a good story about soldiering. For the price, you simply can't go wrong.

14 people found this helpful

Great Series!! One of W.E.B. Griffn's best.

This is a great series to introduce someone to W.E.B. Griffin. If you listen to this book you will come back for more. Mr. Griffin gives a unique perspective to the military culture, I believe he does it justice. W.E.B. Griffin is not only a good writer he is a generous person, he is one of the few writers that goes above and beyond for his fan's. I sent him a few books a while back and he was gracious enough to sign them for me. How many authors these days are willing to do that for their avid readers? I digress, The Brotherhood of War Series is defiantly worth listing to if you have never listened to it before, and is worth re-listening to if its been a while since you have.

15 people found this helpful

Not really a WWII book.

This book is tied together because the major characters are simply Lieutenants. While it begins in WWII with a major character being captured by the Germans and sent to a prison camp, most of the book actually takes place between WWII and the Korean War. Sort of a soap opera with military families.

The part of the book that describes the escape from Germany is fast paced, but the majority is fairly dull. Nothing much happens in the entire second half of the book. The major characters go from one posting to the other and it's really a story about daily life in the military when there are no battles to fight other than with the Pentagon bureaucracy. If you have not read the Winds of War series go with that alternative, this is not quite as good.

4 people found this helpful

Excellent!

I first read this book, in paper format, almost 30 years ago and enjoyed it so much I subsequently bought and read all of the “ranked” sequels (The Captains, The Majors, The Colonels and The Generals). All were equally good and I was sorry to have completed the series.

While the characters in the book were well drawn and their life stories interesting, I asked myself why I was so taken with these books. Even 30 years after reading them I could remember events in the books and how the characters reacted to them, and it is unusual for me to remember specific characters and events in a light read 30 years after I finished reading a book. I finally decided that it was because WEB Griffin had developed such life-like characters with interesting backgrounds and presented the military environment in which the characters function completely accurately. I spent 3 tours of duty in the military before leaving to take advantage of the GI Bill to attend both undergraduate and graduate schools and the events taking place in the book, the military characters and their wives and the world in which they live felt as realistic to me as it was possible to be. Even the military orders and letters of commendation sounded completely authentic and I could see, in the characters the writer created, traits and reactions to events that paralleled those of career military people I knew well. Nothing in the books seemed artificial, inaccurate or unreal.

I bought the Audible book with some trepidation. I had some concern that if the book was not well narrated I would be terribly disappointed and, if the book was well-done, I would end up buying all 9 volumes in the series. Still, the draw was too strong and I fairly devoured this first book, largely unable to put it down until I had completed it. Everything was as I remembered (with one exception described below), Eric Dove’s narration was first class and I had a tear in my eyes when I reached the end of the book. And, as I feared, I ended up buying the remaining 8 volumes (during the Audible sale).

The one thing about the book that surprised me was the harsh language. These are soldiers and their manner of speech is representative of the way soldiers spoke, at least years ago, when this book is set. There is not too much of it and, while it did not offend me much (I have gotten more sensitive to it as I have gotten older), I did think I should mention it in case others might find it either annoying or truly offensive.

The characters, their lives and the events are all interesting and well presented. The world in which they live and function is both interesting and accurately presented. The writing is flawless. I feel able to highly recommend this book almost without reservation.

13 people found this helpful

Its about time!!!

I love this series. I have been hoping the early ones would finally appear. My problem is now I am waiting for The Captains. The early Corp books would also make great additions. These are stories I happily read/listen to more than once.

8 people found this helpful

Finally!!

What did you love best about The Lieutenants?

This is a series that is about life in the military, but has super character development. I've read the entire series several times and still enjoy going back. Listening to the performance is a differenet experience.

What other book might you compare The Lieutenants to and why?

The only other series of books following a set of characters that compares is Tom Clancy's

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I use the recording of the book to escape during excercise, yard work, etc. so I don't do it all in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Great series....hopefully the others in this series will be available soon!!!!!

7 people found this helpful

Another wonderful series

At first I wondered why the book was titled the Lieutenants. The narrative just didn't seem to fit the title, not that I minded but it seemed to talk about the Colonels and Generals and not the Lieutenants. After awhile it became clear that two Lieutenants were the central focus of this book. If Audible had the second book of the series "The Captains I would have down loaded it right now. I will when it is available. Good stuff.

6 people found this helpful

Soldier's Stories at their very best

I do not know what took me so long to find the Brotherhood of War series, but now that I have, I cannot pull myself away from them. I read and listen to military history with an insatiable desire. I tend to stay away from fiction, but I must say that W.E.B. Griffin weaves a great story line through historical periods, with great characters that draw you in and make you care. He gets it right in both history and mindset. The narration by Eric G. Dove, is very good, however, his pronunciation of some of the German could use some help. In my opinion there is no way your coming away from the Lieutenants, without going on to the next book in the series. Listening entertainment at its best...

2 people found this helpful