3.5 stars. A nice and sometimes funny look into the everyday life of a WWII soldier

3.5

The first non-fiction book of the year arrives early. During World War II, Steinbeck was sent overseas to write for the New York Herald Tribune. The Penguin edition compiles many of his dispatches from his time in Britain, North Africa, and Italy. Each chapter offers a unique set of observations on daily life and military operations.
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As I read, I tried to imagine myself as a concerned father back home, eager to understand what was happening “over there.” However, Steinbeck’s accounts don’t quite read that way. As a novelist, he brings a storytelling approach to his dispatches, crafting each narrative more like a novel than a straightforward journalistic report. The chapters flow with a sense of narrative cohesion, even in their more observational moments.
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Overall, I enjoyed the book. I don’t think I would have felt the same if I had read it during the war, but with the benefit of hindsight, it’s easier to appreciate the narrative Steinbeck was building. Historians of WWII might not find this book particularly useful, unless they’re focused on the experience of the average soldier.

Few Authors can paint a picture with their words like Steinbeck. His war correspondence is brilliant.

In this collection of dispatches from the time he was a war correspondent in World War II, John Steinbeck forgoes writing about major battles or engagements to instead focus on the minutiae of moments, humanity in the mundane, and all the little serious, frivolous, humorous, and transformative experiences of individuals that get lost in such a massive conflict.

Like all neurotic writers Steinbeck was a slave to editing and revision and the SEARCH for the perfect word & the perfect place to put it... which is why this book was so interesting bc legit there were like at least five typos. Speaks to the nature of the circumstances under which the pieces in this collection were written and published ie in the midst of war and journalistic deadlines. So it’s not his most crafted work but as a writer he shines thru his details and anecdotes anyway

It was very good but got even better durin that last storyy

3,5
Não é exatamente a reportagem de guerra que esperava encontrar.
Devo dizer que Martha Gellhorn supera Steinbeck em muito nas suas reportagens de guerra.
Não obstante, Steinbeck é mesmo escritor de narrativa ficcional, e não jornalista, demora-se em pormenores e descrições, focando a sua atenção em momentos (nem todos) pouco significativos da história da segunda guerra mundial.
Gostei muito mais de Um Diário Russo.

Really enjoyed this book if you are interested in WW2 history you will love it

One of the most touching non-fiction books I’ve ever read! Steinbeck’s writing in this book is very raw, utterly realistic, and light at the same time. He wrote different kinds of reports for a large audience, from funny stories and parables to stories about military supplies, and ships, thoughts from simple people, and experiences from soldiers on how they lived and felt during those rough times.

There is something so touching about these stories! Alas, these are stories that cannot be ignored; even though they seem a bit outdated, after so many years they still feel so realistic (nowadays we have so many resources to learn about WWI and WWII, whereas when the book was released, there were fewer). In his own words: “[…] They are as real as the wicked witch and good fairy, as true and tested and edited as any other myth.”

Steinbeck is an exceptional storyteller and his writing makes you feel that you are part of the scene and see right through the characters’ eyes when they share their stories.

One thing the reader should take into consideration is that Steinbeck wrote these reports in harsh conditions and as he stated in the introduction: “The pieces in this volume were written under pressure and in tension.” Nothing much has been modified in terms of writing, except for the lines that needed censorship due to navy requirements. Although, it is said that he was the least censored of the correspondents during WWII.

“There was a war, long ago – once upon a time.”

finally, i was really scared i wouldn't read it in time to finish it this month. this is the february book pic for the book club i've previously mentioned in my a farewell to arms review.

i enjoyed this better than a farewell to arms. i liked the writing style even though it was one of his earlier works i still connected to it and was flowy and solid. i loved the introduction. the whole idea of this take on censorship was really intriguing to me and kept me on my toes throughout the whole book. i'm not one to pick up a book about war, much less a non-fiction work about war, but this one was really good.

this is a work of non-fiction but it reads so much like fiction. i had to remind myself that some version of this happened. no one will ever know which parts are the actual truth because of the censorship and fibbed parts to make a better story and to not hold too much information in the case it got into enemies' hands. but it was enjoyable nonetheless. i think it added a lot to the book, especially with each section starting off with vague notions of where he was writing from was a constant reminder of the censorship.

it was told in a series of different sections regarding differing things. like one about a guy he met, another about rumors spread around the boat to pass the time,etc. they were all different and sometimes short and funny which were all almost equally enjoyable. sometimes i did chuckle at the absurdity of it all. one of the lines which stuck with me, as a joke mind you, "Luigi was gay but sad." but seriously there were some great lines produced and made me that more excited to read some of steinbecks more renowned works like of mice and men or east of eden where his writing style is more developed.

overall it was more enjoyable than i expected it to be and that was a great surprise. in this first round ig of comparing and contrasting similar books in the book club this year, that was a long way of putting it. anyways to me steinbeck won this one.

3.8 stars

This collection of Steinbeck columns from his time as a war correspondent reveals contemporary views of the soldier's life at war. The book was published many years after the war, but the columns were all written during the war, and because they were written as it happened, there's a certain authenticity that can't be captured in historical writings. Although I'm sure Steinbeck took literary license with a few of the columns--particularly those dealing with an enlisted soldier who somehow tricks officers into doing things for him--most of the book provides insight into the war at a micro level. He writes about soldiers just entering the war, offers an interesting theory about why soldiers from the last war are hesitant to talk about their experiences, describes close encounters with enemy troops, and finishes with the thrilling, almost-comical story of five Americans invading an island held by almost ninety Germans.
Although it's different from Steinbeck's fiction, it's worth checking out.