Once There Was a War is a collection of John Steinbeck's correspondence as a journalist covering World War II. During Steinbeck's time covering the war, specifically in Africa and Italy in 1943, he focuses not on the big names—generals and high ranking officers—but instead he details the daily life and actions of the normal, average soldier; the guys doing the grunt work and the small tasks that are still important if not glorious. In Steinbeck's marvelous prose, the reader is given a view of the war, not from his point of view, but from the perspective of the soldier. Most of Steinbeck's stories are captivating and interesting. It's an important work of literature from the Second World War.

فکر می‌کردم یک داستان از جان اشتاین‌بک با تم جنگ باشه که برعکس،وقایع نگاری جنگ جهانی از انگلستان ایتالیا و الجزایر بود.

2.75 stars- a cool piece of history, but not much to offer story wise. there were some lines i really liked, and since it’s so short it might be worth the read, but i think the majority of people won’t miss out on too much if they skip this one.

3.5*

Kellemes olvasmány, de aligha a Steinbeck-életmű hófödte csúcsa. Többek között azért sem lehet a hófödte csúcsa, mert kellemes olvasmány, és ha egy háborús írás kellemes olvasmány, az azért nem jelent túl jót. Nyilván nem lehet eltekinteni attól, hogy ezek a szövegek publicisztikák, ami – sok egyéb mellett – azt is jelenti, hogy Steinbeck már az előszóban kénytelen mentegetőzni amiatt, hogy bizonyos dolgokat anno nem írhatott meg a Háborús Erőfeszítésre való tekintettel. Ennek következtében Steinbeck amerikai katonája kissé idealizált fickó: hősies, a jég hátán is megél, és bár kicsit irreális mennyiségű emléktárgyat gyűjt össze magának úton-útfélen (magyarán lop, mint a veszett fene), de voltaképpen ez se teszi különösen ellenszenvessé – inkább csak színezi a jellemét. A kötet legjobb pontjai is ezek a jelenetek: amikor az író a katonalét groteszk pillanatait figurázza ki (például Mullighan, a Nagy Trén feledhetetlen pacák), de azért nekem összességében hiányzott belőle még egy kis bevállalósság. Pont ezért azoknak ajánlom elsősorban, akiket érdekel a második világháború, de nem bírják a vért.

A really nice collection of Steinbeck's war reporting, which often focuses less on battle than on what it was like on the bases or in the occupied areas. Really interesting insights, and even material that I was completely unaware of, and I have read my share of war history and reporting. He didn't have to go into these dangerous areas, but he did nonetheless, and we benefit from his observations. I would assign these to students learning about WWII.

My grandfather fought in two of the same theatres featured in this book of first hand journalism by John Steinbeck. As a child, when I began to realize what World War II was and that my grandfather had played a role in it (awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for that matter), I sincerely asked him to share his experience of what it was like. I knew even then that, not only did I want a primary source account of what this climactic event of the 20th century was like, but I also knew that one day I would never get the chance to recover those memories. He shared a few vague memories and then begged me (sternly) to stop asking. I knew that even 40 years after that war, it really was a subject too graphic for him to remember or for me to be exposed to.

While Steinbeck doesn't get too graphic except for one moment in this book of vignettes which are his own primary accounts of the war, he does capture what it was like to be there. He does so over seven months of reporting from London, North Africa, and Italy, documenting one set of experiences with his keen observer's eye. The result is that the reader feels like they are there, and through evocative sensory detail, Steinbeck brings that war back to life in its elemental details. The reader experiences a bombing raid in the blitz and its deadly aftermath, understands what it means to go on a bombing raid, embarks on troop carriers, and even enters a couple of battles in Italy. He even addresses what it is like to recall the details of battle, positing that a soldier does not in fact have vivid battle details seared into his mind but actually endures a haze which makes that experience surreal and dreamlike and hence, often difficult to recall especially as time goes by. With the loud blasts and the shocking flashes, I can tend to agree that he must be right.

As a result, perhaps my grandfather didn't remember all that many of the details I was looking for. Fortunately, Steinbeck's objective eye put them into print with the descriptive prose of a master who was there and could remain distant enough to recall them from his memory. A must for those wanting to delve into the experience of the everyday person and soldier rather than accounts of major battles.

“it didn’t seem like men getting killed, more like a picture, like a moving picture.”


this book was just UGHANSMKKSKKKK at sometimes and okay?.! at other times. he will be describing what’s going on in a boat and like minute details of whats going right and wrong and i can’t follow it babes, but then he uses the most eloquent yet understated descriptions of the soldiers to show their real emotions. the whole novel portrays the stillness, disillusionment, and disconnection soldiers felt. it was just so real. the boring parts contributed to a realistic portrayl. he shows rather that tells you what’s going on, in a way that makes you feel like you’re there and that thankfully he’s picking up on the minute details of things so you can understand what people are thinking, and he never explains but he doesn’t have to because the war experience is poetic but it also is so not, and it feels like that was his whole goal. i get it steinbeck, I GET IT!
this novel is 60% educational, 40% fun and good and interesting. no one who reads this reciew will probably read this book☹️and that’s okay i probably wouldn’t either, but maybe you should

این کتاب تجمیع یک سری گزارشات از سوی خبرنگار جنگی است. یکی از نکات قوت این گزارشها داشتن کمترین حجم تحلیل و قضاوت روی اونها بود. نشون دادن جنگ فارغ از پروپاگاندای میهن پرستانه و حماسی برای من جذاب بود. از گزارش جن و همچنین طلسمها در اواخر کتاب بیشتر لذت بردم. واقعا بعد از گزارشات ناراحت کننده لازم بود..
پی نوشت: استاین بک در کتابش نوشته: "اگر قادر بودیم که از حوادث بیاموزیم در آن صورت زنده نگه‌داشتن خاطره‌ها می‌توانست سودمند باشد، ولی ما از حوادث نمی‌آموزیم." او سالها بعد از جنگ آمریکا در ویتنام دفاع کرد. خود، شد شاهدِ آنچه گفته بود..

کتاب مجموعه ای از گزارش‌های استاین بک از دورانیه که به عنوان خبرنگار برای روزنامه‌های آمریکایی مطلب می‌‌نوشته. این گزار‌ش‌ها از حضور سربازای آمریکایی در جنگ جهانی دوم در کشورهای انگلیس، ایتالیا و‌ بخشی از آفریقاست که سال ۱۹۵۹ و مدت ها پس از جنگ به صورت کتاب منتشر شده.
استاین بک تو این نوشته‌ها از زاویه هایی به جنگ نگاه میکنه که شاید کمتر ازشون خوندیم یا شنیدیم. اتفاقات کوچیک و حاشیه‌ای تو بطن جنگی بزرگ.. بیشتر از آدم‌ها حرف میزنه و احساسات.
بعضی بخش‌ها رو خیلی دوست داشتم و بعضیاشون خسته‌ام میکرد. شاید اگر از حجم مطالب کم میشد و گزارش ها گزیده ‌تر انتخاب میشدند بهش ۴ ستاره میدادم.
این هم از اولین کتاب نمایشگاه امسال :)

I am so happy to be back on my John Steinbeck Bibliography Journey. I took a couple month break to read some other great novels, but back on track now.

This book of course is a conglomeration of newspaper articles Steinbeck put together for New York Herald Tribune during a stint in the European and African theatre in 1943.

Coming off the heels of his great novels of the 1930s up through The Grapes of Wrath, he does in this book what he does best in those, tells the regular story of a tragedy through the eyes of those who lived it.

He does not portray the battles scenes, but instead the humorous moments, the boring moments, and the nonchalant moments on the front.

کتاب در سبک وقایع نگاری ادبی است و در اصل  یک گزارش جنگی با روایتی ادبی. یکسوم ابتدایی کتاب شاهکار است. ولی کم کم کتاب افت شدیدی پیدا میکند. پنجاه صفحه آخر کتاب از حوصله ی من خارج بود و رهایش کردم.