I found this a very interesting read, despite the fact that it shows it age in both writing style and societal views. Regarding the latter the book seems fairly progressive for it’s publishing date (1952) and it’s storyline avoids some of the more troublesome areas where we have had major upheavals since the time of writing.
The story itself is fascinating following the lives of a group of marines in the pacific war focusing on there lives and the personal challenges they face, moving the focus away from the actual combat and onto the men makes for a very interesting read. This is especially impact-full since Mr. Uris manages to capture the humanity, youth and fragility of his characters in a way that not only highlights there individual courage but also provides a personal view of the war and it’s costs.
I think that it is apparent that the target of the book is to highlight the individual courage and honor of the young men shipped across the world to fight a war they didn’t necessarily understand while avoiding the politics and issues inherent with a global conflict.
For anyone that like me have a great fascination with the pacific conflict in the second world war the book provides a glimpse into the personal fates hidden under statistics and the fog of history. From a literary perspective the books age is apparent with a writing style closer to Conan Doyle than J.K Rowling however give the type of story and the period it covers I feel that this is a good thing, since the style really suits the storyline.