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Dirty Dozen #1
The Dirty Dozen
Book by Nathanson, E. M.
607 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
72 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Nathanson
9 books7 followersNathanson was born in 1928 in The Bronx. His mother suffered from depression and went into an institution when he was two years old. He was placed in a Jewish orphanage in Manhattan and lived there until he was seven, when he was sent to the Hebrew National Orphan Home in Yonkers. He remained there until he graduated high school.
Nathanson majored in anthropology at New York University. Nathanson held a variety of writing and editing jobs. He was a copy editor for Fairchild Publications in New York, a reporter for the Arlington Sun in Virginia, a stringer for The Washington Post and a freelance magazine writer.
By 1959, he was living in Los Angeles, where he worked as associate editor for Daring Detective magazine and an editing job for a chain of pulp magazines.
In 1965, Nathanson wrote the war novel The Dirty Dozen, a story about 12 servicemen, convicted of robbery, murder and rape, who are sent on a suicide mission to blow up a chateau of German generals just before D-Day with the promise of commuted sentences to those who survive.
The novel was inspired by the supposedly true story of World War II criminal soldiers who got the nickname "the Dirty Dozen" (or "Filthy Thirteen") for their refusal to bathe and who were said to have been sent off on a similar mission. Nathanson heard the story from his producer friend Russ Meyer, who said he learned of the tale while working as a combat photographer during World War II.
Although Nathanson researched in vain for two years to verify the story's accuracy, he still received a contract for a book. He and his editor fictionalized the story. The best-selling novel sold more than two million copies was translated into 10 languages and made into a hit movie in 1967 starring Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown and Donald Sutherland.
Nathanson died on April 5, 2016, of heart failure in his Laguna Niguel, California home. He was 88.
Nathanson majored in anthropology at New York University. Nathanson held a variety of writing and editing jobs. He was a copy editor for Fairchild Publications in New York, a reporter for the Arlington Sun in Virginia, a stringer for The Washington Post and a freelance magazine writer.
By 1959, he was living in Los Angeles, where he worked as associate editor for Daring Detective magazine and an editing job for a chain of pulp magazines.
In 1965, Nathanson wrote the war novel The Dirty Dozen, a story about 12 servicemen, convicted of robbery, murder and rape, who are sent on a suicide mission to blow up a chateau of German generals just before D-Day with the promise of commuted sentences to those who survive.
The novel was inspired by the supposedly true story of World War II criminal soldiers who got the nickname "the Dirty Dozen" (or "Filthy Thirteen") for their refusal to bathe and who were said to have been sent off on a similar mission. Nathanson heard the story from his producer friend Russ Meyer, who said he learned of the tale while working as a combat photographer during World War II.
Although Nathanson researched in vain for two years to verify the story's accuracy, he still received a contract for a book. He and his editor fictionalized the story. The best-selling novel sold more than two million copies was translated into 10 languages and made into a hit movie in 1967 starring Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown and Donald Sutherland.
Nathanson died on April 5, 2016, of heart failure in his Laguna Niguel, California home. He was 88.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
June 22, 2020
Brutti, sporchi e cattivi?
Nel 1944, alla vigilia dello sbarco in Normandia delle truppe Alleate, un gruppo di dodici galeotti condannati alla pena di morte, viene reclutato dall'esercito statunitense per compiere un'importantissima (e rischiosissima) missione: assaltare un castello francese, utilizzato dai tedeschi come centro di riposo per ufficiali. Se riusciranno nella missione otterranno la commutazione della pena, e noi li seguiamo passo passo, dall’addestramento fino al termine della missione, col cuore in gola.
Tutto qui. Il romanzo è un concentrato di azione pura; no scavi psicologici dell’animo umano, no considerazioni filosofiche sulla natura della guerra, no messaggi edificanti: va dritto al punto e senza tanti fronzoli quello che deve dire lo dice benissimo.
Io mi sono divertita molto.
Da questo libro Robert Aldrich nel 1967 ha tratto un buon film (più ironico e graffiante del romanzo) con un cast d’eccezione, tutto al maschile: tutti bravi i protagonisti, tra cui spiccano il Vernon L. Pinkley di Donald Sutherland e soprattutto il Victor Franko di John Cassavetes.
La squadra:
https://youtu.be/thx9jEps9nI
La seduta dallo psicologo:
https://youtu.be/SAkcaXXnpkE
Il “generale” passa in rassegna le truppe:
https://youtu.be/oSbi54IroEc
Il ripasso finale del piano d’azione:
https://youtu.be/okodEEL2fA0
Nel 1944, alla vigilia dello sbarco in Normandia delle truppe Alleate, un gruppo di dodici galeotti condannati alla pena di morte, viene reclutato dall'esercito statunitense per compiere un'importantissima (e rischiosissima) missione: assaltare un castello francese, utilizzato dai tedeschi come centro di riposo per ufficiali. Se riusciranno nella missione otterranno la commutazione della pena, e noi li seguiamo passo passo, dall’addestramento fino al termine della missione, col cuore in gola.
Tutto qui. Il romanzo è un concentrato di azione pura; no scavi psicologici dell’animo umano, no considerazioni filosofiche sulla natura della guerra, no messaggi edificanti: va dritto al punto e senza tanti fronzoli quello che deve dire lo dice benissimo.
Io mi sono divertita molto.
Da questo libro Robert Aldrich nel 1967 ha tratto un buon film (più ironico e graffiante del romanzo) con un cast d’eccezione, tutto al maschile: tutti bravi i protagonisti, tra cui spiccano il Vernon L. Pinkley di Donald Sutherland e soprattutto il Victor Franko di John Cassavetes.
La squadra:
https://youtu.be/thx9jEps9nI
La seduta dallo psicologo:
https://youtu.be/SAkcaXXnpkE
Il “generale” passa in rassegna le truppe:
https://youtu.be/oSbi54IroEc
Il ripasso finale del piano d’azione:
https://youtu.be/okodEEL2fA0
September 9, 2015
This is one of the rare books where I went from the movie to the book. I liked the movie: but I would not have, had I read the book before. The movie was basically a military adventure with an interesting premise - the novel, a deep study in character development.
Twelve convicted criminals of the US Army are trained and unleashed on Nazi Germany in what is practically a suicide mission, as a final chance of redemption. They are lead by Captain Reisman, the only non-criminal in the group, who is initially sceptical but ultimately comes to love his men. The story does not focus so much on military adventure, but the psychology of individuals - however heinous the crimes they may have committed. Against the backdrop of the biggest crime on humanity, war, it becomes all the more significant.
A great read.
Twelve convicted criminals of the US Army are trained and unleashed on Nazi Germany in what is practically a suicide mission, as a final chance of redemption. They are lead by Captain Reisman, the only non-criminal in the group, who is initially sceptical but ultimately comes to love his men. The story does not focus so much on military adventure, but the psychology of individuals - however heinous the crimes they may have committed. Against the backdrop of the biggest crime on humanity, war, it becomes all the more significant.
A great read.
June 2, 2021
E.M. Nathanson's The Dirty Dozen is remembered, if it all, for inspiring the classic film with Lee Marvin and a rogue's gallery of tough guy stars. Which is a shame, because Nathanson's book is a fine read in its own right. Rather than the fast-paced, pulpy action of the movie, it's a slow-burn character study about a dozen (really, thirteen) men whose characters and personalities are scarred by the experiences of war. Captain Reisman (not a Major as in the movie) is a burnt-out commando veteran who wrestles with his Jewish identity and his cynicism about the value of military service; Napoleon White (renamed Jefferson in the movie), an educated Black man who channels his resentments into military prowess; Franko, a tough-talking Italian-American who resents authority almost as much as he loves himself; Samson, a tough Ute eager to prove his people's worth in a white man's world; Odell, a religious fanatic-turned-killer who uses the war as an outlet for psychosis (he's conflated in the film with Archer Maggott, who's a gladhanding racist punk in the book); and others, with varying degrees of depth and characterization. The book takes a long time to get moving but it's worth the slow pace for Nathanson's insightful characterizations and careful plotting. The actual mission is almost an afterthought, in this version; Nathanson's less interested in heroics than showing the absurdities and stresses of military life. The present writer would be interested in someone trying a more faithful adaptation, perhaps in miniseries format; but how could they possibly match the cast of the original?
June 22, 2021
I read this many years ago. It's one of those that still hangs around after many reprintings. That speaks well of a novel.
You probably know the basic premise of the novel as there is a well known movie based on it.
By the way while it differs a good deal from the book the movie is a pretty good watch.
Anyway it's a good story following the unconventional outfit that had been thought up by officers who would never have taken part in the actual actions that put into motion. I think most who like action or military "fiction" will like this one. I also think that you may find the difference in the way the book ends from the way that the movie ends...interesting.
I think I can recommend this one.
You probably know the basic premise of the novel as there is a well known movie based on it.
By the way while it differs a good deal from the book the movie is a pretty good watch.
Anyway it's a good story following the unconventional outfit that had been thought up by officers who would never have taken part in the actual actions that put into motion. I think most who like action or military "fiction" will like this one. I also think that you may find the difference in the way the book ends from the way that the movie ends...interesting.
I think I can recommend this one.
January 13, 2022
Well, this was not quite what I expected. I remember seeing the movie from 1967, starring half of the beefcakes in Hollywood (Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, etc.) decades ago and it was pretty much an action WWII thriller. The book? More of an in depth character study where the characters only 'crossed the lines' in the last 20 pages or go.
The book starts off with an American GI going to the gallows for killing his commanding officer and his girlfriend. Our main protagonist, Captain Reisman, an OSS operative, was ordered to attend, and then presented with a new mission. The year is 1944 and everyone knows the Allies will be invading Europe from England some time soon. Reisman had just finished up some insurgency work in Italy, but he has been at war with the world for over a decade, even having fought in Spain against Franco and the fascists. The 'higher ups' basically had a brainstorm about using convicted killers, rapists, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells on some sort of high risk operation rather than just hanging them. So, after a long review of all the US convicts held in various prisons in Europe, Reisman assembles a squad of 12 people-- you guest it-- the dirty dozen.
The book unfolds largely with the training of the twelve for the op, but with very frequent, detailed flashbacks of several of the convicts unveiling their lives prior to the army and their 'misdeeds'. We have Samson Posey, a huge Ute Indian convicted of beating a man to death, Napoleon White, a black officer who publicly slit the throat of a nasty bigot (long back story here), Myron Odell, who murdered a gal, Archer Maggot, from Alabama who raped a gal, and all the rest.
The best aspect of the novel to me anyway concerns the 'snapshot' of America where the GIs came from and their back stories. This really gave a pointed insight to American social relations. Take Napoleon White-- college educated, and officer, but being black, is relegated to command of an all black squad due to segregation. It seems he is worthy enough to defend the USA, but the blatant racism he faces in the US (and indeed in the UK) makes him second class. Posey, the Ute, is your basic stereotype-- smart, but illiterate and cursed with a bad temper. Victor Franko is your Italian gangster type, and Maggot is a violent crime figure from the south...
Reisman, half Jewish/half Catholic himself, has to work them into a unit he can trust with his life while training them in covert operations in just a few months. So, roughly half the book concerns the training aspect and the 'now', and the other on the lives of the various dirty dozen. The name dirty dozen comes from their 'rebellion' to wash once they start training-- they stink, have beards and do so proudly as a free choice.
I really wanted to like this more, but Nathanson's blunt prose made this tedious at times, and however vividly he portrayed the characters, they were hard to empathize with. As historical fiction, this excels in the vivid and often moving portrait of America circa 1940 (ugly warts and all). As an action novel? Definitely look somewhere else thank you! 3.5 dirty stars, rounding down as this became a real slog at times.
The book starts off with an American GI going to the gallows for killing his commanding officer and his girlfriend. Our main protagonist, Captain Reisman, an OSS operative, was ordered to attend, and then presented with a new mission. The year is 1944 and everyone knows the Allies will be invading Europe from England some time soon. Reisman had just finished up some insurgency work in Italy, but he has been at war with the world for over a decade, even having fought in Spain against Franco and the fascists. The 'higher ups' basically had a brainstorm about using convicted killers, rapists, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells on some sort of high risk operation rather than just hanging them. So, after a long review of all the US convicts held in various prisons in Europe, Reisman assembles a squad of 12 people-- you guest it-- the dirty dozen.
The book unfolds largely with the training of the twelve for the op, but with very frequent, detailed flashbacks of several of the convicts unveiling their lives prior to the army and their 'misdeeds'. We have Samson Posey, a huge Ute Indian convicted of beating a man to death, Napoleon White, a black officer who publicly slit the throat of a nasty bigot (long back story here), Myron Odell, who murdered a gal, Archer Maggot, from Alabama who raped a gal, and all the rest.
The best aspect of the novel to me anyway concerns the 'snapshot' of America where the GIs came from and their back stories. This really gave a pointed insight to American social relations. Take Napoleon White-- college educated, and officer, but being black, is relegated to command of an all black squad due to segregation. It seems he is worthy enough to defend the USA, but the blatant racism he faces in the US (and indeed in the UK) makes him second class. Posey, the Ute, is your basic stereotype-- smart, but illiterate and cursed with a bad temper. Victor Franko is your Italian gangster type, and Maggot is a violent crime figure from the south...
Reisman, half Jewish/half Catholic himself, has to work them into a unit he can trust with his life while training them in covert operations in just a few months. So, roughly half the book concerns the training aspect and the 'now', and the other on the lives of the various dirty dozen. The name dirty dozen comes from their 'rebellion' to wash once they start training-- they stink, have beards and do so proudly as a free choice.
I really wanted to like this more, but Nathanson's blunt prose made this tedious at times, and however vividly he portrayed the characters, they were hard to empathize with. As historical fiction, this excels in the vivid and often moving portrait of America circa 1940 (ugly warts and all). As an action novel? Definitely look somewhere else thank you! 3.5 dirty stars, rounding down as this became a real slog at times.
September 13, 2022
"Και οι δώδεκα ήταν καθάρματα", εκδόσεις Bell.
Σε αυτό το τόσο απολαυστικό τουβλάκι βασίζεται η ομότιτλη επική ταινία του 1967. Τόσο καιρό έπιανε σκόνη σε κάποια από τις κάμποσες ντάνες με παλιά Bell που έχω, ήθελα να διαβάσω μια πολυσέλιδη περιπετειώδη ιστορία που να διαδραματίζεται κατά τον Β' Π.Π., και έτσι έπιασα αυτό το βιβλίο (συν τοις άλλοις ήθελα επιτέλους να δω και την ταινία). Λοιπόν, σίγουρα είχα υψηλές προσδοκίες πριν το ξεκινήσω, μιας και είναι ένα κλασικό στο είδος του μυθιστόρημα, και μπορώ να πω ότι οι προσδοκίες αυτές εκπληρώθηκαν στον απόλυτο βαθμό: Το βιβλίο με καθήλωσε και με ξετρέλανε. Σίγουρα, η ιστορία του δεν είναι και τόσο επική, με την έννοια ότι δεν υπάρχουν φοβερές μάχες και τέτοια πράγματα (δεν ξέρω πώς είναι η ταινία φυσικά, αλλά υποθέτω η δράση της θα είναι ατελείωτη), σίγουρα υπάρχει ένταση εδώ κι εκεί, δράση σε διάφορες στιγμές, όμως μου φάνηκε περισσότερο σαν μια μελέτη χαρακτήρων, παρά σαν μια άμυαλη πολεμική περιπέτεια. Πιστεύω ότι ο συγγραφέας έκανε εξαιρετική δουλειά με τη σκιαγράφηση των περισσότερων εκ των πρωταγωνιστών, έδωσε βάθος στα κάθε είδους καθάρματα που απαρτίζουν τα Δώδεκα Καθάρματα, προσφέροντας φυσικά δεκάδες ωραίες και χαρακτηριστικές σκηνές, φοβερούς διαλόγους και διάφορες σκέψεις. Μου αρέσουν οι πολεμικές σκηνές στα πολεμικά μυθιστορήματα, αλλά δεν θέλω να είναι και πολλές και ατελείωτες, γιατί από ένα σημείο και μετά κουράζομαι ολίγον τι. Ε, εδώ ο συγγραφέας δεν υπερέβαλλε, ελάχιστα ασχολήθηκε με τον πόλεμο αυτό καθαυτό, βασικό του μέλημα ήταν τα Δώδεκα Καθάρματα, καθώς και ο τρελός λοχαγός που τους εκπαίδευσε για πολλές εβδομάδες, μέχρι να τους κάνει ξανά στρατιώτες (μιλάμε για τύπους που είτε καταδικάστηκαν σε θάνατο για φόνους και βιασμούς, είτε σε φυλάκιση πολλών ετών), ώστε να σταλούν στη Γαλλία για μια ειδική και άκρως επικίνδυνη αποστολή. Τέλος πάντων, το απόλαυσα τα μάλα το βιβλίο αυτό, γιατί εκτός από την ιστορία και τους χαρακτήρες, επίσης και η γραφή ήταν καταπληκτική, γλαφυρή, οξυδερκής, άκρως εθιστική και ευκολοδιάβαστη. Λίαν συντόμως θα δω και την ταινία, που είναι δεδομένο ότι θα διαφέρει αρκετά από το βιβλίο.
Σε αυτό το τόσο απολαυστικό τουβλάκι βασίζεται η ομότιτλη επική ταινία του 1967. Τόσο καιρό έπιανε σκόνη σε κάποια από τις κάμποσες ντάνες με παλιά Bell που έχω, ήθελα να διαβάσω μια πολυσέλιδη περιπετειώδη ιστορία που να διαδραματίζεται κατά τον Β' Π.Π., και έτσι έπιασα αυτό το βιβλίο (συν τοις άλλοις ήθελα επιτέλους να δω και την ταινία). Λοιπόν, σίγουρα είχα υψηλές προσδοκίες πριν το ξεκινήσω, μιας και είναι ένα κλασικό στο είδος του μυθιστόρημα, και μπορώ να πω ότι οι προσδοκίες αυτές εκπληρώθηκαν στον απόλυτο βαθμό: Το βιβλίο με καθήλωσε και με ξετρέλανε. Σίγουρα, η ιστορία του δεν είναι και τόσο επική, με την έννοια ότι δεν υπάρχουν φοβερές μάχες και τέτοια πράγματα (δεν ξέρω πώς είναι η ταινία φυσικά, αλλά υποθέτω η δράση της θα είναι ατελείωτη), σίγουρα υπάρχει ένταση εδώ κι εκεί, δράση σε διάφορες στιγμές, όμως μου φάνηκε περισσότερο σαν μια μελέτη χαρακτήρων, παρά σαν μια άμυαλη πολεμική περιπέτεια. Πιστεύω ότι ο συγγραφέας έκανε εξαιρετική δουλειά με τη σκιαγράφηση των περισσότερων εκ των πρωταγωνιστών, έδωσε βάθος στα κάθε είδους καθάρματα που απαρτίζουν τα Δώδεκα Καθάρματα, προσφέροντας φυσικά δεκάδες ωραίες και χαρακτηριστικές σκηνές, φοβερούς διαλόγους και διάφορες σκέψεις. Μου αρέσουν οι πολεμικές σκηνές στα πολεμικά μυθιστορήματα, αλλά δεν θέλω να είναι και πολλές και ατελείωτες, γιατί από ένα σημείο και μετά κουράζομαι ολίγον τι. Ε, εδώ ο συγγραφέας δεν υπερέβαλλε, ελάχιστα ασχολήθηκε με τον πόλεμο αυτό καθαυτό, βασικό του μέλημα ήταν τα Δώδεκα Καθάρματα, καθώς και ο τρελός λοχαγός που τους εκπαίδευσε για πολλές εβδομάδες, μέχρι να τους κάνει ξανά στρατιώτες (μιλάμε για τύπους που είτε καταδικάστηκαν σε θάνατο για φόνους και βιασμούς, είτε σε φυλάκιση πολλών ετών), ώστε να σταλούν στη Γαλλία για μια ειδική και άκρως επικίνδυνη αποστολή. Τέλος πάντων, το απόλαυσα τα μάλα το βιβλίο αυτό, γιατί εκτός από την ιστορία και τους χαρακτήρες, επίσης και η γραφή ήταν καταπληκτική, γλαφυρή, οξυδερκής, άκρως εθιστική και ευκολοδιάβαστη. Λίαν συντόμως θα δω και την ταινία, που είναι δεδομένο ότι θα διαφέρει αρκετά από το βιβλίο.
February 6, 2019
The movie was great and starred a ton of big name actors. The book is just as good. Recommended
February 26, 2012
This is the book that the movie was based on. The movie is one of my favorites, with an all star cast including Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland. I couldn't help imagining the actors portraying the characters in the book as the story unfolded. The basic premise is set in WWII and 12 condemned Army prisoners, facing either a death sentence or long sentences are chosen to be trained for a pre-D-Day mission behind enemy lines. The book emphasizes different characters than the movie and delves deeper into the lives of the men and why they ended up as convicts. Of course no movie can ever totally capture any novel, and that's why I don't watch Stephen King movies! The storyline of the movie only parallels the novel. There are a few scenes that appear in both the movie and the book, making it easier to imagine the scene. I enjoyed this book very much. If you like WWII stories, this is good. But it is more of a story of condemned men earning self respect and honor and gaining the trust of their commander. Good Read!
This book is out of print, by the way. It isn't available on the Kindle, either. I bought a used copy from Amazon and was pleased with the purchase. The book came in fairly good condition, as advertised and I didn't pay much for it. I am glad I bought the hard back so I can add it to my bookshelf, as soon as I build it.
This book is out of print, by the way. It isn't available on the Kindle, either. I bought a used copy from Amazon and was pleased with the purchase. The book came in fairly good condition, as advertised and I didn't pay much for it. I am glad I bought the hard back so I can add it to my bookshelf, as soon as I build it.
July 1, 2020
After all these years and countless viewings of the movie, I FINALLY got around to reading this book. Picked up a beat up old 1965 Book Club Edition hardback for about $6.
At page 470 out of 495, the Dirty Dozen still had not jumped into France. This book is really about the Dirty Dozen characters themselves. From Franco to Posey to Odell, and to include Captain John Reisman. Oh, the movie captures several big parts of the book. Author E.M. Nathanson really gets into several of the character's backgrounds. Not all of them, but the ones that he does cover, you really get their backstory and see what makes them tick.
For example, we get to learn a lot more of Napoleon White (the Jim Brown character) in the book then we do in the movie. He was a Lieutenant (Lt) in the Army via OCS. Some of their stories about what led them to that prison is pretty heart breaking. Nathanson makes the Dirty Dozen human.
My only gripe would be what I referenced up top. That the actual jump into France on the day before D-Day was basically glossed over. Most told from a report and not as it was happening. I guess that was the point of the book: about the characters and NOT the actual mission.. I just may look up the follow up by Nathanson that deals with just Captain Reisman.
I am glad that I read it. I have now read the books behind 3 of my favorite movies:
Die Hard (Nothing Lasts Forever)
The Dirty Dozen
First Blood
At page 470 out of 495, the Dirty Dozen still had not jumped into France. This book is really about the Dirty Dozen characters themselves. From Franco to Posey to Odell, and to include Captain John Reisman. Oh, the movie captures several big parts of the book. Author E.M. Nathanson really gets into several of the character's backgrounds. Not all of them, but the ones that he does cover, you really get their backstory and see what makes them tick.
For example, we get to learn a lot more of Napoleon White (the Jim Brown character) in the book then we do in the movie. He was a Lieutenant (Lt) in the Army via OCS. Some of their stories about what led them to that prison is pretty heart breaking. Nathanson makes the Dirty Dozen human.
My only gripe would be what I referenced up top. That the actual jump into France on the day before D-Day was basically glossed over. Most told from a report and not as it was happening. I guess that was the point of the book: about the characters and NOT the actual mission.. I just may look up the follow up by Nathanson that deals with just Captain Reisman.
I am glad that I read it. I have now read the books behind 3 of my favorite movies:
Die Hard (Nothing Lasts Forever)
The Dirty Dozen
First Blood
November 25, 2012
Excellent book. I liked the way we get introduced to the characters and how I started caring for them despite their background. However if I had not first seen the movie, and to be honest, it is one of my favorite movies I would have never picked up the book.
I was surprised by the richness of character as well as the details of the book that helped me to better dive in the period.
Highly recommendable.
I was surprised by the richness of character as well as the details of the book that helped me to better dive in the period.
Highly recommendable.
May 27, 2008
Not done justice by the derived movie/s. An insight into the military mind and the minds of men who go bad.
May 18, 2009
Much, much different than the Telly Savalas movie franchise. Deeper and more psychological- A couple really profound sections. This is something to read.
February 24, 2019
Un romanzo di guerra brutale ben scritto e accattivante
November 9, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It moved a lot slower than I expected it to (despite reading other reviews of the book before I started giving me an idea of what to expect). The ending was a bit of a surprise to me, to be honest; it almost felt like the movie was made to tell the ending of the book (in some respects). I have seen the movie a couple of times or so, but it has been years, so my memory of the events in the movie are a bit vague, but I did recognize (remember) some moments from the book that did make it to the big screen. The language in the book is quite strong and colorful; it surprised me a bit, on the one hand.
I do not know how much the author intended this or not, but the book definitely focuses more on character development, on how somebody might try to mold twelve prisoners condemned to either death or life in prison for their crimes into a kind of soldier willing to do a mission "unfit" for regular forces or even special forces. Some characters are more developed than others, and at least one "villain"/antagonist in the book was pretty comedic (to me, anyway, 'cuz he was such an officious prick). I did come to find myself caring about some of the characters more than others, which kind-of surprised me. I would have to say, as I am thinking about it, he did a "great job" with the character development and characterization, as some of the characters were more 'likable' and others were quite 'despicable.'
It is a strange book. It starts off slow and really does not build up any steam until the end, before their mission. I found the book both boring and interesting at the same time; I also found myself enjoying the interactions of the various characters and how various antagonisms kept coming to the forefront and forcing the group to make decisions on how they were going to handle what was before them. So, it was interesting how the team eventually did gel together and become a unit, did begin to take pride in themselves and what they were doing, what they had accomplished. The author did make it seem quite believable that such a thing could possibly be done, but then he also created 'the right characters' for the task so that they would fill the roles assigned to them as characters and reach their final state of growth. So, as believable as it was, it was still a contrived situation, in some respects, which also made the story interesting.
So, yes, as 'boring' as the book was in some respects, it still not only held my interest to keep reading it, but my interest did grow to see how it ended, to see how much of the ending matched the movie. As I am thinking about the ending while typing this review, I think the ending the author chose is actually more in line with the flow of the book and any other ending would probably have clashed with the overall spirit of the book, the overall narrative (and maybe even purpose) of the book. It is about a group of disparate men at odds with each other and how they eventually become a team, a group who learns to trust each other and work together and rely upon each other as their lives will one day depend on each other once they get their mission. I was originally going to rate it 2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars (because of how much I 'hated' the ending), but I think it will instead rate it 3.3 - 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. I am glad that I took a chance and read the book.
I do not know how much the author intended this or not, but the book definitely focuses more on character development, on how somebody might try to mold twelve prisoners condemned to either death or life in prison for their crimes into a kind of soldier willing to do a mission "unfit" for regular forces or even special forces. Some characters are more developed than others, and at least one "villain"/antagonist in the book was pretty comedic (to me, anyway, 'cuz he was such an officious prick). I did come to find myself caring about some of the characters more than others, which kind-of surprised me. I would have to say, as I am thinking about it, he did a "great job" with the character development and characterization, as some of the characters were more 'likable' and others were quite 'despicable.'
It is a strange book. It starts off slow and really does not build up any steam until the end, before their mission. I found the book both boring and interesting at the same time; I also found myself enjoying the interactions of the various characters and how various antagonisms kept coming to the forefront and forcing the group to make decisions on how they were going to handle what was before them. So, it was interesting how the team eventually did gel together and become a unit, did begin to take pride in themselves and what they were doing, what they had accomplished. The author did make it seem quite believable that such a thing could possibly be done, but then he also created 'the right characters' for the task so that they would fill the roles assigned to them as characters and reach their final state of growth. So, as believable as it was, it was still a contrived situation, in some respects, which also made the story interesting.
So, yes, as 'boring' as the book was in some respects, it still not only held my interest to keep reading it, but my interest did grow to see how it ended, to see how much of the ending matched the movie. As I am thinking about the ending while typing this review, I think the ending the author chose is actually more in line with the flow of the book and any other ending would probably have clashed with the overall spirit of the book, the overall narrative (and maybe even purpose) of the book. It is about a group of disparate men at odds with each other and how they eventually become a team, a group who learns to trust each other and work together and rely upon each other as their lives will one day depend on each other once they get their mission. I was originally going to rate it 2.5 stars rounded down to 2 stars (because of how much I 'hated' the ending), but I think it will instead rate it 3.3 - 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. I am glad that I took a chance and read the book.
June 26, 2025
Some fun parts to this, but very mediocre overall. The pacing was all over the place. Should have been 200 pages shorter at least. 95% of the book is spent on the lead-up to the actual mission, then the mission is blown through and described in very little detail. I’ll have to watch the movie because I feel like it will far surpass the book. Not recommended.
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June 2, 2023I tried reading this and got about half way when I gave up. Its a much, much deeper look at the events of the movie based on this book, and in some ways that's good. You get a lot more of the internal conflicts between the crooks, the power struggles, the attempted rebellions or mutiny, and so on.
But it goes far deeper into the thoughts and psychology of all 12 criminals plus all the staff, with deep dives into their backgrounds and motivations, and instead of being a clever adventure drama its more of a psychodrama and character study. And since these are mostly awful, horrible people (rapists, murderers, etc) the result is very unpleasant.
And the entire tone is bleak and miserable, hopeless, charmless. Its a terrific premise that went the wrong direction in the book, leaving a much better, if less realistic movie. It is really well written, and the characters very well realized and disturbingly real. Its just the book spends 80% of the time on deep character dives and sneaky, nasty plotting and very little on the actual missions or action. Overall, I cannot recommend this and did not like it.
But it goes far deeper into the thoughts and psychology of all 12 criminals plus all the staff, with deep dives into their backgrounds and motivations, and instead of being a clever adventure drama its more of a psychodrama and character study. And since these are mostly awful, horrible people (rapists, murderers, etc) the result is very unpleasant.
And the entire tone is bleak and miserable, hopeless, charmless. Its a terrific premise that went the wrong direction in the book, leaving a much better, if less realistic movie. It is really well written, and the characters very well realized and disturbingly real. Its just the book spends 80% of the time on deep character dives and sneaky, nasty plotting and very little on the actual missions or action. Overall, I cannot recommend this and did not like it.
February 23, 2020
What. A. Novel. Like most, I picked this book up because I'm a big fan of the movie and had no idea it was made from a novel. The book, however, is much different from the movie. Interestingly, they compliment each other well. While the movie focuses more on the mission of the Dirty Dozen, the book goes into much greater depth about the Dozen themselves. It's billed as a war novel, but Nathanson's prose is far from the typical "blood and guts," matter-of-fact writing of soldiering and combat. In fact, it's quite beautiful and stirring. The biggest highlight for me was the character of John Reisman and imagining the great Lee Marvin in an expanded role as I read. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone who's a fan of the movie.
May 25, 2008
Fascinating. Can't put it down. Deep character development. Not a gentle book. I felt physically tired myself just reading what was happening. More than a good war story.
June 12, 2019
If you are a fan of the film version of The Dirty Dozen, then the novel will be well worth your time. The first few pages are slow reading as the author sets up the story, but stick with it because after twenty pages or so the narrative picks up speed and by the latter half it becomes a real page-turner. As the novel is nearly five hundred pages in length, the characters are much more fleshed out than in the film. The protagonist Reisman is no cardboard-cutout war hero but rather a grizzled veteran who is wise beyond his years and full of conflicting emotions. My other favorite character was the giant Ute Indian named Samson Posey, who had a much smaller role in the movie. The only disappointing aspect of the novel is that the Dirty Dozen do not actually begin their all-important mission until the last one hundred pages, making it feel like kind of an afterthought. On a side note, I found it amusing that for the film, they changed the name of the African-American character (played by Jim Brown) from Napoleon White to Robert Jefferson. If you are a fan of the film or WWII tales in general, this is a great read, as is the sequel A Dirty Distant War.
February 5, 2019
It's usually a waste of time for me to read a book after I've seen the movie. Even though the book is probably better than the movie, it's ruined for me because I already know too much about what will happen.
That wasn't the case with "The Dirty Dozen" by E.M. Nathanson. The movie, a so-called classic, is 20 percent training and 80 percent mission. The book is 80 percent training and 20 percent mission.
In other words, 80 percent of the book was compressed into 20 percent of the movie. You can imagine the extent to which stuff was left out.
Since the two are so different, the movie didn't ruin the book for me. Actually, it was the other way around. I picked up the book because I liked the movie. But after reading the book the movie seemed shallow and silly.
Although Nathanson likely made money by selling the movie rights to "The Dirty Dozen," the result obscures the fact that he wrote a fine book. Mention "The Dirty Dozen" to the average man of a certain age and he'll opine, "Great movie!" He isn't even aware that it started with a greater book that the movie did a disservice to.
That wasn't the case with "The Dirty Dozen" by E.M. Nathanson. The movie, a so-called classic, is 20 percent training and 80 percent mission. The book is 80 percent training and 20 percent mission.
In other words, 80 percent of the book was compressed into 20 percent of the movie. You can imagine the extent to which stuff was left out.
Since the two are so different, the movie didn't ruin the book for me. Actually, it was the other way around. I picked up the book because I liked the movie. But after reading the book the movie seemed shallow and silly.
Although Nathanson likely made money by selling the movie rights to "The Dirty Dozen," the result obscures the fact that he wrote a fine book. Mention "The Dirty Dozen" to the average man of a certain age and he'll opine, "Great movie!" He isn't even aware that it started with a greater book that the movie did a disservice to.
July 7, 2013
One of the rare cases where the movie was better than the book. The movie, as everyone should know by now, builds up to a climactic action-adventure sequence in which the main characters assault a German chateau in Nazi-occupied France. The book, which preceded the movie and on which the film was based, deals with the climactic assault as a ten-page appendix to the book. I have no hardship with character studies - Cross of Iron, for example, by Willi Heinrich, is an excellent one. I found this book mostly tedious. Perhaps it is a mistake to read the book having seen the very famous film, which has the natural effect or raising expectations, but dealing with the fate of the characters, even without the film for context, seems unsatisfying somehow. The last ten pages are done in the form of an official military report and lack any kind of emotion or depth. A disappointment given the fine characterization brought out in the film.
February 18, 2020
Nathanson’s book is a page turner for fans of war novels. He painstakingly researched all aspects of military weapons, tactics, and organizations in writing the book and generally was extremely accurate. His research is evident, but falls short on actual military training and maneuvers.
His characters use many military tropes. He has the southern racist, the Indian warrior, the leader, who is versed on every tactic and method by all special ops troops, and the girlish - closeted - not closeted coward. His character development is adequate.
The training and mission are entertaining and believable if not examined too closely.
For an entertaining World War II era war novel, add this this to your reading list. His research makes it above average. If you want more attention to detail and realism in your war novels, you may want to pass on this book.
The movie was entertaining, but falls more in the realm of John Wayne’s “Green Beret” than the truly great war movies.
His characters use many military tropes. He has the southern racist, the Indian warrior, the leader, who is versed on every tactic and method by all special ops troops, and the girlish - closeted - not closeted coward. His character development is adequate.
The training and mission are entertaining and believable if not examined too closely.
For an entertaining World War II era war novel, add this this to your reading list. His research makes it above average. If you want more attention to detail and realism in your war novels, you may want to pass on this book.
The movie was entertaining, but falls more in the realm of John Wayne’s “Green Beret” than the truly great war movies.
April 29, 2022
Here we see one of those increasingly frequent situations I am finding, where sometimes...the book is not better than the movie. The same general premise occurs here, 12 soldiers, all criminals have been given a last chance reprieve to avoid their sentence being carried out in order to undertake a daring mission into German territory. The movie rocks, and is definitely one of the better examples of a war movie out there. Here though, the story gets a bit bogged down. The criminals and Captain Reismann are all given tons of backstory, to explain how they got there, and what crimes they have committed. Too much backstory in fact, any propulsion forward the story has, is ground to a halt as another flashback enters the fray. It would have been a much more fun read, had the story not kept losing itself along the way, turning it into a bit of a slog.
March 7, 2017
This is rare for me, but the movie is better than the book. The book is slow moving at times, does not move at the pace of the movie. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
May 20, 2025
Upon finishing The Dirty Dozen, I was overcome not only with the feeling of supreme disappointment, but the realization of how much time I wasted. I was unaware of this book's existence until I read the non fiction book "Killin' Generals," about the making of the film. I've seen The Dirty Dozen film probably 30 times starting at the age of 10 and it's as good now as it was then. Discovering there was source material really piqued my interest.
The novel unfortunately is such a slow paced slog through a whole lot of nothingness until it finally arrives at the Chateau conclusion and then alots roughly 10 mundane pages to it. E.M. Nathanson wrote 540 pages that consist largely of the prisoners' training. However, he throws in seemingly countless pages of unnecessary backstory. Posey's Native American rituals were interesting at first, but Nathanson kept popping them up like herpes, detouring the narrative when it needed to stay on track. The same goes for the Myron Odell story of whether or not he killed a woman in Glasgow. Somehow, this mystery was as interesting as a person eating a sandwich. Every flashback, including Reisman's odd mafioso killing, felt like quicksand in the middle of a sprint. 20 pages from the end and I was reading 4 to 5 pages about Posey doing a rain dance. And the two main female characters, Tess and Margo, were completely needless. Basically, the pacing sucked and the training became a giant goddamn paperweight in the middle of a story with a blue balls ending.
A great alternate story could have been for the Dirty Dozen to actually go about the first mission that is offered to Reisman. Drop the twelve prisoners into Germany and without an agenda, have them wreak as much havoc as possible. Nathanson could have flashed back to their training with VERY brief backstories of the men and still had it end with the Chateau. Only this time, he could actually write the Chateau story. All meat, no fluff.
The book does contain the majority of the best scenes in the movie. However, the ensemble in the novel barely ever spring the scenes to life. The movie is so elevated because of the excellent performances from truly talented actors. Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, and a mostly undiscovered Donald Sutherland make the characters so damned memorable that I remember every one of them, (their lines, expressions, screen deaths) more than 30 years later. The filmmakers did what the novel did not. It took a cool idea (can our worst criminals be put to use in ultimate combat?) and actually made it cool. I'd go ahead and skip this book. Watch the movie a dozen times instead.
The novel unfortunately is such a slow paced slog through a whole lot of nothingness until it finally arrives at the Chateau conclusion and then alots roughly 10 mundane pages to it. E.M. Nathanson wrote 540 pages that consist largely of the prisoners' training. However, he throws in seemingly countless pages of unnecessary backstory. Posey's Native American rituals were interesting at first, but Nathanson kept popping them up like herpes, detouring the narrative when it needed to stay on track. The same goes for the Myron Odell story of whether or not he killed a woman in Glasgow. Somehow, this mystery was as interesting as a person eating a sandwich. Every flashback, including Reisman's odd mafioso killing, felt like quicksand in the middle of a sprint. 20 pages from the end and I was reading 4 to 5 pages about Posey doing a rain dance. And the two main female characters, Tess and Margo, were completely needless. Basically, the pacing sucked and the training became a giant goddamn paperweight in the middle of a story with a blue balls ending.
A great alternate story could have been for the Dirty Dozen to actually go about the first mission that is offered to Reisman. Drop the twelve prisoners into Germany and without an agenda, have them wreak as much havoc as possible. Nathanson could have flashed back to their training with VERY brief backstories of the men and still had it end with the Chateau. Only this time, he could actually write the Chateau story. All meat, no fluff.
The book does contain the majority of the best scenes in the movie. However, the ensemble in the novel barely ever spring the scenes to life. The movie is so elevated because of the excellent performances from truly talented actors. Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, and a mostly undiscovered Donald Sutherland make the characters so damned memorable that I remember every one of them, (their lines, expressions, screen deaths) more than 30 years later. The filmmakers did what the novel did not. It took a cool idea (can our worst criminals be put to use in ultimate combat?) and actually made it cool. I'd go ahead and skip this book. Watch the movie a dozen times instead.
December 20, 2025
4.5 stars
It’s essentially the Bad News Bears if Walter Matthau was a Navy SEAL and the little league team was made up of sociopaths, murderers and rapists and the team considered murdering their coach in order to escape.
As other reviews have stated, I loved the movie and bought a used copy of the book because of the film. The film is an action flick, the book is a character is a character study that analyzes the duality of wanting love and affection balanced the desire and duty of killing.
The book now seems to be out of print. I don’t know if it’s because the narration can be quite brutal in spots. The third person narration takes on the perspective of the subject. When the character is a racist, the narration is racist, when the character is a coward, the narration becomes fearful, when the subject is violent, the narration becomes brutal.
Best quote: “Odell was now being ordered by the US army to do that which got him arrested and sentenced to death”
There is also an allegory written into the book of the American experience during WWII; the experience of American Indians, American Jews, black Americans, Italian American, a racist southerner; the experience of soldiers sleeping in tents on the grounds of a rich aristocrat, sleeping in her mansion.
One scene the movie did better than the book was the impersonation of the General on the airfield.
Something else I took away from the book, as a Manager, is the dynamic of leading a team. Every team I’ve lead had a less exaggerated version of each: a Bowren, a Sawyer, a Franko, a Maggott, a White.
It’s essentially the Bad News Bears if Walter Matthau was a Navy SEAL and the little league team was made up of sociopaths, murderers and rapists and the team considered murdering their coach in order to escape.
As other reviews have stated, I loved the movie and bought a used copy of the book because of the film. The film is an action flick, the book is a character is a character study that analyzes the duality of wanting love and affection balanced the desire and duty of killing.
The book now seems to be out of print. I don’t know if it’s because the narration can be quite brutal in spots. The third person narration takes on the perspective of the subject. When the character is a racist, the narration is racist, when the character is a coward, the narration becomes fearful, when the subject is violent, the narration becomes brutal.
Best quote: “Odell was now being ordered by the US army to do that which got him arrested and sentenced to death”
There is also an allegory written into the book of the American experience during WWII; the experience of American Indians, American Jews, black Americans, Italian American, a racist southerner; the experience of soldiers sleeping in tents on the grounds of a rich aristocrat, sleeping in her mansion.
One scene the movie did better than the book was the impersonation of the General on the airfield.
Something else I took away from the book, as a Manager, is the dynamic of leading a team. Every team I’ve lead had a less exaggerated version of each: a Bowren, a Sawyer, a Franko, a Maggott, a White.
December 29, 2018
This volume has been sitting in my bookshelves waiting to be read by me, for about twenty years.
I could say, I don't know what took me so long, but that is not really the truth. There was always another book that I wanted to read first, is more like it.
It was fabulous! A real psychological study of men. Written in the mid-1950's, set in the waning months of WW II Europe. An imagined force of twelve men is grouped together for training to attack Germans. Not just the dozen death-sentenced men, but their leader are heavily analyzed. Their past that brought them together is chronicled. How their personalities and abilities grow and emerge are the meat of this story.
I remember loving the movie in my youth. Not a spoiler, but the ending is a touch different.
Most of the book is taken up with the preparation and planning for the assault. The attack, itself, is merely a few pages. But the story works great. I strongly recommend this to anyone who appreciates WW II stories, has seen or heard of the movie, is interested in war-time justice, or psychological studies of men from the mid-twentieth century. In a small way, the story of the dozen inmates is dated, but in more ways, it is universal to men of all time, around the world. Not just how the individuals see the world, but how they believe the world sees them.
I could say, I don't know what took me so long, but that is not really the truth. There was always another book that I wanted to read first, is more like it.
It was fabulous! A real psychological study of men. Written in the mid-1950's, set in the waning months of WW II Europe. An imagined force of twelve men is grouped together for training to attack Germans. Not just the dozen death-sentenced men, but their leader are heavily analyzed. Their past that brought them together is chronicled. How their personalities and abilities grow and emerge are the meat of this story.
I remember loving the movie in my youth. Not a spoiler, but the ending is a touch different.
Most of the book is taken up with the preparation and planning for the assault. The attack, itself, is merely a few pages. But the story works great. I strongly recommend this to anyone who appreciates WW II stories, has seen or heard of the movie, is interested in war-time justice, or psychological studies of men from the mid-twentieth century. In a small way, the story of the dozen inmates is dated, but in more ways, it is universal to men of all time, around the world. Not just how the individuals see the world, but how they believe the world sees them.
October 23, 2019
This is a fictional World War II story about a commando raid by the Office of Strategic Services (“OSS”). The OSS used American army personnel who had committed heinous crimes that resulted in them being either condemned to death or long prison sentences to carry-out this mission. The men would be eligible for a reprieve if they performed well and survived the mission. The mission was very dangerous and to carried out behind enemy lines in France just prior to the Normandy invasion. While the mission seems to be the reason for this story, the real story is how 12 criminal misfits were turned into a combat ready commando squad in just a few months. The bulk of the book covers their training and the transformation back to humanity of men from the dregs of the army. That story is well told and pulls the reader into caring about many of these individuals and discovering the humanity that can exist just under the surface of even such criminals. Its their story that is the real crux of this novel not the mission, which actually takes up only a small part of the story. And, while the movie that was made based upon this book, once again the book is a much better story and provided much better entertainment.
July 14, 2018
The story did not always keep you on the edge of your seat. The exercises got too much attention to my taste.
That being said I still found it a worthwhile read. The nasty characters Victor Franko and Archer Maggot were quite interesting. The good ones Napoleon White and Samson Posey offered interesting reading as well.
It took some time before it became clear to me why Myron Odell was described in such great detail.
The romantic interludes-especially with Tess- were a bit young girls' reading stuff.
The hanging, the parachute training and Odell's temporary escape were captivating.
Colonel Breed was a bit of an unlikely character and Lady Margot did not realize her full potential as a character, I think.
That being said I still found it a worthwhile read. The nasty characters Victor Franko and Archer Maggot were quite interesting. The good ones Napoleon White and Samson Posey offered interesting reading as well.
It took some time before it became clear to me why Myron Odell was described in such great detail.
The romantic interludes-especially with Tess- were a bit young girls' reading stuff.
The hanging, the parachute training and Odell's temporary escape were captivating.
Colonel Breed was a bit of an unlikely character and Lady Margot did not realize her full potential as a character, I think.
March 15, 2021
Many significant differences from the classic movie, but thoroughly enjoyable. Added backstories to several characters, particularly Reisman. Other characters have different names (Jefferson vs White) or don't match up well (Odell, Morgan). I will say that the book heightened something I always thought dopey about the movie - casting Clint Walker as Posey. (In the book, his Indian heritage is far more prominent, making a white cowboy-type that much more ridiculous in the role.)
Still keeps you on your seat with excitement, even though there's a lot more psychological stuff, s opposed to just the surface adventure of an action movie. If you liked the movie, you'll like the book. If you didn't like the movie, what's wrong with you?
Still keeps you on your seat with excitement, even though there's a lot more psychological stuff, s opposed to just the surface adventure of an action movie. If you liked the movie, you'll like the book. If you didn't like the movie, what's wrong with you?
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