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End as a Man
"No youth can pass through four years of The Academy and not end as a man!" Out of the vivid and blazing pages of END AS A MAN comes a compelling story about a group of young men in a military academy who are thrown together unhappily under circumstances that are bound to bring out the human defections in all their naked Jocko de Paris had the subtle musculature of a swimmer,and a cold wall of sensitive reserve that waited to be broken down. Larrence Corger,neat,erect; he overpowered the girls with his dark bronze color,his blue eyes and yellow hair. Roger "Black" Gatt,a muscular youth with not much intelligence who used his wealth as a gouge to get what he could out of anyone. Perrin McKee,brillant and strangely disarranged. Robert Marquales,weak-kneed and callow who finds the hypertensions of The Academy grinding brutally away at the framework of his individuality. The novel boast's three movie versions,yet it still remains a rather obscure yet critically renown work from an equally renown yet sadly underrated author.Amongst the backdrop of an age old tradition peculiar to the south,the military school,and an even older one the symbolic bizarre ''right of passage'' to end as a man.Hence the title.More than physical transformation is at stake; the spirit and above all honor must be transformed as well.It painfully and unflatteringly reveals the true face of a nihilistic evil in icecold detail in the visages of the upperclass-cadet's.Unforgettable charachter's like Jocko Deparis and his machiavellian like dark eminence over other'underclassmen'.This novel was written shortly after WWII.A war most notable for the most charasmatic, ultimately self-destructive despot personality the world has ever Hitler.Willingham himself explained his own struggle to come to grips in this novel,with not only what has affected our past but indeed our forseeable future.End as a Man is at it's essence about the struggle to power and the cult of personality.
- GenresFiction
350 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
2 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Calder Willingham
22 books9 followersCalder Willingham, (born Dec. 22, 1922, Atlanta, Ga.—died Feb. 19, 1995, Laconia, N.H.) U.S. novelist and screenwriter who, was lionized at the age of 24 after the publication of the explicit End as a Man (1947), a graphic and lurid account of life at a southern military school resembling South Carolina’s Citadel, where Willingham was enrolled for one year. The novel, which achieved commercial success after the publisher was unsuccessfully prosecuted for obscenity, was made into a film called The Strange One (1957). Willingham was grouped with such other young writers as Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and Truman Capote, all of whom employed the same gritty realism. His success was not repeated in his other novels, however, and he explored that theme in his last book, The Big Nickel (1975). In later years Willingham gained success as a screenwriter with such credits as Paths of Glory (1957), The Vikings (1958), One-Eyed Jacks (1961), The Graduate (1967), Little Big Man (1970), and Rambling Rose (1991), an adaptation of his same-titled 1972 novel. Shortly before his death he finished an original screenplay for Steven Spielberg.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 24, 2022
2.5, rounded down.
This was read as part of an ongoing project of reading neglected early 'classics' of gay lit written before Stonewall. Before reading it, I watched the 1957 film adaptation (retitled 'The Strange One'), which was the film debut of both Ben Gazzara and George Peppard. Although the film was also scripted by Willingham, it bears almost no resemblance to the novel, save in setting and several of the characters.
The movie centers around a single incident of hazing at a Southern military school in 1940, whereas the book details many incidents in the course of a few months at the Academy, in sprawling and not always interesting detail. Much of the book plods along and is fairly boring until the final few chapters.
Worse, much of the jargon of the book, and the way several incidents are related, make understanding what is going on difficult - in one chapter, the central protagonist, Marquales (Peppard's role in the film, which is nowhere near as central as in the book), goes to visit a supposedly injured fellow cadet at his house, only to be told by his father and an attending doctor that the boy has died. He is sent to pay his respects, but finds the boy is actually very much alive - no explanation is given for such bizarre circumstances.
The homosexuality in the book is a rather minor detail, and though there appears to be some latent tendencies in the sadistic antagonist, Jocko de Paris (Gazzara's role), nothing much is made of it. While I enjoyed the movie version, the book was rather a bland disappointment.
This was read as part of an ongoing project of reading neglected early 'classics' of gay lit written before Stonewall. Before reading it, I watched the 1957 film adaptation (retitled 'The Strange One'), which was the film debut of both Ben Gazzara and George Peppard. Although the film was also scripted by Willingham, it bears almost no resemblance to the novel, save in setting and several of the characters.
The movie centers around a single incident of hazing at a Southern military school in 1940, whereas the book details many incidents in the course of a few months at the Academy, in sprawling and not always interesting detail. Much of the book plods along and is fairly boring until the final few chapters.
Worse, much of the jargon of the book, and the way several incidents are related, make understanding what is going on difficult - in one chapter, the central protagonist, Marquales (Peppard's role in the film, which is nowhere near as central as in the book), goes to visit a supposedly injured fellow cadet at his house, only to be told by his father and an attending doctor that the boy has died. He is sent to pay his respects, but finds the boy is actually very much alive - no explanation is given for such bizarre circumstances.
The homosexuality in the book is a rather minor detail, and though there appears to be some latent tendencies in the sadistic antagonist, Jocko de Paris (Gazzara's role), nothing much is made of it. While I enjoyed the movie version, the book was rather a bland disappointment.
December 4, 2015
I decided to explore "End as a Man" after watching the 1950s movie "The Strange One" with Ben Gazzara among others in an adaptation. Naturally the 1947 novel was similar but considerably different; the focus was much broader than on the sociopathic Jocko de Paris. For a post-World War II work the text was surprisingly lurid and in places bizarre.
Nonetheless, I think this qualifies as a lost work of considerable talent. In my tattered book copy from 1947, the back has glowing comments from James T Farrell and Richard Wright.
Nonetheless, I think this qualifies as a lost work of considerable talent. In my tattered book copy from 1947, the back has glowing comments from James T Farrell and Richard Wright.
August 9, 2015
END AS A MAN by Calder Willingham (December 23, 1922 – February 19, 1995). Calder was an American novelist and screenwriter.
END AS A MAN was written in 1947 and I heard about it from author/friend, Christopher Bram, while reading one of his books: EMINENT OUTLAWS: The Gay Writers Who Changed America.
END AS A MAN is the ideal book for every man in the military. Those who have the ability to acquire a diploma from The Academy have achieved a gift in that it is only presented to ‘a man’.
The story revolved around a military Academy for boys and the struggles, fights and competition between the lowerclassmen, upperclassmen and officers/teachers. As it was written so long ago (1947) there were moments of hardship. So much of it can be applied today. In getting through this book I found it sometimes difficult but the last few chapters were quite dramatic and exciting.
Here are the lines that captured me for some reason or another:
“…The idea is, if you have a weakness, fight against it.”
“…the good man’s the true man. My point—the true man is true because he is operating at the summit of his potential; the good man good for the same reason.”
“It must be recognized that human memory is the most perfect and powerful thing in the world.”
“Incredible how the human imagination runs away with itself…”
“What really counts is…personality, the sense of humor, and getting the best of them.”
“Well, one does have to lose one’s innocence some time or other.”
“Everyone is always curious about unpleasant things, have you ever noticed that? Get something grisly and they will just hover around—like buzzards!”
“I’m just another human being you know, with frailties and faults.”
“It’s better to study chemistry and learn something than to spend your life talking like a fool!”
“Do you know that in South America there’s a tribe of natives that have a think known as a blood brotherhood? Do you know what they do? When one of them saves another one’s life, then they become blood brothers. They each pierce a little blood from their wrist and then they rub their hands together good and hard so the blood of one goes in the cut of the other. Then they’re blood brothers! That’s what they do in South America, and it sounds like a doggone good way of showing your relationship for a true friend.”
“You know, I understand that the modern authorities believe the real index of intelligence is mathematical ability. They say that’s much more important than any sheer sensitivity, as far as pure intelligence goes.”
“Where did the word MOON come from?”
“That was derived from the entirely different word, June. I suppose the word derived from the fact that the MOON is especially visible during the sixth month of the year. That’s all.”
I have been wondering about this business of love at first sight. Of course it sounds foolish. But isn’t it true that the shape of a face or the look of an eye can do more to determine love than the deepest spiritual compatibility? Isn’t it true that the man who loves is NOT rational? Well, it seems very possible to me that one can make the error of falling into love at first sight. I believe THE CORRECT PERSON can make a mark that is unremovable.
I stopped, under a magnolia tree, and repeated to myself: LOVE IS A MYTH.
“Energy is a vital thing in life—you have only so much of it because the amount nature gave you is fixed. Throw it away and you get to the point where you haven’t got any more.”
“What is all this stuff about liking and not liking?”
“The fact is, what I like usually likes me; what I don’t like usually doesn’t like me. I’m not being conceited. It turns out that way all the time. Why is this? Because since I was twelve years old when I got my stepmother I’ve seen to it nobody decides whether they like me. I decide whether I like them!”
“There’s always something to do. A man with brains is never trapped.”
END AS A MAN was written in 1947 and I heard about it from author/friend, Christopher Bram, while reading one of his books: EMINENT OUTLAWS: The Gay Writers Who Changed America.
END AS A MAN is the ideal book for every man in the military. Those who have the ability to acquire a diploma from The Academy have achieved a gift in that it is only presented to ‘a man’.
The story revolved around a military Academy for boys and the struggles, fights and competition between the lowerclassmen, upperclassmen and officers/teachers. As it was written so long ago (1947) there were moments of hardship. So much of it can be applied today. In getting through this book I found it sometimes difficult but the last few chapters were quite dramatic and exciting.
Here are the lines that captured me for some reason or another:
“…The idea is, if you have a weakness, fight against it.”
“…the good man’s the true man. My point—the true man is true because he is operating at the summit of his potential; the good man good for the same reason.”
“It must be recognized that human memory is the most perfect and powerful thing in the world.”
“Incredible how the human imagination runs away with itself…”
“What really counts is…personality, the sense of humor, and getting the best of them.”
“Well, one does have to lose one’s innocence some time or other.”
“Everyone is always curious about unpleasant things, have you ever noticed that? Get something grisly and they will just hover around—like buzzards!”
“I’m just another human being you know, with frailties and faults.”
“It’s better to study chemistry and learn something than to spend your life talking like a fool!”
“Do you know that in South America there’s a tribe of natives that have a think known as a blood brotherhood? Do you know what they do? When one of them saves another one’s life, then they become blood brothers. They each pierce a little blood from their wrist and then they rub their hands together good and hard so the blood of one goes in the cut of the other. Then they’re blood brothers! That’s what they do in South America, and it sounds like a doggone good way of showing your relationship for a true friend.”
“You know, I understand that the modern authorities believe the real index of intelligence is mathematical ability. They say that’s much more important than any sheer sensitivity, as far as pure intelligence goes.”
“Where did the word MOON come from?”
“That was derived from the entirely different word, June. I suppose the word derived from the fact that the MOON is especially visible during the sixth month of the year. That’s all.”
I have been wondering about this business of love at first sight. Of course it sounds foolish. But isn’t it true that the shape of a face or the look of an eye can do more to determine love than the deepest spiritual compatibility? Isn’t it true that the man who loves is NOT rational? Well, it seems very possible to me that one can make the error of falling into love at first sight. I believe THE CORRECT PERSON can make a mark that is unremovable.
I stopped, under a magnolia tree, and repeated to myself: LOVE IS A MYTH.
“Energy is a vital thing in life—you have only so much of it because the amount nature gave you is fixed. Throw it away and you get to the point where you haven’t got any more.”
“What is all this stuff about liking and not liking?”
“The fact is, what I like usually likes me; what I don’t like usually doesn’t like me. I’m not being conceited. It turns out that way all the time. Why is this? Because since I was twelve years old when I got my stepmother I’ve seen to it nobody decides whether they like me. I decide whether I like them!”
“There’s always something to do. A man with brains is never trapped.”
June 28, 2017
I came across a reference to this novel when I was reading about John Horne Burns's The Gallery. Had to get it inter-library loan from Santa Rosa. Gay characters were not particularly inspiring, or likeable, but having them appear in a book like this about a southern military academy in the late '40's was groundbreaking.
January 17, 2016
Intriguing and quite unusual novel about young recruits at a military academy. Compares to Catch 22 perhaps as Calder Willingham reveals the absurdities that abound in an artificial environment lorded over by a distant authority figure (General Draughton) although I've yet to read that novel so can't swear that this is a correct comparison. He's also able to address racist attitudes, homophobia and sexism in a no holds barred manner. Frankly society and the military still struggle with these issues today so the novel retains it's relevance even though it was written in 1947. Calder Willingham is now a forgotten author although he wrote numerous well received novels in his time and had a stellar career as a Hollywood screenwriter. Check out his Wikipedia entry. Based on this novel he's been unfairly neglected and is worth further investigation.
May 20, 2022
What was daring and controversial in 1947, does not translate into a good read in 2022. I found parts of this book to be very boring, there were pages and pages of military speeches and pages and pages of long winded jargon. I think it must have been stylish and cutting edge in it's day, but it just doesn't read well.
November 9, 2011
I'm pretty sure I read this book although I honestly don't remember any of it. Back in the 60's and 70's I was an avid reader of Calder Willingham because he wrote directly about sex(or at least as much as he felt he could get away with). Date read is a guess.
June 22, 2021
Story jumps around at times. Queer content potentially interesting, but not enough done with it. Pockets of racism running through the story is also jarring—product of its time, I get it, but still just there for no reason (story isn’t working with it at all).
May 29, 2025
Some books stand the test of time. Others remain a mere snapshot – closed-circuit artifacts that reveal particular attitudes of an era but fail to find footing in the here and now. It is difficult to imagine a time when the military academy route was as much about privilege as that which leads to the Ivy League. This is the case with End As a Man, a novel that follows a fall semester in a prestigious Southern military academy in 1940, a stone’s throw away from America’s involvement in WWII. Through the inchoate perspective of freshman Robert Marquales, the story exposes the chaotic, self-centered student body of an elite institution that prides itself on order, uniformity, and service.
The plot itself, in which a minor incident off campus leads to a wider scandal, seems secondary to the vivid characterizations that people it. These character sketches – the religious boy who wets his bed, the scofflaw who hides behind his father’s money, the fraternizing womanizer – get to the crux of the story. These men are boys. Eighteen, nineteen, twenty – it doesn’t matter. While they try to survive the rigors of discipline and structure, they can’t help but indulge in their own selfish fantasies and cling to their inherited beliefs. The mandatory bracing, cleaning, and push-ups are paired with cigarettes, liquor, and brothels. Calder Willingham (who went on to share screen credit for the adaptations of Paths of Glory and The Graduate) does a fantastic job of representing this world, coupling natural dialogue with military speeches and personal letters, all of which speak to the characters’ truth.
Ironically, that truth is rooted in lies, albeit lies passed down from one generation to the next. In fact, the off-putting points-of-view make the book refreshingly honest. The students express parochial opinions on race, sexuality and gender, and the pushback, if at all, is minimal. This is the snapshot that Willingham captures – the attitudes of the pre-Civil Rights era, when white Christian, heterosexual men not only pulled the levers of power but also believed in their right to do so without question. The result, to put in modern parlance, is entitlement. The Academy is rife with entitled young men who, once making it through the hazing horrors of freshman year, masochistically inflict that very horror on the incoming freshmen for their remaining three years.
As Marquales navigates this terrain, he finds himself unwittingly at the center of a boys-will-be-boys scandal that results in the expulsion of a small platoon of upperclassmen. Conveniently, General Draughton’s final speech on those consequences washes away the stains of youthful indiscretion with the promise of resolute manhood. “Gentleman, I have said this before and I will say it again now. No youth can pass through four years of The Academy and not end as a man.” It might be nothing more than old-fashioned chauvinism, but it’s also damn good rhetoric.
The plot itself, in which a minor incident off campus leads to a wider scandal, seems secondary to the vivid characterizations that people it. These character sketches – the religious boy who wets his bed, the scofflaw who hides behind his father’s money, the fraternizing womanizer – get to the crux of the story. These men are boys. Eighteen, nineteen, twenty – it doesn’t matter. While they try to survive the rigors of discipline and structure, they can’t help but indulge in their own selfish fantasies and cling to their inherited beliefs. The mandatory bracing, cleaning, and push-ups are paired with cigarettes, liquor, and brothels. Calder Willingham (who went on to share screen credit for the adaptations of Paths of Glory and The Graduate) does a fantastic job of representing this world, coupling natural dialogue with military speeches and personal letters, all of which speak to the characters’ truth.
Ironically, that truth is rooted in lies, albeit lies passed down from one generation to the next. In fact, the off-putting points-of-view make the book refreshingly honest. The students express parochial opinions on race, sexuality and gender, and the pushback, if at all, is minimal. This is the snapshot that Willingham captures – the attitudes of the pre-Civil Rights era, when white Christian, heterosexual men not only pulled the levers of power but also believed in their right to do so without question. The result, to put in modern parlance, is entitlement. The Academy is rife with entitled young men who, once making it through the hazing horrors of freshman year, masochistically inflict that very horror on the incoming freshmen for their remaining three years.
As Marquales navigates this terrain, he finds himself unwittingly at the center of a boys-will-be-boys scandal that results in the expulsion of a small platoon of upperclassmen. Conveniently, General Draughton’s final speech on those consequences washes away the stains of youthful indiscretion with the promise of resolute manhood. “Gentleman, I have said this before and I will say it again now. No youth can pass through four years of The Academy and not end as a man.” It might be nothing more than old-fashioned chauvinism, but it’s also damn good rhetoric.
October 26, 2021
Got the point after about 60 pages. After that it was more examples of cruel, heartless, insensitive and malicious behaviour by the quasi-military types at the academy.
November 15, 2013
End as a Man by Calder Willingham (Vanguard Press Inc. 1947)(Fiction) was a book I just had to try after having recently read Ramble on Rose. Sadly, this is a very different kind of fiction, and it could not sustain my interest. Set in a fictional military college in the South, this is a story of conflict, cruelty, and survival among the student-inmates. It aims to be a cross between The Lord of the Flies and The Lords of Discipline (I know, the LOD was written later) and never rises to the level of either. If you wish to sample Calder Willingham, try Ramble on Rose instead. My rating: 5/10, finished 11/14/13.
May 4, 2015
A good read. It suffers somewhat from the grandiose talk of the forewards. The author talks about it as his reaction to the horrors of the Holocaust and the dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. If this is his reaction, it's a pretty tepid one. Robie Macauley's introduction also speaks in tones of exalting praise which the book doesn't quite live up to.
But taken on its own merits, the book is good. It jumps around a fair amount, and suffers from a dearth of likeable characters, but it kept me interested and I enjoyed reading it. If you can skip the hyperbole of the foreward and the introduction, it's worth a read.
But taken on its own merits, the book is good. It jumps around a fair amount, and suffers from a dearth of likeable characters, but it kept me interested and I enjoyed reading it. If you can skip the hyperbole of the foreward and the introduction, it's worth a read.
February 9, 2015
A truthful story about making it through adolescence and the academy. Full of dialogue and very difficult to get through because of this but am pleased I have read it. I have placed it on the cultural shelf for its insight into the culture of young men in United States and the Academy.
May 11, 2016
I saw the old b&w movie of this book years ago and hunted for the book. Hazing and intrigue at a southern military academy, I was reminded of The Lords of Discipline, although this precedes LOD by many years.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews