What do you think?
Rate this book
Brotherhood of War #6
The Generals
The sixth book in W.E.B. Griffin’s sweeping military epic of the United States Army—the New York Times bestselling Brotherhood of War series.“W.E.B. Griffin is a storyteller in the grand tradition, probably the best man around for describing the military community. Brotherhood of War...is an American epic.”—Tom ClancyThey were the leaders, the men who made the decisions that changed the outcome of battles...and the fate of continents. From the awesome landing at Normandy to the torturous campaigns of the South Pacific, from the frozen hills of Korea to the devastated wastes of Dien Bien Phu, they had earned their stars. Now they led America's finest against her most relentless enemy deep in the jungles of Southeast Asia. It was a new kind of war, but the Generals led a new kind of army, ready for battle—and for glory...
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 1986
822 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
W.E.B. Griffin
351 books1,299 followersW.E.B. Griffin was one of several pseudonyms for William E. Butterworth III.
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
From the Authors Website:
W.E.B. Griffin was the #1 best-selling author of more than fifty epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian.
Mr. Griffin grew up in the suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1946. After basic training, he received counterintelligence training at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He was assigned to the Army of Occupation in Germany, and ultimately to the staff of then-Major General I.D. White, commander of the U.S. Constabulary.
In 1951, Mr. Griffin was recalled to active duty for the Korean War, interrupting his education at Phillips University, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany. In Korea he earned the Combat Infantry Badge as a combat correspondent and later served as acting X Corps (Group) information officer under Lieutenant General White.
On his release from active duty in 1953, Mr. Griffin was appointed Chief of the Publications Division of the U.S. Army Signal Aviation Test & Support Activity at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Mr. Griffin was a member of the Special Operations Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Army Aviation Association, the Armor Association, and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society.
He was the 1991 recipient of the Brigadier General Robert L. Dening Memorial Distinguished Service Award of the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, and the August 1999 recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, presented at the 100th National Convention in Kansas City.
He has been vested into the Order of St. George of the U.S. Armor Association, and the Order of St. Andrew of the U.S. Army Aviation Association, and been awarded Honorary Doctoral degrees by Norwich University, the nation’s first and oldest private military college, and by Troy State University (Ala.). He was the graduation dinner speaker for the class of 1988 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
He has been awarded honorary membership in the Special Forces Association, the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, the Marine Raiders Association, and the U.S. Army Otter & Caribou Association. In January 2003, he was made a life member of the Police Chiefs Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and the State of Delaware.
He was the co-founder, with historian Colonel Carlo D’Este, of the William E. Colby Seminar on Intelligence, Military, and Diplomatic Affairs. (Details here and here)
He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. And he belongs to the Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pensacola, Florida, chapters of the Flat Earth Society.
Mr. Griffin’s novels, known for their historical accuracy, have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their “fierce, stop-for-nothing scenes.”
“Nothing honors me more than a serviceman, veteran, or cop telling me he enjoys reading my books,” Mr. Griffin says.
Mr. Griffin divides his time between the Gulf Coast and Buenos Aires.
Notes:
Other Pseudonyms
* Alex Baldwin
* Webb Beech
* Walker E. Blake
* W.E. Butterworth
* James McM. Douglas
* Eden Hughes
* Edmund O. Scholefield
* Patrick J. Williams
* W. E. Butterworth
* John Kevin Dugan
* Jac
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
July 6, 2017
Here things have continued to escalate and there are men imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton.
Many of us remember that. This novel centers around a rescue attempt to bring those prisoners home.
In a prior volume one of the characters was called, "baby killer". That was an odd period in history. I stopped at a car wash in my dress greens in '74 and was cursed at by the young woman employed at the place. She made reference to my coming in in my "green suit".
Yes it was an odd time. Felter at one point noted that troops seemed to look more "slovenly". They did after a while. It took years to restore the pride and self respect to the military.
Read this series. Look around at the old men who were in the military in the late 60s and early '70s, the ones who were never welcomed home. The ones who risked their lives for each other and tried to do their duty. There were bad troops. I believe they were the minority. Many draftees learned early on that what they had to do was survive. There was often a sharp divide between the draftees and the enlistees. Some officers were just flat bad and yes atrocities happened...on both sides. But many still took pride in being American Military and are not ashamed of their service. We're 60+ now. Vietnam was 50 years ago.
Recommended.
Many of us remember that. This novel centers around a rescue attempt to bring those prisoners home.
In a prior volume one of the characters was called, "baby killer". That was an odd period in history. I stopped at a car wash in my dress greens in '74 and was cursed at by the young woman employed at the place. She made reference to my coming in in my "green suit".
Yes it was an odd time. Felter at one point noted that troops seemed to look more "slovenly". They did after a while. It took years to restore the pride and self respect to the military.
Read this series. Look around at the old men who were in the military in the late 60s and early '70s, the ones who were never welcomed home. The ones who risked their lives for each other and tried to do their duty. There were bad troops. I believe they were the minority. Many draftees learned early on that what they had to do was survive. There was often a sharp divide between the draftees and the enlistees. Some officers were just flat bad and yes atrocities happened...on both sides. But many still took pride in being American Military and are not ashamed of their service. We're 60+ now. Vietnam was 50 years ago.
Recommended.
November 5, 2022
Griffin brings his story into the Nixon Administration in what is one of the most exciting books of the series. The Green Berets have been tasked with making a raid on Vietnam with the purpose of liberating American POWs but their effort to do so is plagued by security breaches that threaten the entire mission. Griffin does an excellent job of showing three types of security threats here. Many are well-intentioned patriotic men trying to get in on the action, some are clever patriotic women who figure out what is happening from their husbands’ involvement, and at least one is an anti-war activist who happens to be the son of Craig Lowell (and wasn’t that confrontation a wonderfully emotional scene—son rejecting everything the father stands for and believes in). All in all, this is the most gripping book in the series, although I would have liked to see the actual mission get about 300 more pages devoted to it. Lowell, MacMillan, Felter, and Parker have grown up and matured into very fine officers, although Lowell still can’t keep his pants zipped and it gets him into trouble again. (Honestly, this has been a plot of every book in the series. Lowell sleeps with every female that moves and it gets him in trouble.) And of course, at least one person we have followed from book one dies making thenplot even more gripping.
I think Griffin intended this to be the last book in the series because he does an interesting “this is what happened to everyone” section at the end of the book. As there are three more books in the series, I find myself wondering if we will go back to the years he glossed over during the Johnson Administration to find something for them to do.
I think Griffin intended this to be the last book in the series because he does an interesting “this is what happened to everyone” section at the end of the book. As there are three more books in the series, I find myself wondering if we will go back to the years he glossed over during the Johnson Administration to find something for them to do.
February 15, 2024
The Weight of Paper
The Generals covers two momentous events separated by an abrupt time jump of five years, resulting in a novel composed of two entirely separate stories. There are even two different themes, with the first being a fantastic culmination of three novels’ worth of political maneuvering by the brass, set off by nothing less than the Cuban Missile Crisis. With such a great backdrop, the author’s mastery of bureaucratic drama is mixed once more with the pride and honour of regular people going above and beyond for the safety of the free world.
Everything great about the Brotherhood of War is packed into the first half of The Generals, making the latter half even more frustrating. A new female star arrives on stage and becomes the latest conquest for serial adulterer and deadbeat father Lowell. I swear he’s a self-insert for the author, as there’s just no excuse for the positive presentation of moral and financial boundaries crossed. Lowell’s personal life is thoroughly mixed with Felter’s operation and ruins what would otherwise be a brilliant narrative that tied together long-running threads regarding the Special Forces and Vietnam.
The greatest surprise is that The Generals is the end of this saga. Like the rest of the series, the final pages arrive without fanfare or a proper denouement. Combined with the strange combination of two stories at the beginning and end of the 1960s, I get the sense that this was never the conclusion the author wanted. Yet as the last chapter arrives and one bears witness to a soulless Wikipedia-esque summary of the cast and the rest of their lives, it’s fitting that a series powered by bureaucracy ends in tedium.
Not Recommended, with Reservations.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ The Lieutenants (Brotherhood of War, #1)
★★★☆☆ The Captains (Brotherhood of War, #2)
★★☆☆☆ The Majors (Brotherhood of War, #3)
★★☆☆☆ The Colonels (Brotherhood of War, #4)
★★☆☆☆ The Berets (Brotherhood of War, #5)
★★☆☆☆ The Generals (Brotherhood of War, #6)
Brotherhood of War is an ensemble, alternate history soap opera built around life in the post-WW2 US Army. Patriotism and machismo are the primary ingredients in this unabashed be-all-that-you-can-be bureaucratic drama. The characters are great, diverse, and wonderfully realized. But it’s held back by the author’s inner desire to be a rich womanizer.
★★☆☆☆ - Not Recommended unless you can stomach a wealthy, serial adulterer as the star.
The Generals covers two momentous events separated by an abrupt time jump of five years, resulting in a novel composed of two entirely separate stories. There are even two different themes, with the first being a fantastic culmination of three novels’ worth of political maneuvering by the brass, set off by nothing less than the Cuban Missile Crisis. With such a great backdrop, the author’s mastery of bureaucratic drama is mixed once more with the pride and honour of regular people going above and beyond for the safety of the free world.
Everything great about the Brotherhood of War is packed into the first half of The Generals, making the latter half even more frustrating. A new female star arrives on stage and becomes the latest conquest for serial adulterer and deadbeat father Lowell. I swear he’s a self-insert for the author, as there’s just no excuse for the positive presentation of moral and financial boundaries crossed. Lowell’s personal life is thoroughly mixed with Felter’s operation and ruins what would otherwise be a brilliant narrative that tied together long-running threads regarding the Special Forces and Vietnam.
The greatest surprise is that The Generals is the end of this saga. Like the rest of the series, the final pages arrive without fanfare or a proper denouement. Combined with the strange combination of two stories at the beginning and end of the 1960s, I get the sense that this was never the conclusion the author wanted. Yet as the last chapter arrives and one bears witness to a soulless Wikipedia-esque summary of the cast and the rest of their lives, it’s fitting that a series powered by bureaucracy ends in tedium.
Not Recommended, with Reservations.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ The Lieutenants (Brotherhood of War, #1)
★★★☆☆ The Captains (Brotherhood of War, #2)
★★☆☆☆ The Majors (Brotherhood of War, #3)
★★☆☆☆ The Colonels (Brotherhood of War, #4)
★★☆☆☆ The Berets (Brotherhood of War, #5)
★★☆☆☆ The Generals (Brotherhood of War, #6)
Brotherhood of War is an ensemble, alternate history soap opera built around life in the post-WW2 US Army. Patriotism and machismo are the primary ingredients in this unabashed be-all-that-you-can-be bureaucratic drama. The characters are great, diverse, and wonderfully realized. But it’s held back by the author’s inner desire to be a rich womanizer.
★★☆☆☆ - Not Recommended unless you can stomach a wealthy, serial adulterer as the star.
July 18, 2017
This review covers the entire Brotherhood of War series which I read shortly after they came out in the 1980s and have re-read many times since.
Like too many writers, after his initial successes Griffin became more interested in the money than the art. But his first works (The Brotherhood and The Corps) gave what I thought to be an accurate pictures of military life. Griffin's style is what I call "Republican Formulaic" - normal bureaucracy (in this case soldiers) are not effective - only the "special" dudes (Special Forces) and the lone hero (al la Jack Bauer). It might make for a good story but in real life its mostly bullshit. Oh, and the heroes are always (without fail) very rich. So, only rich independent types rate as heroes, or even worthy - hence Republican formulaic.
Anyway, for military enthusiasts, I recommend The Brotherhood Series and The Corps series. After that, don't waste your money.
Like too many writers, after his initial successes Griffin became more interested in the money than the art. But his first works (The Brotherhood and The Corps) gave what I thought to be an accurate pictures of military life. Griffin's style is what I call "Republican Formulaic" - normal bureaucracy (in this case soldiers) are not effective - only the "special" dudes (Special Forces) and the lone hero (al la Jack Bauer). It might make for a good story but in real life its mostly bullshit. Oh, and the heroes are always (without fail) very rich. So, only rich independent types rate as heroes, or even worthy - hence Republican formulaic.
Anyway, for military enthusiasts, I recommend The Brotherhood Series and The Corps series. After that, don't waste your money.
April 23, 2024
Spoilers: The Generals is sort of the final installment of the Brotherhood of War Series. It’s seems like the author ran out of gas and decided to end the series. He even provides an epilogue where we find out what happened to those characters still living. The book starts with the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. We are ready to invade; then the Russians agreed to pull their missiles out. We jump to 1969 where the author does his take on the the Son Tay Raid (called by a different name in The Generals) to extricate POWS from North Vietnam. In the actual raid the the intelligence community failed to note that prisoners were no longer at Son Tay. In the book the mission is a success and a number of prisoners are freed. The book ends with none of our three or four main characters making general officer. There are generals and we get a dose of how generals act. The military makes a big deal out of generals and it would probably be fun to be a general. Military men appreciate a good ass chewing. One who is able to chew ass is held in high esteem. We get a lot of ass chewing in The Generals and well-written ass chewing at that. There are an amazing number of generals/admirals in the military and they can all chew ass. Ass chewing may be the high point of this installment. I’ve greatly enjoyed the series but this book was lacking energy. Reading ahead on reviews of books 7, 8 and 9 I get the idea that Griffin was some how reenergized and wrote more stories filling the gap between 62-69.
Since I already know what happened to everyone I’m going to pass on the next three. All in all, I enjoyed the series. Coincidences are frequently used in fiction but I’ll have to say that in the Generals Griffin goes too far. It was enough to suspend the disbelief that all our main characters seem to always end up in the same place or that Sandy Felter could last through four Presidential administrations. But in this episode a German anti war journalist gets caught photographing the Son Tay Raid training. Amazingly, he turns out to be Craig Lowell’s semi-estranged son who grew up in his German General grandfather’s upper class mansion in Germany. Now, this hippie freak is about to blow the mission. He’s already hidden film and Felter wants to know where it is. In another unbelievable coincidence his cousin Geoff Craig, now a Green Beret Captain, has figured out the mission and wants in. He makes a deal with Felter to get the information out of his German cousin (recall that Geoff is Craig Lowell’s first cousin once removed). He does this by torturing the kid by taking him up in a helicopter and threatening to toss him out. This was all too much for me and I end the series disappointed.
Maybe the author was working against a deadline but this book just doesn’t have the juice of the first four. A lot of it involves Craig Lowell’s love affair with the wife of one of the prisoners Lowell is about to go rescue. Another coincidence. I listened to all these books and the reader does a really good job. Since I once spent a very boring year at Eglin (egg-lynn) AFB I need to point out that pronouncing it el-gin isn’t even close.
Since I already know what happened to everyone I’m going to pass on the next three. All in all, I enjoyed the series. Coincidences are frequently used in fiction but I’ll have to say that in the Generals Griffin goes too far. It was enough to suspend the disbelief that all our main characters seem to always end up in the same place or that Sandy Felter could last through four Presidential administrations. But in this episode a German anti war journalist gets caught photographing the Son Tay Raid training. Amazingly, he turns out to be Craig Lowell’s semi-estranged son who grew up in his German General grandfather’s upper class mansion in Germany. Now, this hippie freak is about to blow the mission. He’s already hidden film and Felter wants to know where it is. In another unbelievable coincidence his cousin Geoff Craig, now a Green Beret Captain, has figured out the mission and wants in. He makes a deal with Felter to get the information out of his German cousin (recall that Geoff is Craig Lowell’s first cousin once removed). He does this by torturing the kid by taking him up in a helicopter and threatening to toss him out. This was all too much for me and I end the series disappointed.
Maybe the author was working against a deadline but this book just doesn’t have the juice of the first four. A lot of it involves Craig Lowell’s love affair with the wife of one of the prisoners Lowell is about to go rescue. Another coincidence. I listened to all these books and the reader does a really good job. Since I once spent a very boring year at Eglin (egg-lynn) AFB I need to point out that pronouncing it el-gin isn’t even close.
December 8, 2018
This is the first of the Brotherhood of War series by W.E.B. Griffin that left me a bit cold. It’s not that it’s a bad story. No, this book is very similar to those in the series that precede this one. I think it’s just starting to feel a bit old to me. It probably doesn’t help that I’ve basically read them all back to back whereas I’m guessing they were released about a year apart. Maybe had I spent more time between each installment, I would have enjoyed them a bit more. They’re just too similar.
In addition, there’s a bit too many quirky things about this book that bothered me as well. It’s almost as if the author was a bit tired of the series himself and tried to do too much too soon. First, not that it really matters, but our three main characters never actually make it to “General”. Yes, there are generals in these stories, and maybe the familiar supporting cast gets a bit more page time than the other books, but in every other book, our trio of Lowell, MacMillan, and Felter usually make it to the rank on the cover of the book somewhere in the story.
Then, this book is divided into two parts. The first takes place around 1963, and then we abruptly jump to 1969. I never quite figured out why, nor could I figure the connection between the two parts. At the conclusion of the book, I felt as though, again, the author was trying to just hurry up and finish the series. I don’t know if it was his intention or not, but he did pen three additional books for this series, and in those books he went back to 1964. So maybe, in hindsight, he would have done things a bit differently.
The biggest sin in this book was that the last 70 pages or so of this book really needed about 350 pages to tell the part of the story adequately. Griffin seems rushed. He even concludes the book with a “where are they now” portion since he wrote the book about 17 years or so after the story ends.
Speaking of story, you know the drill by now if you’ve read any of these. These are “military” books that mix personal with professional. As I’ve said before, I wish these books had more combat/action as opposed to whisky and women, but Griffin still tells a good story even when he focuses on the bedroom as opposed to the battlefield. The Craig Lowell schtick still gets old, however. Whenever we meet a “new” woman in one of these books between the age of 20 and 50, you already know that somehow, someway, she’ll end up in bed with Lowell. She’ll manage to be repulsed and attracted at the same time because of his wealth, arrogance, and good looks. It’s getting a tad dry at this point.
I’m interested to read the next installments. I felt that he left this series a bit unfinished. I’m not sure if that was his intention, but it sure felt like it. A good addition to the series, but far from the best.
In addition, there’s a bit too many quirky things about this book that bothered me as well. It’s almost as if the author was a bit tired of the series himself and tried to do too much too soon. First, not that it really matters, but our three main characters never actually make it to “General”. Yes, there are generals in these stories, and maybe the familiar supporting cast gets a bit more page time than the other books, but in every other book, our trio of Lowell, MacMillan, and Felter usually make it to the rank on the cover of the book somewhere in the story.
Then, this book is divided into two parts. The first takes place around 1963, and then we abruptly jump to 1969. I never quite figured out why, nor could I figure the connection between the two parts. At the conclusion of the book, I felt as though, again, the author was trying to just hurry up and finish the series. I don’t know if it was his intention or not, but he did pen three additional books for this series, and in those books he went back to 1964. So maybe, in hindsight, he would have done things a bit differently.
The biggest sin in this book was that the last 70 pages or so of this book really needed about 350 pages to tell the part of the story adequately. Griffin seems rushed. He even concludes the book with a “where are they now” portion since he wrote the book about 17 years or so after the story ends.
Speaking of story, you know the drill by now if you’ve read any of these. These are “military” books that mix personal with professional. As I’ve said before, I wish these books had more combat/action as opposed to whisky and women, but Griffin still tells a good story even when he focuses on the bedroom as opposed to the battlefield. The Craig Lowell schtick still gets old, however. Whenever we meet a “new” woman in one of these books between the age of 20 and 50, you already know that somehow, someway, she’ll end up in bed with Lowell. She’ll manage to be repulsed and attracted at the same time because of his wealth, arrogance, and good looks. It’s getting a tad dry at this point.
I’m interested to read the next installments. I felt that he left this series a bit unfinished. I’m not sure if that was his intention, but it sure felt like it. A good addition to the series, but far from the best.
June 22, 2020
Things started going wrong for me in this volume of the series. I don't know what happened, maybe the author couldn't put it together or he didn't want to. Craig Lowell finally gets another command and promotion he'd been assigned an aviation battalion earned a Distinguished Service Cross (his second) numerous air medals, spent so much time on the ground he was given another award of the Combat Infantry Badge (third?) and NONE of this is more than hinted at in a couple paragraphs. He also insulted a general and dared him to court martial him! But instead we get the story of him once again being driven by his sexual urges and getting afoul of the whole moral standing of his fellow soldiers. Don't get me wrong, the final mission covered is exciting and a page turner. I skipped lunch and am going to have a late supper because I couldn't put the book down. The series was supposed to end here. There's a quick epilogue of who ends up where, some sad, some glad like life as we all know it. But. . . The books continued. Next.
May 26, 2023
I have read each book, 1-6 in the past 6 weeks.
This one...well, without giving a spoiler, I have to say I am disappointed with how it ended. Now, how to say so without spoiling anything, as it's still a good read, but the ending seems to be entirely too condensed. Griffin could have written an entire book on how things played out after a secret op that was planned, but chose to condense it into just a few pages. Because of that, I feel very irritated.
Now, we're not left wondering what happened to anyone, the loose ends are mostly tied; but Griffin did himself no favors by the lazy ending. Most likely, he probably just got tired of writing about these people; and to be fair, they were fairly predictable. Except for Bellmon. I never expected that from him. It's worth the read, just for that one part. Still, Griffin could have shared more about the aftermath of that, as well. A lot more. Another 20 pages, at least.
Sadly, the man is dead, so he'll never know my feedback. (I just learned that yesterday!)
This one...well, without giving a spoiler, I have to say I am disappointed with how it ended. Now, how to say so without spoiling anything, as it's still a good read, but the ending seems to be entirely too condensed. Griffin could have written an entire book on how things played out after a secret op that was planned, but chose to condense it into just a few pages. Because of that, I feel very irritated.
Now, we're not left wondering what happened to anyone, the loose ends are mostly tied; but Griffin did himself no favors by the lazy ending. Most likely, he probably just got tired of writing about these people; and to be fair, they were fairly predictable. Except for Bellmon. I never expected that from him. It's worth the read, just for that one part. Still, Griffin could have shared more about the aftermath of that, as well. A lot more. Another 20 pages, at least.
Sadly, the man is dead, so he'll never know my feedback. (I just learned that yesterday!)
September 17, 2017
I've read this series several times over the last 20 years or so, and just started it again after a 5+ year layoff. Reading it again I've forgotten how good of a storyteller Griffin was before writing with his son in his last few books. While this one sets the stage for each of his other series (i.e., Corps, Vigilantes, Philadelphia police series) with a rich guy who always bucks the system to beat up the bad guy, with this one you have good character developmet and dialogue, and get a history of the Army from WWII through Vietnam - Korea, tank development, army aviation, Green Berets, you name it.
This one continues the Lowell saga with a very quick and abrupt ending - it's as if he got tired of writing and said "I'm done." You would think a little bit of closure wouldn't be out of order for as much as we've come to know / love / hate some of the characters vs. a few pages at the end.
This one continues the Lowell saga with a very quick and abrupt ending - it's as if he got tired of writing and said "I'm done." You would think a little bit of closure wouldn't be out of order for as much as we've come to know / love / hate some of the characters vs. a few pages at the end.
June 13, 2020
This book appears to be the end of the series, however there are more written after this one.
Too much attention and time was focused on Lowell. Felter, Mac and Parker seemed more like back up characters. By too much, mean way too much. Every one else seemed secondary. Honestly, Mac, Sandy and Phillip have more depth of character and are far more interesting.
One of them ends up as a POW and that is glossed over.
Parker is a POW, he's always been a main character, why was he given so little book time?
Mac was too often an errand boy while Felter was just a boss.
Much of the book was Lowell being a jerk, ticking some one off, flaunting his money or flirting.
The epilogue gives a where are they now wrap up.
Over all, it has the typical Griffen humor and cynical undertones.
Too much attention and time was focused on Lowell. Felter, Mac and Parker seemed more like back up characters. By too much, mean way too much. Every one else seemed secondary. Honestly, Mac, Sandy and Phillip have more depth of character and are far more interesting.
One of them ends up as a POW and that is glossed over.
Parker is a POW, he's always been a main character, why was he given so little book time?
Mac was too often an errand boy while Felter was just a boss.
Much of the book was Lowell being a jerk, ticking some one off, flaunting his money or flirting.
The epilogue gives a where are they now wrap up.
Over all, it has the typical Griffen humor and cynical undertones.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2017
This book shows the familiar men and women from previous volumes at the heights of the military careers. The title is deceiving, though--not all of them make it to General. Still, we share in the spectacularly bad decisions of Craig Lowell; the fierce dedication of Sandy Felter; the forceful, all-or-nothing commitment of Rudy MacMillan; and see a younger generation begin to emerge in their own right.
This book felt like an ending, so I was a bit surprised to find there are three more volumes in the series. I have already started on the next one.
This book felt like an ending, so I was a bit surprised to find there are three more volumes in the series. I have already started on the next one.
January 18, 2018
Solid 4.5 stars ~ Unsatisfied with the more current series bearing the WEB Griffin name, I'm in the midst of re-reading the older series. Brotherhood of War is one of his best series. Once the Griffin book get into the early 2000s (pub dates), they lose some luster. The Generals is one of his better pieces. There is somewhat of an abrupt ending, followed by the epilogue that explains away the retirements of prominent characters. However, the series does continue as Griffin goes back in time after The Generals book.
May 19, 2018
I read this series as a PFC in 1985. I’ve just re-read it and I’m now, after a 20 year Army career and 13 years supporting the Army I’ve got to say I’m quite impressed. I’ve been to most everywhere in this series and it has a deep personal meaning. What’s funny is that I’m a lot more critical of things stated in the novels that I know know are incorrect but after 32 years I still greatly enjoyed the story.
April 16, 2024
I loved the previous 5 books. The ending in this one left a bad taste in my mouth. It felt as if Mr. Griffin was tired of writing about these characters. The last chapter was rushed and hurried, like he was late for dinner and just had to complete the book. I don't know how else to describe it. It felt lazy and lack-luster.
I would rather have been left hanging, than spoon fed a bunch of drivel.
I would rather have been left hanging, than spoon fed a bunch of drivel.
July 14, 2018
I enjoyed this book just as much as Griffin's previous Brotherhood of War books. A great read, but my personal remembrances were interrupted by one word: "Hurlbert." My duty tour as a combat controller (parachutist) in the 1st Air Commando Wing was at HURLBURT FIELD (Hurlburt Air Force Base), not "Hurlbert." I regret my nit-picking, but....
June 30, 2020
I'd read and heard so much about this series that I kind of kicked myself for waiting so long to read it; then, once I started reading the books, I've been a bit disappointed. Really wordy and drawn out, almost like the author wanted to drag this thing out longer than we should have had to endure. Not my favorite.
June 15, 2022
Wow. This book accelerated drastically towards the end. The ending was completely unexpected and abrupt. I'm a little sad that the ending is the way it is, however it's unapologetically realistic (at least more realistic than most other events in the series), which I'll give credit for. I'm intrigued to see how the next two books take off from this low point.
March 4, 2019
Another great book. Caught me off guard when Craig son, Peter Paul, turns on both sides of his family and his country. Would’ve been nice to see some dialogue of that happening along with his cousin, Jeffrey Craig‘s brother-in-law when he got wounded and war and was paralyzed.
March 10, 2021
Griffin is a great storyteller. I think best to read in order so you know the backstory!
Great character development from book to book! Interesting series about the Military, but, not always set in Combat.
Really need to read the entire series
Sad to see the end of this generation
Great character development from book to book! Interesting series about the Military, but, not always set in Combat.
Really need to read the entire series
Sad to see the end of this generation
May 11, 2022
Griffin-, follows the careers of the main characters until they reach the top of the Army organization. They would head departments and divisions as well as Intelligence operations for massive amounts of people. Money was almost no object in R'D nor was the application of new ideas and methods.
March 4, 2023
The generals final book
I found the book very interesting, it held my attention throughout and was difficult to put down. The epilogue was a surprise ending that left we deal points unanswered. Overall it was a good conclusion to the brotherhood of war series
I found the book very interesting, it held my attention throughout and was difficult to put down. The epilogue was a surprise ending that left we deal points unanswered. Overall it was a good conclusion to the brotherhood of war series
November 17, 2017
To much rah rahism for the military and the army in particular.
To much fascination for one rank pulling rank on other ranks.
Typical military one up manship B. S.
And I'm a Vietnam vet.
To much fascination for one rank pulling rank on other ranks.
Typical military one up manship B. S.
And I'm a Vietnam vet.
May 10, 2018
I love this book. I can't wait to get the rest of the series. The characters are amazing, inspiring - I wish this book was another 400 pages longer. I couldn't stand to put it down.
December 21, 2019
Possibly the greatest war series of all time. My father read this and passed it down to me. Great reading.
April 25, 2020
How is this only book #6? I can't help but love these novels.
January 4, 2021
End of series
After all is said and done all is well that ends well. All characters ended basically where they should have. Very good series
After all is said and done all is well that ends well. All characters ended basically where they should have. Very good series
January 13, 2021
Great series, and the conclusion of the cast of characters featured in the series thus far. The series still has three book, which I assume will introduce new characters!
March 2, 2021
Superb.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews