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Reissue of a modern classic -- the book that catapulted Norman Mailer to fame on its first publication in 1948. Based on Mailer's own experience of military service in the Philippines during World War Two, 'The Naked and the Dead' is a graphically truthful and shattering portrayal of ordinary men in battle. First published in 1949, as America was still basking in the glories of the Allied victory, it altered forever the popular perception of warfare. Focusing on the experiences of a fourteen-man platoon stationed on a Japanese-held island in the South Pacific during World War II, and written in a journalistic style, it tells the moving story of the soldiers' struggle to retain a sense of dignity amidst the horror of warfare, and to find a source of meaning in their lives amisdst the sounds and fury of battle.
| ISBN | 0007204957 | | Pages | 720 | | ISBN13 | 9780007204953
(What's this?) | | Weight (grammes) | 512 | | Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers | | Published in | London | | Imprint | HarperPerennial | | Series title | Harper Perennial Modern Classics | | Format | Paperback | | Previous ISBN | 9780586091159 | | Publication date | 15 May 2006 | | Height (mm) | 197 | | Non-book description | Paperback | | Width (mm) | 130 | | DEWEY | 813.54 | | Academic level | General | | DEWEY edition | DC22 | |
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'Mailer recorded every foul thought and word of his characters, wrote about ignorant, savage, primitive men. For maturity of viewpoint, for technical competence, and for stark dramatic power, The Naked and the Dead is an incredibly finished performance.' New York Times 'The best war novel to come out of the United States.' The Times 'Brutal, agonising, astonishingly thoughtful.' Newsweek This is 'the single finest novel of WW2'. I know this because Mr Mailer chose to tell me himself in the forward to the edition I read. I'd love to be able to say that his confidence was not misplaced. However, we're all about the truth here. It starts well enough, and his military experience is clear, but around the half-way mark it has the worst 'twist' in history. Fact. Not only does it make the story worse, it is effectively the greatest display of contempt for the audience I have ever encountered from any author. Before the twist, it's a pretty decent though unspectacular read. After the twist, it's plain dull and uninspiring. The whole thing is about the futility of war. I get that. Making it into a futile read which makes you feel as hollow as the main characters, only with a greater sense of having had your time wasted, is not the way to get the message across. Avoid, or read for the sheer sense of 'what the f?' you'll get at that halfway point...then put it down and never look again. - Mike Holmgren Write a review
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