02-20-2008, 10:03 AM
I have to join in in defence of Pressfield.
I thought that he captured the attitudes, emotions and expressions of soldiers in training, deploying and in combat particularly well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of the most realistic combat books I have read. I would draw your attention to the scenes in the lulls in battle where the whole range of behaviour is spot-on.
I must confess that I didn't like some of the Americanisms, such as 'chow' but, hey, that was a minor detail in relation to the agony of the tale. And if a Brit had written it, he'd (possibly now she'd) have used 'scoff'.
With regard to the crudeness of the language, yes.... but soldiers can be like that, perhaps best illustrated the modern classic, 'The f*****g f****r's f****d, Sir'.
I thought that he captured the attitudes, emotions and expressions of soldiers in training, deploying and in combat particularly well. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of the most realistic combat books I have read. I would draw your attention to the scenes in the lulls in battle where the whole range of behaviour is spot-on.
I must confess that I didn't like some of the Americanisms, such as 'chow' but, hey, that was a minor detail in relation to the agony of the tale. And if a Brit had written it, he'd (possibly now she'd) have used 'scoff'.
With regard to the crudeness of the language, yes.... but soldiers can be like that, perhaps best illustrated the modern classic, 'The f*****g f****r's f****d, Sir'.
Lochinvar/Ewan Carmichael
