The Lieutenants: Brotherhood of War 09 |  | Author: W.E.B. Griffin
Publisher: Jove
In Stock
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 5,010
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
ASIN: B0019MPHT2
Publication Date: October 1, 1996
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Product Description
They were the young ones, the bright ones, the ones with the dreams. From the Nazi-prowled wastes of North Africa to the bloody corridors of Europe, they answered the call gladly. It was their duty, their job, their life. They marched off as boys, and they came back--those who made it--as soldiers and professionals forged in the heat of battle...
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
 Required Reading at Army OCS! March 13, 2002
E. T.
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
The Brotherhood of War series was recommended to me when I attended OCS in 1986. The cadre "Strongly" encouraged us to read the Lieutenants. They didn't have to tell us to keep the reading the series. I read them straight through (The Generals was the last book at the time). Then, my classmates and I waited with anticipatation for The New Breed, and the Aviators. Both great additions to the series. Now, I cannot wait to read the latest book, "Special Operations". Ever since I become an officer, I've given "The Lieutenants" as a gift to every new Second Lieutenant in my unit, and recommended it to dozens more. If we carry ourselves even partially the way Lowell, Felter and the rest, this country would never lose a battle, much less a war.
Excellent military novel (with flaws) June 4, 2005
Airman Bob (Presque Isle, Maine)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you want to understand the "culture" of the military, read this book. Then, if you liked it, read the whole "Brotherhood of War" series, of which it is the first book. I spent four years in the Navy (one in Vietnam), but I never really understood the positive side of the military until I read "The Lieutenants." It's easy to find novels that are critical of military values, and it's easy to find patriotic "action" novels that just accept those values without exploring their origin or purpose. The strength of "The Lieutenants" is that it gets inside the heads of a wide variety of soldiers, not just the five main characters. There are good guys, bad guys, and then there are "the warriors." The focus of this book is to explore the values of the small cadre of professional combat soldiers that exists within the Army, thriving in wartime and and struggling against the bureaucracy in peacetime. Yes, this novel has many flaws. The author has his odd obessions and I'm sure most readers will find at least one thing to dislike. But after re-reading this novel for sixth or seventh time over a 20-year period, I have become more tolerant of these weaknesses. W.E.B. Griffin has a unique grasp military culture and is a strong advocate of its often harsh codes of conduct. His writing caused me to re-consider my own experiences in the military and has had an effect on my political values. There are not many books that I can say that about. So, in my opinion, if you can get past the flaws, there is much of value here for anyone who wants to examine their own attitudes towards war and warriors, and perhaps even their own "warrior nature."
compelling story of men at war June 3, 1998
Wesley Harris harris31@bellsouth.net (Atlanta, GA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
if you don't want to buy all 5 books in this series, don't pick this one up. The first time I picked up The Lieutenants I read for 5 hours straight. You will not want to stop until you have read through the last page of The Generals. Although I know better, you will think W.E.B. Griffin was there for every adventure. The characters are loosely based on real-life American soldiers and the realism is unbelievable.
 Not great literature but it's an engrossing read July 11, 2002
R. Tiedemann (Bellevue, NE USA)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
This really rates a little more than a 3 because it's a rousing story and less than a 4 because the writing is just average.In this first book of the Brotherhood of War series, Major Robert Bellmon, West Point '39, is blasted out of his Sherman tank and captured by the Germans in Tunisia in 1943. With other prisoners he's shipped to Italy and then on to Poland. Colonel Graf Peter-Paul von Grieffenberg, German nobleman and pre-war friend of Bellmon's father-in-law, learns of Russian atrocities in Poland. Anxious to alert the American government to Russian war crimes, von Grieffenberg arranges to have Bellmon visit the sites and provide him with photographs and documentation. Tech sergeant Rudy MacMillan arrives with a truckload of dispirited, demoralized American prisoners. Under Bellmon's leadership, MacMillan shapes up the troops and the two become fast friends. Meanwhile, back at West Point, Cadet Corporal Sanford T. Felter decides to resign from the Corps and got to war. Because of his fluency in Russian, Polish and German, he is assigned to headquarters, 40th Armored Division, in Europe. As the war grinds to an end in 1945, the Russians are on the move. Von Grieffenberg's troops march the American officers from Poland into Germany, leaving enlisted men to fend for themselves. The story goes on to postwar Germany where Gen. Waterford wants his polo team to beat the French and since the French will play only with officers, Waterford promotes his best polo player from Private to Lieutenant. Sandy Felter (the West Pointer) ends up in Greece. The series is a fascinating look at a history of the army. It's pretty thorough and always entertaining. Griffin's writing is more journalistic than literary but he tells a rousing story. Military enthusiasts should love this series.
Best Book I Ever Read - Extremely Well Balanced February 28, 2001
Ben (Bethesda, MD USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
W.E.B. Griffin has done a magnificent job in balancing superb dialogue with vivid action scenes. Griffin possesses the unique ability to have whatever he writes down on paper, automaticlly come to life in ones mind, each different, and each unique. The Lieutenants is certainly a great start to his exciting series, Brotherhood of War.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
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