Faulks, Sebastian & Hensgen, Jorg, eds. The vintage book of war fiction.Random House, Vintage. 396p. bibliog, c1999. 1-4000-3040-4. $14.00. SA This book follows a pretty simple idea that the editors couldn't believe hadn't been done before: provide a thoughtful selection of excerpts from some of the best works of fiction about war in the 20th century. Anyone familiar with the possibilities will be pleased to see Faulks, Hemingway, Vonnegut, Heller, Boll, Barker and Babel Babel (bā`bəl) [Heb.,=confused], in the Bible, place where Noah's descendants (who spoke one language) tried to build a tower reaching up to heaven to make a name for themselves. here. But we also get Endo, Bao Ninh Bảo Ninh (born on October 18, 1952) is a Vietnamese novelist and short story writer. His real name is Hoàng Ấu Phương and he was born in the Nghe An province (his ancestors were from Quang Binh province), Vietnam. , Ondaatje, and Malraux among the 40-some entries. Pieces cover battles, of course, but also love and friendship--and hew hew v. hewed, hewn or hewed, hew·ing, hews v.tr. 1. To make or shape with or as if with an ax: hew a path through the underbrush. 2. to no particular political line on any of the topics. Wars include the obvious World Wars I and II, but also the Spanish Civil War Spanish civil war, 1936–39, conflict in which the conservative and traditionalist forces in Spain rose against and finally overthrew the second Spanish republic. and the wars in Korea, Vietnam and revolutionary Russia. This is a fine book. Daniel J. Levinson, Teacher, Thayer Acad., Braintree, MA |
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