The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

I am not a big fan of military books. However there are several classic books which are told in or around military action. Hemingway wrote two and this, Norman Mailer's first book, ranks as another.

Telling the tale of the invasion of a fictional island in the Pacific in World War II we are brought along with one reconnaissance team. The book is told in both current time and individual sections called " Time Machine " where we learn the personal histories of each of the members of the troop.

The characters are interesting and face different challenges. We see Polish, Jewish, Southern, Italian and other nationalities and the prejuidices that each soldier brings with him become part of the story.

The invasion is led by a General Cummings and egocentic, mindgame playing leader who in the end wants total submission by his staff. The mission itself ends up being successful but in such a way that it makes one question everything about the leadership of the army and the hits and misses of war.

This was a good book. I myself enjoyed the character development sections as much as the real time story. I am glad I read this book but as stated this is not one of my favorite subjects. I found the last 50 pages to be a bit long. The mission was bogged down and perhaps the way you felt reading it was how the soldiers felt performing it.

Mailer was a great writer. This book does not match up, for me, to The Executioner's Song which won the Pulitzer but it was a book and is a landmark in American fiction for a reason.