Official Review: Quiet Heroes of the Great Wars

[LivreAmour217]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Quiet Heroes of the Great Wars" by Denise Martin.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In Quiet Heroes of the Great Wars, author Denise Martin recounts the experiences of her grandfather and father, who both served in the Canadian military during World War I and World War II, respectively. The book is divided into two parts; the first is a transcription of her grandfather's war diaries, while the second contains recollections of World War II as told to the author by her father. Throughout the book, the author also supplies relevant political, cultural, and military information to enhance the reader's comprehension of each man's experience.

To begin, I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am thankful to the author for sharing the wartime experiences of her beloved father and grandfather. Both were brave men who represented their country with honor. Many works that chronicle the World Wars focus heavily upon the efforts of British and American troops, but rarely do we hear about the contributions of the other nations that were involved. This book has given me a greater appreciation of Canada's part in both wars, as well as the other countries that participated in these conflicts.

Reading the wartime stories of these two men was an emotional experience. The first half of the book draws the reader into a firsthand account of World War I as it is happening, and is truly riveting. As I write this, I find myself at a loss for words to describe my reactions to the detailed descriptions of life in the trenches, the horror of watching a fellow soldier die, and the heartache of being separated from loved ones, perhaps forever.

The second half of the book is no less engaging. Denise Martin's father recalls his service during World War II with remarkable clarity, and gives a close-up account of the barbaric practices of the Nazis. Unfortunately, I cannot go into detail for fear of including spoilers, but I will say that his willingness to talk about these harrowing memories is a testimony to his bravery. Had I been in similar circumstances, I doubt that I would be willing to discuss them.

But in spite of the hellish nature of war, the book is not without its lighter moments. Both men also speak of the more pleasurable memories of their time overseas, such as playing sports with fellow soldiers, touring Europe on leave, and the enjoying the rare pleasures of a shower or a hot meal. Quiet Heroes provides a well-rounded glimpse into the "everyday" lives of the men who sacrificed so much during these conflicts.

My only complaint about this book is that it needs editing. While the transcriptions of the diary and interviews were fine overall (perhaps only containing a handful of typos), Denise Martin's paragraphs were filled with run-on sentences and improperly placed commas. Additionally, I feel that the tone of her writing occasionally became too casual for the topic at hand.

But on the whole, Quiet Heroes of the Great Wars is a worthwhile read and I give it 3 out of 4 stars. I really wanted to give this book four stars, but the grammatical errors were too frequent to be ignored. This book has great potential, however, and I could easily see it becoming part of a history curriculum. History lovers will enjoy this book, but I would recommend it to anyone because of the insight that it gives into the lives of the soldiers who served in the World Wars.

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Quiet Heroes of the Great Wars
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Like LivreAmour217's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Heidi M Simone]

@LivreAmour217

Thank you a great review of Quiet Heroes! I absolutely agree about the accounts we hear about he World Wars are mainly focusing on us rather than other nations involved. I'm glad to know there are books out there that talk about how other nations were effected. Thanks, again!

[LivreAmour217]

@LivreAmour217

Thank you a great review of Quiet Heroes! I absolutely agree about the accounts we hear about he World Wars are mainly focusing on us rather than other nations involved. I'm glad to know there are books out there that talk about how other nations were effected. Thanks, again!

Thanks for the feedback, hsimone, it is truly appreciated!

[Tanaya]

Reading the wartime stories of these two men was an emotional experience. The first half of the book draws the reader into a firsthand account of World War I as it is happening, and is truly riveting. As I write this, I find myself at a loss for words to describe my reactions to the detailed descriptions of life in the trenches, the horror of watching a fellow soldier die, and the heartache of being separated from loved ones, perhaps forever.

The entire review was great, but I especially enjoyed this paragraph. While I'm not usually a fan of war stories, I enjoy emotionally powerful writing.

[Levi]

My grandfather, who just died this year, served in three horrible conflicts: WW2, Korea and Vietnam. His stories were fascinating (although some of them reminded me of the movie The Hangover ha ha), and I am forever grateful that I took the time to spend as many weekends as I could with my grandparents before they died so that I could listen to those stories. These kind of things are fascinating to me, and I will add this to my list. Sorry @LivreAmour217 this topic means so much to me that I glossed you over, but your review was fantastic. I also enjoyed and was drawn in by the paragraph mentioned by @Tanaya

[memory]

Great review, I think this is a book that I would really enjoy. I think Allied soldiers from countries other than the US, England, and Russia tend to get lost in the history books so I think its really important to have some books out there that give those equally brave men and women their due.

[Tanaya]

@Escapeartist Your grandfather sounds like an incredible man! I'm sorry for your loss. Maybe you should write your own book about his stories. I'd definitely read it.

[LivreAmour217]

My grandfather, who just died this year, served in three horrible conflicts: WW2, Korea and Vietnam. His stories were fascinating (although some of them reminded me of the movie The Hangover ha ha), and I am forever grateful that I took the time to spend as many weekends as I could with my grandparents before they died so that I could listen to those stories. These kind of things are fascinating to me, and I will add this to my list. Sorry @LivreAmour217 this topic means so much to me that I glossed you over, but your review was fantastic. I also enjoyed and was drawn in by the paragraph mentioned by @Tanaya

No need to apologize, it's a very emotional topic. My condolences about the loss of your grandfather.

-- 10 Aug 2015, 14:47 --

Great review, I think this is a book that I would really enjoy. I think Allied soldiers from countries other than the US, England, and Russia tend to get lost in the history books so I think its really important to have some books out there that give those equally brave men and women their due.

Thank you very much, and I also agree with you wholeheartedly! I wish there were more books that told the story of Allied soldiers from countries other than the "major players"

-- 10 Aug 2015, 14:48 --

Reading the wartime stories of these two men was an emotional experience. The first half of the book draws the reader into a firsthand account of World War I as it is happening, and is truly riveting. As I write this, I find myself at a loss for words to describe my reactions to the detailed descriptions of life in the trenches, the horror of watching a fellow soldier die, and the heartache of being separated from loved ones, perhaps forever.

The entire review was great, but I especially enjoyed this paragraph. While I'm not usually a fan of war stories, I enjoy emotionally powerful writing.

Thank you, Tanaya! Yes, this book is indeed emotionally powerful!

[Levi]

@Escapeartist Your grandfather sounds like an incredible man! I'm sorry for your loss. Maybe you should write your own book about his stories. I'd definitely read it.

@Tanaya
There were some very interesting ones, that's for sure!!
@LivreAmour217
Just wanted to make sure you knew that you did a wonderful job!

[Kappy]

Great review! I also find firsthand accounts of history to be fascinating.

[LivreAmour217]

Great review! I also find firsthand accounts of history to be fascinating.

Thank you, Kappy! It is a very fascinating book!

[chytach18-]

Outstanding review on a remarkable book! We are losing people who fought in those wars due to their old age. Soon, there would be nobody to tell us their stories. Thank you, Denise, for sharing the experience with us.

[LivreAmour217]

Outstanding review on a remarkable book! We are losing people who fought in those wars due to their old age. Soon, there would be nobody to tell us their stories. Thank you, Denise, for sharing the experience with us.

Thank you, chytach18! I, too, am grateful that Denise chose to share these stories!