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Ordinary Heroes
by
Scott Turow
Stewart Dubinsky knew his father had served in World War II. And he'd been told how David Dubin (as his father had Americanized the name that Stewart later reclaimed) had rescued Stewart's mother from the horror of the Balingen concentration camp. But when he discovers, after his father's death, a packet of wartime letters to a former fiancée, and learns of his father's co...more
Hardcover, 371 pages
Published
November 1st 2005
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Feb 05, 2009
Bookmarks Magazine
added it
Retired reporter Stewart Dubinsky last made an appearance in Presumed Innocent (1987). Here, the self-lacerating Dubinsky delves deep into his family's wartime history__one loosely based on Turow's father's experiences. For critics, the question is whether a legal-thriller writer can succeed in another genre__and the answers vary. Out of the courtroom, Turow remains an effective storyteller whose characters (Gita in particular) and details of war create immediacy and intrigue. However, his usual
...more
I've never read this author. I'm impressed - good for those who enjoy this type of WW2 espionage-ish thriller; the characterizations are realistic and the story engrossing, better than the usual.
2 likes · like · see review
view all 8 comments
Jun 03, 2012
Larry Bassett
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
war,
historical-fiction
This is my first time to read Scott Turow and I understand that this book is a departure from his normal writing of mystery/thrillers. He has written several nonfiction books including one on the death penalty and another on his first year at Harvard Law School as well as this historical fiction offering. There is a contingent of lawyers who have added writing fiction books to their achievements. Turow is a skilled writer and he puts his legal knowledge to good use.
Turow appears to give away the...more
Turow appears to give away the...more
I can’t explain how I connect music to books. I heard The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” on the radio in the car this afternoon and it took me back to when I was reading Ordinary Heroes. The more I thought on the link, the more Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” also came to me as associated with it. Hmm.
It’s been years (2006, I think) since I read Scott Turow’s WWII novel about a son’s journey into his father’s and mother’s pasts through letters and other written artifacts. Unlike a lot of the reviewers...more
It’s been years (2006, I think) since I read Scott Turow’s WWII novel about a son’s journey into his father’s and mother’s pasts through letters and other written artifacts. Unlike a lot of the reviewers...more
Scott Turow's novels are thoughtful and illuminating explorations of the inter lives of men of my generation. Some might say that this would make them very short novels, but not so! This particular novel is, at least geographically, far from Turow's usual locale of Kindle County. (I assume he chose that name before Amazon;s use of it.)
One small example: the main character, in the middle of trying to sort things out in his own life, is tailing with his best friend: "...trusting Biddy [his friend...more
One small example: the main character, in the middle of trying to sort things out in his own life, is tailing with his best friend: "...trusting Biddy [his friend...more
2 likes · like · see review
At times I got drawn into thinking I was reading a better book. The overall plot structure is good, albeit parallel in large part with Band of Brothers. Occasionally there seems wisdom, but it seems wisdom that has been learnt from a manual. As a Brit, I don't mind the Americans winning the war interpretation, though I do mind the British accents that seem to have been learnt from watching Passport to Pimlico. It falls short in characterisation and the filling. One, there is too much of it (was...more
Scott Turow's descriptions of the physical and mental pain faced by WWII soldiers reminded me that all wartime soldiers must come home with varying degrees of post-traumatic stress syndrome. It is difficult for some and impossible for others to assimilate back to the "normal" world.
As Stuart Dubinsky uncovers the journal kept by his father, David Dubin, he is amazed to learn about a part of his parents' lives that they never discussed. The wartime horrors and twisted political affiliations that...more
As Stuart Dubinsky uncovers the journal kept by his father, David Dubin, he is amazed to learn about a part of his parents' lives that they never discussed. The wartime horrors and twisted political affiliations that...more
This was a great story and I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few parts that were able to surprise me. I don't think I've ever read anything like this work as I received this book as a birthday present. Not something I would pick up for myself, but I'm glad I read it.
There were some parts of it that were too descriptive and wordy for me. I did do a bit of skimming through much of the book, but I thought the characters Turow created were fascinating and original. He had me guessing till...more
There were some parts of it that were too descriptive and wordy for me. I did do a bit of skimming through much of the book, but I thought the characters Turow created were fascinating and original. He had me guessing till...more
The first book I read of the guy and which made me crave for more. He's not his usual self here, if you've read his legal thrillers, you'll know what I mean. What differs Turow from Grisham (though it's a shameful comparison) is the humanity the former brings in his works. It's not just fast-paced action that makes us grip our seats as the novelist reaches climax, but what Turow does is something more. His characters are real as life, their pain, failures, disillusionment - everything is real as...more
I really enjoyed this story actually. It was a wonderful blend of past voice and present - they were interwoven seamlessly and without effort - and with each change of side or voice the story was told in, you wanted the other to continue and you welcomed it back when it came. It was an unexpected reading pleasure!!
To top that off, the story setting was partially modern and partially a WW II adventure and the war aspect was told with an honest air that made it feel very real at times. I liked tha...more
To top that off, the story setting was partially modern and partially a WW II adventure and the war aspect was told with an honest air that made it feel very real at times. I liked tha...more
A wonderfully written book -- shows the reach of the author's ability in easily flowing, masterful prose, often elegant. Turow renders the details of war 'on the ground' during the second World War in the European Theatre, and through this tale adds to our view of the Greatest Generation, yet with no smarmy details of war spared.
The story is told from the point of view of the son of the main character, who delves into uncovering his lawyer father's life as a young officer during the war, largely...more
The story is told from the point of view of the son of the main character, who delves into uncovering his lawyer father's life as a young officer during the war, largely...more
Scott Turow is one of my favorite authors, but I'm a little bit behind in catching up with his output, so I'm attempting to rectify that. This book is not my favorite of his, but it does nothing to change my opinion of his abilities. He's still one of the best contemporary novelists we have, in my opinion.
Turow is most famous as an author of legal thrillers. He's often described as "the thinking man's John Grisham," a phrase that still undersells him in my opinion. A practicing attorney, Turow i...more
Turow is most famous as an author of legal thrillers. He's often described as "the thinking man's John Grisham," a phrase that still undersells him in my opinion. A practicing attorney, Turow i...more
I've always enjoyed Scott Turow's legal thrillers, but this book tells a different kind of story. The narrator, a retired reporter, discovers a cache of letters when his father dies, and uses them as a starting point to research his father's World War II experiences. Most of it takes place on the battlefields of Europe in the last year of the war, and the contrast of the narrator's research process combined with the vivid recreation of the war from one soldier's point of view make a riveting nov...more
David Dubin, a US Army lawyer in the last months of WWII is ordered to arrest an OSS (forerunner of the CIA) officer who may be a Russian spy. On the chase, Dubin ends up participating in the OSS man's partisan sabotage mission to blow up a Nazi munitions dump, and parachuting into Bastogne and leading a rifle company during the Battle of the Bulge.
Dubin is ensnared in a passionate affair with the man's beautiful Resistance partner, enabling the OSS man to repeatedly escape Dubin's grasp. Dubin'...more
Dubin is ensnared in a passionate affair with the man's beautiful Resistance partner, enabling the OSS man to repeatedly escape Dubin's grasp. Dubin'...more
Unusual WWII war story, worthwhile (Turow, after all), though not particularly thrilling.
With six prior legal thrillers under his belt, Scott Turow is frequently compared to Grisham - but has seemed to us the more intellectual of the two, trading consistent quality for a much lower publication rate. And like Grisham, who branched out of his genre with books like "A Painted House" and "Skipping Christmas", Turow gives us here a war story. Indeed, the hero, David Dubin, is a "JAG", who mostly defe...more
With six prior legal thrillers under his belt, Scott Turow is frequently compared to Grisham - but has seemed to us the more intellectual of the two, trading consistent quality for a much lower publication rate. And like Grisham, who branched out of his genre with books like "A Painted House" and "Skipping Christmas", Turow gives us here a war story. Indeed, the hero, David Dubin, is a "JAG", who mostly defe...more
I like Turow's work. He's thoughtful and he knows his way around a sentence; he tells a great story. This latest novel is a bit of a departure for him. Most of his stuff is about the law, from one angle or another (he is, in fact, a lawyer). This is a historical novel that tries to do a lot of different things at once, a lot of which is still about the law.
The main character is Stewart Dubinsky, a disenchanted 55-year-old crime reporter, divorced, no longer employed. His father is recently decea...more
The main character is Stewart Dubinsky, a disenchanted 55-year-old crime reporter, divorced, no longer employed. His father is recently decea...more
This book is two stories interleaved. The first, but probably secondary story as far as getting the reader absorbed, is the story a journalist takes in unravelling his father and mother’s lives in WWII. When Stewart Dubinsky discovers love letters written by his father to someone other than his mother during the War, he also find out about his father’s court marshal and imprisonment. He then starts to question the story he and his sister have always known of how his parents met – his father the...more
May 09, 2008
Kay
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Only a man
Shelves:
fiction
I purchased this book when it was first published in 2005 but had put off reading it. Since I do like the author and have read all his books, I felt it was time.
It's been 25 yrs. since I read a book about war, but I do remember how I would get caught up in the plot and characters and by the end how emotional I would be. I loved the patriotism, sadness, romance and overall feeling a good fictional war book would be. Sure they may not be an accurate account of war but it would make me feel good a...more
It's been 25 yrs. since I read a book about war, but I do remember how I would get caught up in the plot and characters and by the end how emotional I would be. I loved the patriotism, sadness, romance and overall feeling a good fictional war book would be. Sure they may not be an accurate account of war but it would make me feel good a...more
Scott Turow’s novel Ordinary Heroes was on my shelf by mistake. I didn’t realize at first it was a novel and I thought it was about the war today. When I opened it and began reading, it was clear it was WWII, but since I have always been a big “fan” (Should anyone call themselves a fan of a war? What word should I use instead? I have always been fascinated by the war.), I read it anyway.
At one point, talking of General Teedle and his horrific abuse, according to Bonner, of the men in his command...more
At one point, talking of General Teedle and his horrific abuse, according to Bonner, of the men in his command...more
When Stewart Dubinsky's father, David Dubin, dies, Stewart learns that his father was court martialed during WWII and that he was once engaged to another woman. Stewart sets off to find out the details of these mysterious events in his father's life he knew nothing about.
I found this book to be enjoyable overall, but nothing about it really wow'd me. The characters, for the most part seemed to be on the flat side. I did like the character of Gideon Bidwell and thought he was an intriguing charac...more
I found this book to be enjoyable overall, but nothing about it really wow'd me. The characters, for the most part seemed to be on the flat side. I did like the character of Gideon Bidwell and thought he was an intriguing charac...more
When Stewart asked what his dad did in the war (WWII) his father would talk about his work as an army lawyer in Europe. After his dad passes away, Stewart finds a mysterious letter that reveals that his father was once engaged to a different woman AND was court martialed while in the army.
David's search causes him to discover a true mystery as he views army documents, letters, and finally, even discovers a manuscript by his father telling the whole story.
Though this one moves a little slow, Tu...more
David's search causes him to discover a true mystery as he views army documents, letters, and finally, even discovers a manuscript by his father telling the whole story.
Though this one moves a little slow, Tu...more
This book was terrific, set mostly in World War II. One running theme is that life is neither black or white (although we crave clear cut answers). Life is mostly very gray and that was very apparent during the millions of incidents that occurred during World War II. The other running theme in this book is that we become the stories that we create about ourselves. I just love that! It seems so empowering to me. We CAN write our own life story. In the book, the main character is seeking the truth...more
The book was mildly engaging and had a couple of exciting moments. But by and large, it was fair as a story.
The author seems to be confused. At times he refers to the soldiers of WWII as if they were unheroic barbarians and animals, and at other times he talks about them as if they were saints of the Earth.
The author also tried to convey the brotherhood of men who have seen combat. He unfortunately did not achieve this. He even tried to shock the reader (or listener in this case) into the belief...more
The author seems to be confused. At times he refers to the soldiers of WWII as if they were unheroic barbarians and animals, and at other times he talks about them as if they were saints of the Earth.
The author also tried to convey the brotherhood of men who have seen combat. He unfortunately did not achieve this. He even tried to shock the reader (or listener in this case) into the belief...more
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Excellent! Turow departs from his typical mysteries to delve back into events that shaped his father in World War II. While the story is not his father's story, it is informed by details and descriptions from his father's letters and his experiences as an Army doctor in the war that left 40 million people dead in Europe alone. The description of the brief battlefield experiences of an Army lawyer trapped into a combat leadership role, interrupting a mission to arrest an OSS member, put me much m...more
As always, Turow books are extremely well written. I learned quite a few things about WWII history that I didn't know. The graphic narrative of battle scenes stuck with me way after I had finished the book.
I listened to this book on CD on recent long trips (it is 13 1/2 hours long). It was very entertaining and well written. The characters are just ordinary people doing their duties during the dark days of World War II. The book paints a very clear struggle of difficult moral decisions during times of war. The characters in the novel draw you into their world and the difficulties they face. The main drawback of the book is the language the General and other army personnel use. I'm sure the author...more
I was really surprised by this book. Not the normal thing that Turow writes, but it was pretty well done. I don't think the characterizations were 100% successful, and I saw the "twist" coming a mile away, but that didn't keep me from reading it compulsively. It involves soldiers and spies in WWII, yet it's not quite what you'd expect for that either. It's partly written as a man's inquiry into some of his father's history that he knew nothing about, until he died. The other part is the father's...more
Lovely writing. Great research and incorporation of authentic details and a bibliography on the website to prove it: http://www.scottturow.com/ordinaryher...
Great characters, especially the two resistance fighters--Martin and Gita, especially Gita. The audiobook includes an interesting interview with Turow who talks about Gita as the character that took on a life of her own. It vaguely has a mystery plot--the search for a spy through the final stages of WWII Europe. It was plenty crime/mystery f...more
Great characters, especially the two resistance fighters--Martin and Gita, especially Gita. The audiobook includes an interesting interview with Turow who talks about Gita as the character that took on a life of her own. It vaguely has a mystery plot--the search for a spy through the final stages of WWII Europe. It was plenty crime/mystery f...more
My father was killed in World War II when I was a few months old. He died horribly and he never saw me. He was 26 years old. My mother married the wonderful man who was my dad a year or so later. Dad died about 19 years ago. He would never speak of his service but after Dad's death, my mother told me about his nightmares and how he would wake up in tears. In a battle scene in Ordinary Heroes, Scott Turow brought to life the fear and the horror and the unspeakable. I believe I understand now the...more
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Scott F. Turow is an American author and a practicing lawyer. Turow has written eight fiction and two nonfiction books, which have been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 25 million copies. Movies have been based on several of his books.
Series:
* Kindle County Legal Thriller
http://us.macmillan.com/author/scottt...
More about Scott Turow...
Series:
* Kindle County Legal Thriller
http://us.macmillan.com/author/scottt...
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