The Winds of War, a 800-page novel blends several layers of narrative to tell the story of how the United States became involved in the Second World War, namely from the point of view of two families: the Henrys and the Jastrows. One level of narrative is taken from members of these families, a second level is Wouk's overarching narrative, and a third level is English translations of a former German general's assessment of the strategic points of the War by one of the Henrys.

I'm a fan of the historical fiction, and I never read any of Herman Wouk's books. For most part, I was not interested in the period, mostly World War II. After reading the first 50 pages, I came to the conclusion that Wouk has mastered not only historical fiction, but a fiction writer on the level of a Hemingway or a Bellow.

No historical fiction writer has achieved Herman Wouk's level of writing. The characters are fully fleshed out, the language is dead on for the period, his female characters are rich, nuanced, and real. He ambitiously covers the entire world (United States, Britain, Germany, Russia, Poland, Philippines, Hawaii) with his main character Victor (Pug) Henry, a naval captain looking for his next big command.

I will read "War and Remembrance" his follow-up at some point.

This is a classic novel, and in my opinion, lacks the appreciation that it deserves. Highly readable and enjoyable to boot.