Soldiers of '44

by William P. McGivern

Sergeant Buell Docker and his fifteen-man mobile gun unit face some uncomfortable moments and decisions during the German Ardennes counteroffensive in December 1944, and Docker faces them again, months later, before a hostile board of old-line officers

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War, Military Fiction, World War II, Military History

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1979

About the author

William P. McGivern was a novelist and screenwriter. In his early years he worked as a police reporter for the Philadelphia Bulletin and a reviewer and reporter for the Evening Bulletin in Philadelphia. Prior to his career in the newspaper business he served in the United States Army from 1943-1946.He moved to Los Angeles in 1960. His works include over twenty thrillers and mysteries as well as Soldiers of 44 , a novel based on his experiences in World War II. His novels turned into movies include The Big Heat, Rouge Cop, Shield For Murder, Odds Against Tomorrow and the bestselling Night of the Juggler .In 1952 McGivern received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America and served as president of that organization in 1980. He was the master of the hard-boiled detective novel.

Reviews

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

William P. McGivern made a career out of writing hard-boiled, two-fisted detective stories. He wrote pulp fiction, but it was good pulp fiction. Soldiers of '44 is different. It's a very insightful and intelligent novel. The plot concerns a small U.S. Army anti-aircraft unit that finds itself behind German lines during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. On the mountain ,with the unit, is a crashed ME-262. The first practical German fighter jet and a real prize for Allied intelligence - if the Germans don't get it back first.

Now on the surface the plot doesn't sound all that special. Pretty typical actually. But get into the story and you'll quickly discover that this was a labor of love for Mr. McGivern. He served in an U.S. Army anti-aircraft unit in France in 1944/45. He experienced war and this book comes from his personal experience. The soldiers (on both sides) in the book are real. They aren't super-charged heroes. They are scared, tired, hungry, very cold and just want to make it home alive. The war is so close to being over, but not yet. Not yet.

Once again I find myself having to use a very overused term. This novel is truthful . Yes it is suspenseful and yes it does have a well written action sequence, but it also has intelligence, a strong sense of place and well developed characters. It's a very well written novel. To me it's apparent that Mr. McGivern wasn't writing pulp with this book. He was writing about his life and the effect that World War II had on his generation. Well written book and one that has held up well over the years. I first read it when I was twenty and it made an impression. It still makes an impression twenty-nine years later.

[Toby Harnden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a very enexpected read for me - I had never heard of the book or McGivern and bought it at an estate sale for $1. It wasn’t easy to get into at first but I am so glad I persisted. Initially, I found there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of who was who and I found the German and Belgian characters less authentic than the American ones. As the book drew on, however, it became a rich, multi-layered and unsparing account of war. The soldiers are real - some heroes, some cowards and some - especially one key character - both at different times. One suspects that this novel was highly autobiographical and it’s all the better for that. Given this written in 1979, it was ahead of its time in detailing the effects of the horrors of war. There’s an extended section based in a military courtroom that delves into all sorts of profound issues about war, those who plan it and those who fight it, officers and men, career soldiers and wartime volunteers. Thoroughly recommended.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

McGivern is the author of several crime novels, notably "The Big Heat," which is the source of the Fritz Lang-directed 1953 film noir of the same title. "Soldiers of '44" is not up to the level of "The Big Heat," but it is a compelling war novel, written near the end of McGivern's life. It mostly tells the story of a small, detached American gun section, pressing toward Germany in late '44, and then caught up in the Battle of the Bulge. The novel also switches to the points of view of a German officer and a French woman. After the main battle action, the last quarter of the novel recounts a semi-judicial hearing, with the protagonist grilled about the actions and character of his men. This part goes on too long. Worth reading for readers interested in McGivern or hard-boiled crime writers working other genres. If you're strictly interested in WWII (combat) novels, at least read "The Naked and the Dead" (Norman Mailer) and "The Thin Red Line" (James Jones) before this one.

[David Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of this book or this author. I inherited ten boxes of books from Charlie. The vast majority of them are about WWII, and only a handful were fiction. This is one of those books. I read it with no real expectations, other than to note that I've been disappointed in very few of Charlie's books.

I wasn't disappointed. I found it a well written, engaging story that avoids cliches. The centerpiece of the book is a small unit engagement: light artillery against a King Tiger. The battle scene is the culmination of the action, but the story continues through a tribunal.

Recommended.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

keeps it real...... <3

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 1980. War story about the Battle of the Bulge. Action packed and violent.

[Nigel Llewellyn Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this the first time in 1981 different from what I remember of it still s good read but also at times frustrating

[Tom Hooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, don't remember the plot.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent novel about a small American artillery unit engaged in the Battle of the Bulge.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about a unit in WW2 during the Battle of the Bulge