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Youngblood Hawke
In this huge novel of nearly 600 pages (from the author of The Caine Mutiny, Marjorie Morningstar, War and Remembrance, etc)about an aspiring young author's assault on the citadel of New York publishing, Wouk's hero Youngblood Hawke launches his career with an oversized manuscript that becomes an instant success. Toasted by critics and swept along on a tide of popularity, he gives himself over to the lush life that gilds artistic success. It is a story of a young writer caught up in the glamour and intrigue of "life at the top" in New York, and suggests the life and career of Thomas Wolfe.
The 1992 paperback was re-issued in April 2004, and became widely available again in Britain, where it had enjoyed success in the early 1960s.
The 1992 paperback was re-issued in April 2004, and became widely available again in Britain, where it had enjoyed success in the early 1960s.
783 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
533 people are currently reading
1592 people want to read
About the author
Herman Wouk
161 books1,390 followersHerman Wouk was a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish American author with a number of notable novels to his credit, including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
Herman Wouk was born in New York City into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Russia. After a childhood and adolescence in the Bronx and a high school diploma from Townsend Harris High School, he earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1934, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and studied under philosopher Irwin Edman. Soon thereafter, he became a radio dramatist, working in David Freedman's "Joke Factory" and later with Fred Allen for five years and then, in 1941, for the United States government, writing radio spots to sell war bonds. He lived a fairly secular lifestyle in his early 20s before deciding to return to a more traditional Jewish way of life, modeled after that of his grandfather, in his mid-20s.
Wouk joined the United States Navy and served in the Pacific Theater, an experience he later characterized as educational; "I learned about machinery, I learned how men behaved under pressure, and I learned about Americans." Wouk served as an officer aboard two destroyer minesweepers (DMS), the USS Zane and USS Southard, becoming executive officer of the latter. He started writing a novel, Aurora Dawn, during off-duty hours aboard ship. Wouk sent a copy of the opening chapters to Irwin Edman who quoted a few pages verbatim to a New York editor. The result was a publisher's contract sent to Wouk's ship, then off the coast of Okinawa. The novel was published in 1947 and became a Book of the Month Club main selection. His second novel, City Boy, proved to be a commercial disappointment at the time of its initial publication in 1948.
While writing his next novel, Wouk read each chapter as it was completed to his wife, who remarked at one point that if they didn't like this one, he'd better take up another line of work (a line he would give to the character of the editor Jeannie Fry in his 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke). The novel, The Caine Mutiny (1951), went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. A huge best-seller, drawing from his wartime experiences aboard minesweepers during World War II, The Caine Mutiny was adapted by the author into a Broadway play called The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, and was later made into a film, with Humphrey Bogart portraying Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg, captain of the fictional USS Caine. Some Navy personnel complained at the time that Wouk had taken every twitch of every commanding officer in the Navy and put them all into one character, but Captain Queeg has endured as one of the great characters in American fiction.
He married Betty Sarah Brown in 1945, with whom he had three sons: Abraham, Nathanial, and Joseph. He became a fulltime writer in 1946 to support his growing family. His first-born son, Abraham Isaac Wouk, died in a tragic accident as a child; Wouk later dedicated War and Remembrance (1978) to him with the Biblical words, "He will destroy death forever."
In 1998, Wouk received the Guardian of Zion Award.
Herman Wouk died in his sleep in his home in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2019, at the age of 103, ten days before his 104th birthday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
February 7, 2020
Even though I write crime novels, my all time favorite book is Lonesome Dove. I read mostly crime and mysteries, great numbers of them. But Lonesome Dove won the Pulitzer prize and deservedly so. For my taste no other book has come close. In my estimation Youngblood Hawk goes right up there beside Lonesome Dove, it is that good. Now I understand this type of story might not entertain every kind of reader, and the odds are very good that few would like it in this day and age. The book was published in 1962 and its about an author in 1947 New York, a young kid who travels from the backwoods of Kentucky to the Big Apple to become a famous writer. The book captures the time period beautifully. The trials and conflicts of the author held me rapt throughout the 783 pages. I couldn’t put the book down and continually think about the characters as if they are real, a true measure of a great book.
I have read Herman Wouk decades ago, Winds of War and The Cain Mutiny are wonderful books. I don’t know how I missed this one.
In the end this is nothing but a true romance which is the over arching theme of the story of how two people who love each other are never in the right places in their relationships at the right time to get together.
The construct is the sixties style of telling the story verses the more popular showing style of today. Many of the pages are solid narrative without a break and even so the craft is so engaging I didn’t want to stop reading. This happens very few times anymore and I am so glad I found this book. I’m guessing the word count equals three to four regular novels in length. Well worth the read.
I will miss the romance I’ve had with this story.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
I have read Herman Wouk decades ago, Winds of War and The Cain Mutiny are wonderful books. I don’t know how I missed this one.
In the end this is nothing but a true romance which is the over arching theme of the story of how two people who love each other are never in the right places in their relationships at the right time to get together.
The construct is the sixties style of telling the story verses the more popular showing style of today. Many of the pages are solid narrative without a break and even so the craft is so engaging I didn’t want to stop reading. This happens very few times anymore and I am so glad I found this book. I’m guessing the word count equals three to four regular novels in length. Well worth the read.
I will miss the romance I’ve had with this story.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.
October 12, 2022
"Have you ever known a famous man before he became famous? It may be an irritating thing to remember, because chances are he seemed like anybody else to you."
And so begins the epic novel Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk. It is a powerful novel about a young man from the coal mining hills of Kentucky and an aspiring author. We are witness to his rapid and meteoric rise in New York's publishing world with his oversized manuscript, much of it written while he was serving in World War II as a seabee in the U.S. Navy. With the success of Youngblood Hawke's first book, Alms for Oblivion, first presented to his publisher in dented blue typing paper cartons marked with red crayon, Alms for Oblivion, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Many of the papers were dog-eared dirty sheets of typewritten manuscript with sprinklings of yellow and green. But as the young author is swept along in the glamour and intrigue and the excitement generated with his rapid artistic success in New York City. Many think that the story is suggestive of the life Thomas Wolfe as he is ultimately caught up in a self-destructive spiral and downfall.
"The critics are going to compare me to Thomas Wolfe, I suppose, because I'm from the South and I write long books. Please don't think I'm crazy, but I think I can do better than Wolfe did. See, I can't touch his poetry, but I tell stories. All he did was write his memoirs."
"No man can know what it is like to be a woman taking her firstborn into her arms for the first time; but a writer who holds a freshly printed copy of his first book must have a fair idea of what the woman feels. It lies rectangular and spotless in his hands, with his name on the jacket. It is his pass to the company of the great. Fielding, Stendahl, Melville, Tolstoy wrote books. Now he has written one. It does not matter that the dust lies brown and thick on millions of books in libraries everywhere, it does not matter that most new books fall dead, it does not matter that of the thousands of books published each year only a half dozen will survive the season. All that may be. Meantime he has written a book! The exaltation does not last. It cannot. It is too sharp. It is gone before he has drawn twenty breaths. But in those twenty breaths he has smelled the sweetest of all savors, the savor of total fulfillment. After that, no matter what success he may achieve, he is just another writer, with a writer's trials and pleasures. That joy never comes again in all of its first purity."
"Hawke's old pen had come to a stop. Caked with dry ink, coated with plaster dust, it rested in its stand on the desk in the library, the one nearly finished room in the silent wreck of a house. Not war, not illness, not poverty, not love-making, not celebrity, had succeeded in stopping the onward rush of that worn cheap pen. It had poured out more than a million words in half a dozen years. The stream of words had turned into a stream of money. And money had stopped the pen."
This was a beautiful and riveting novel that kept me turning the pages of this tome with my copy just shy of 1,000 pages. It is notable for its character development and its lovely and compelling prose as Herman Wouk does so well. Now I must watch the movie from 1964 with James Franciscus and Suzanne Pleshette.
June 24, 2023
4.5 stars
I lived with the characters in this novel for several days and still remember them fondly 3 weeks after turning the last page. The book is very overwritten but for people who like to dig in to long sagas this one is worth the effort.
I lived with the characters in this novel for several days and still remember them fondly 3 weeks after turning the last page. The book is very overwritten but for people who like to dig in to long sagas this one is worth the effort.
April 16, 2008
from the moment i picked up this book, it utterly destroyed my will to live. My very soul became subsumed by a crumbling, mildewy dime-story copy printed in the early 60s. Breaths came in gasps, food lost all meaning, time seemed to fall away in kaleidoscopic ellipses, blocks of hours would pass without context.
I have no explanation why the novel grabbed me so strongly, except to say that 10 pages in I was Youngblood Hawke and i read each word as if it were my future sent back in time to warn me. Apparently, a lot happened.
Adultery, nervous breakdowns, hundreds of thousands of dollars won and lost, incredible back breaking work that resulted in 20 thousand pages of writing in the score of three years and an unutterable absurdity to seemed to crack open the very tragedy our lives are based upon.
Throughout it, I knew I was a writer, a gulper of life, as if the air was stuffed with an effluence of spirit which wholly sustained me, without which I could not survive. Whatever happened, I knew that. Quite a Sunday comic clipping.
Best
I have no explanation why the novel grabbed me so strongly, except to say that 10 pages in I was Youngblood Hawke and i read each word as if it were my future sent back in time to warn me. Apparently, a lot happened.
Adultery, nervous breakdowns, hundreds of thousands of dollars won and lost, incredible back breaking work that resulted in 20 thousand pages of writing in the score of three years and an unutterable absurdity to seemed to crack open the very tragedy our lives are based upon.
Throughout it, I knew I was a writer, a gulper of life, as if the air was stuffed with an effluence of spirit which wholly sustained me, without which I could not survive. Whatever happened, I knew that. Quite a Sunday comic clipping.
Best
December 1, 2023
This is a marvelous novel ... great characters ... surprising plot turns ... emotionally grabbing ... and for me, a true lesson in novel-writing ... and although I have published 7 novels, I still have much to learn ... I recommend Youngblood Hawke to any novelist ... I must have written 100 notes on writing linked to specific parts of Wouk's brilliant prose
I just did something I never did before ... I have made my notes and comments available to anyone who's interested ... warnings ... many of the notes refer to characters and plot elements from my novel-in-progress and are thus unintelligible to anyone but me ... also, I have left the notes as typed on my kindle, with many typos and misspellings
I just did something I never did before ... I have made my notes and comments available to anyone who's interested ... warnings ... many of the notes refer to characters and plot elements from my novel-in-progress and are thus unintelligible to anyone but me ... also, I have left the notes as typed on my kindle, with many typos and misspellings
August 16, 2014
If you don’t know already that Youngblood Hawke is Number One on my Top Ten List, now you do! Before my review, I’m going to give you ten reasons why this book sits on top of my pile:
Its main character, Youngblood Hawke, is someone you instantly like, despite his flaws and weaknesses. I love his good nature.
The rest of the many characters are weak and strong in different ways and very realistic. A couple of them you will love to hate. Others are good and honorable, but their weaknesses often surface and cause problems.
The dialogue is great, and it’s not just between a few characters. There is a lot of variety in personalities and situations.
There are some serious themes and social and political commentary, but…
It’s not all serious – there are many funny parts, particularly the scenes that involve Arthur’s mother.
The big machine of business in New York and Hollywood is always interesting. The story takes place between 1946 and 1953 and, while times have changed in many major ways, the way people relate to each other as they negotiate these fantastic deals still seems relevant.
There is plenty of romantic drama, though it’s certainly subdued compared to today’s standards!
Youngblood Hawke’s work ethic is awesome! It certainly is his downfall, but it’s fascinating to imagine a writer who is so driven and who has such long view of what he wants to say. He always has two or three future books mapped out in his head, and beyond that a plan to get down to his serious work.
There is a lot of foreshadowing. I enjoy looking back on this and I think it is one of the ways to tie together a great story.
It has a very satisfying ending, not to be revealed here!
Youngblood Hawke is the story of a young author from the coal mines of Kentucky who arrives in New York and becomes a hugely successful and prolific novelist. Publishers, agents, Broadway producers, filmmakers, real estate developers and, of course, women, all want a piece of this larger-than-life, good-natured and ambitious personality. Hawke’s goal all along is to make enough money so that he can really get down to business and write his most serious work, something he calls his American Comedy.
He has a work ethic like no other, writes all through the night, sleeps very little and spends the rest of his time trying to manage his new successful life.
But there are many daytime detours. He’s in love with his editor, Jeanne Green, but he can’t resist the lure of Frieda Winter, an attractive older married woman, who is eager to set him up in the Plaza and manage his affairs. And Hawke can’t resist lots of other women. He also jumps right into a variety of questionable investments, including hog futures and other commodities. And unable to say no, Hawke agrees to a series of risky real estate ventures with smooth-talking Scotty Hoag, an old college friend. There are also movie rights to negotiate, screen plays to write, and plays to adapt. And of course there’s the brownstone he’s gutted and is refurbishing, a major money pit.
Almost all of these characters are pre-occupied with money and success, and also avoiding taxes. Hawke’s mother is obsessed with a lawsuit about mining rights, convinced she was bilked out of a huge sum of money by her dead husband’s unfriendly relatives. No one takes her seriously, but she has a way of sensing a con and is tenacious about getting her due. Scotty Hoag is at the center of this ongoing lawsuit and Wouk shows us how he tries to wriggle free.
Wouk also gives us a good look at the business deals, contracts and the crazy negotiations that take place on both coasts and the huge contrast between Hollywood glitz and New York’s publishing world. His story shows us the difference between money and art and gives us characters that struggle with honor.
This is a huge book and an entire section of the book shows one character’s such struggle with honor as he is forced to testify about his links to the Communist party. Karl Fry’s personal battle against pressure to name names shows the power of his resistance and the personal toll it takes. It’s a battle that brings all the key players together and sets up Hawke’s ultimate challenge.
Pushed to his limits, Hawke ignores recurring symptoms of a head injury from years ago. We watch and hope for the best as he works maniacally and under incredible financial pressure to complete his latest book. His dream is just ahead and we hope for the best.
Youngblood Hawke is 800 pages of thinking entertainment. It’s not exactly a fast read, but it’s lots of fun and well worth the commitment. So go on back to the 1940s and 50s, get to know this terrific character and see if this book makes it to the top of your list!
Its main character, Youngblood Hawke, is someone you instantly like, despite his flaws and weaknesses. I love his good nature.
The rest of the many characters are weak and strong in different ways and very realistic. A couple of them you will love to hate. Others are good and honorable, but their weaknesses often surface and cause problems.
The dialogue is great, and it’s not just between a few characters. There is a lot of variety in personalities and situations.
There are some serious themes and social and political commentary, but…
It’s not all serious – there are many funny parts, particularly the scenes that involve Arthur’s mother.
The big machine of business in New York and Hollywood is always interesting. The story takes place between 1946 and 1953 and, while times have changed in many major ways, the way people relate to each other as they negotiate these fantastic deals still seems relevant.
There is plenty of romantic drama, though it’s certainly subdued compared to today’s standards!
Youngblood Hawke’s work ethic is awesome! It certainly is his downfall, but it’s fascinating to imagine a writer who is so driven and who has such long view of what he wants to say. He always has two or three future books mapped out in his head, and beyond that a plan to get down to his serious work.
There is a lot of foreshadowing. I enjoy looking back on this and I think it is one of the ways to tie together a great story.
It has a very satisfying ending, not to be revealed here!
Youngblood Hawke is the story of a young author from the coal mines of Kentucky who arrives in New York and becomes a hugely successful and prolific novelist. Publishers, agents, Broadway producers, filmmakers, real estate developers and, of course, women, all want a piece of this larger-than-life, good-natured and ambitious personality. Hawke’s goal all along is to make enough money so that he can really get down to business and write his most serious work, something he calls his American Comedy.
He has a work ethic like no other, writes all through the night, sleeps very little and spends the rest of his time trying to manage his new successful life.
But there are many daytime detours. He’s in love with his editor, Jeanne Green, but he can’t resist the lure of Frieda Winter, an attractive older married woman, who is eager to set him up in the Plaza and manage his affairs. And Hawke can’t resist lots of other women. He also jumps right into a variety of questionable investments, including hog futures and other commodities. And unable to say no, Hawke agrees to a series of risky real estate ventures with smooth-talking Scotty Hoag, an old college friend. There are also movie rights to negotiate, screen plays to write, and plays to adapt. And of course there’s the brownstone he’s gutted and is refurbishing, a major money pit.
Almost all of these characters are pre-occupied with money and success, and also avoiding taxes. Hawke’s mother is obsessed with a lawsuit about mining rights, convinced she was bilked out of a huge sum of money by her dead husband’s unfriendly relatives. No one takes her seriously, but she has a way of sensing a con and is tenacious about getting her due. Scotty Hoag is at the center of this ongoing lawsuit and Wouk shows us how he tries to wriggle free.
Wouk also gives us a good look at the business deals, contracts and the crazy negotiations that take place on both coasts and the huge contrast between Hollywood glitz and New York’s publishing world. His story shows us the difference between money and art and gives us characters that struggle with honor.
This is a huge book and an entire section of the book shows one character’s such struggle with honor as he is forced to testify about his links to the Communist party. Karl Fry’s personal battle against pressure to name names shows the power of his resistance and the personal toll it takes. It’s a battle that brings all the key players together and sets up Hawke’s ultimate challenge.
Pushed to his limits, Hawke ignores recurring symptoms of a head injury from years ago. We watch and hope for the best as he works maniacally and under incredible financial pressure to complete his latest book. His dream is just ahead and we hope for the best.
Youngblood Hawke is 800 pages of thinking entertainment. It’s not exactly a fast read, but it’s lots of fun and well worth the commitment. So go on back to the 1940s and 50s, get to know this terrific character and see if this book makes it to the top of your list!
March 10, 2008
A perennial favorite, "Youngblood" is just a great book, presenting a perfect picture of the New York literary world of the late forties and early fifties, with a main character who seems like a very real person. I've re-read this many times; the last time I looked through it, I thought, "Well, I'll just browse and skip a bit", and wound up rereading the entire novel in two days. I just couldn't put it down. Although Wouk is an advocated of "old-fashioned" values like fidelity and honesty, he's not cloying or preachy...he gets the point across through the lives of his completely believable characters. For anyone interested in writing or in publishing in the 50's, this is a must-read.
June 16, 2018
I found this at a book sale for $1. I have read other books from this author. This is a classic from the 60's. It is a story of the publishing business in post WW2 New York City. I enjoyed the story about Youngblood Hawke, a young writer from Kentucky who makes it to NYC to chase his dream of getting his first novel published.
March 5, 2019
I'm not sure how anyone can give this immense book of fiction anything other than five stars. Not many authors can pull off what Herman Wouk does with his fascinating long-running tale of the rather innocent-at-first, first time author Youngblood Hawke. We readers follow Hawke as he makes gigantic mistakes in the narrative of his life while writing tales of America. The book dates itself with the view of women, which granted are mostly seen through the eyes of the male characters. The third person POV is mainly Hawke's, but also omniscient at times, and even a time or two told through Hawke's lovers. Despite that, the characters come alive, even the females - Hawke's mother is fabulous in her passive aggressiveness; the sexy married woman of three is deliberately seductive and greedy; the female editor's intelligence gives us the reader another way of viewing Hawke and his too big life. Overall, I wish I'd read this book earlier in my own writing career, but I'm so glad I've read it now. By the end, I was overwhelmed with my love for Hawke, despite all of his faults.
I read this on my e-reader - 700 some pages too much in book form for my tired eyes!
I read this on my e-reader - 700 some pages too much in book form for my tired eyes!
May 6, 2008
The story of an aspiring novelist who, after his first book is accepted, encounters various challenges such as legal entanglements, love affairs, unfulfilled romances, and an obsession with money. It's the kind of book a reader gets lost in.
December 28, 2019
What I learned from reading this book is that sometimes another person's favorite book is something you will love, but more often, it isn't.
February 7, 2024
Generated by chat on AI
The main message of Herman Wouk's book "Youngblood Hawke" revolves around the pursuit of success, fame, and the price one pays for it. The story follows the journey of Arthur Youngblood Hawke, a talented and ambitious writer, as he navigates the cutthroat world of publishing in post-World War II America. Throughout the novel, Wouk explores themes of ambition, love, sacrifice, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in their quest for success.
In terms of its relationship to Wouk's other books, "Youngblood Hawke" stands out as a departure from his more well-known works, such as "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Winds of War." While those novels primarily delve into military and historical themes, "Youngblood Hawke" focuses on the world of literature and the struggles faced by aspiring artists. However, like his other works, Wouk's signature storytelling style and attention to detail shine through, making "Youngblood Hawke" a captivating and thought-provoking read.
Herman Wouk's books are often lengthy due to several reasons. First and foremost, Wouk was known for his meticulous research and attention to detail. His novels often involved complex historical and cultural contexts, requiring extensive research and world-building. Wouk aimed to provide readers with a comprehensive and immersive experience, which naturally led to longer narratives.
Additionally, Wouk's storytelling style was characterized by rich character development and intricate plotlines. He took the time to fully explore the motivations, conflicts, and growth of his characters, creating multi-dimensional and relatable individuals. This level of depth and complexity contributed to the length of his books.
Moreover, Wouk's novels often tackled weighty themes and explored complex ideas. He delved into historical events, societal issues, and moral dilemmas, which necessitated thorough exploration and analysis. Wouk wanted to provide readers with a deep understanding of the subject matter, which again contributed to the length of his works.
Overall, Wouk's lengthy books can be attributed to his commitment to thorough research, rich character development, and exploration of complex themes. These elements combined to create immersive and thought-provoking narratives that have become a hallmark of his writing.
Here are some of the notable titles of Herman Wouk's books along with their respective publication years:
1. "Aurora Dawn" (1947)
2. "City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder" (1948)
3. "The Caine Mutiny" (1951)
4. "Marjorie Morningstar" (1955)
5. "Slattery's Hurricane" (1956)
6. "This is My God: The Jewish Way of Life" (1959) - Non-fiction
7. "Youngblood Hawke" (1961)
8. "Don't Stop the Carnival" (1965)
9. "The Winds of War" (1971)
10. "War and Remembrance" (1978)
11. "Inside, Outside" (1985)
12. "The Hope" (1993)
13. "The Glory" (1994)
14. "The Lawgiver" (2012)
These are just a selection of Herman Wouk's books, and he has written several other works, including fiction, non-fiction, and plays. Each of these books showcases Wouk's distinctive storytelling style and his ability to tackle a wide range of themes and subjects.
The main message of Herman Wouk's book "Youngblood Hawke" revolves around the pursuit of success, fame, and the price one pays for it. The story follows the journey of Arthur Youngblood Hawke, a talented and ambitious writer, as he navigates the cutthroat world of publishing in post-World War II America. Throughout the novel, Wouk explores themes of ambition, love, sacrifice, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in their quest for success.
In terms of its relationship to Wouk's other books, "Youngblood Hawke" stands out as a departure from his more well-known works, such as "The Caine Mutiny" and "The Winds of War." While those novels primarily delve into military and historical themes, "Youngblood Hawke" focuses on the world of literature and the struggles faced by aspiring artists. However, like his other works, Wouk's signature storytelling style and attention to detail shine through, making "Youngblood Hawke" a captivating and thought-provoking read.
Herman Wouk's books are often lengthy due to several reasons. First and foremost, Wouk was known for his meticulous research and attention to detail. His novels often involved complex historical and cultural contexts, requiring extensive research and world-building. Wouk aimed to provide readers with a comprehensive and immersive experience, which naturally led to longer narratives.
Additionally, Wouk's storytelling style was characterized by rich character development and intricate plotlines. He took the time to fully explore the motivations, conflicts, and growth of his characters, creating multi-dimensional and relatable individuals. This level of depth and complexity contributed to the length of his books.
Moreover, Wouk's novels often tackled weighty themes and explored complex ideas. He delved into historical events, societal issues, and moral dilemmas, which necessitated thorough exploration and analysis. Wouk wanted to provide readers with a deep understanding of the subject matter, which again contributed to the length of his works.
Overall, Wouk's lengthy books can be attributed to his commitment to thorough research, rich character development, and exploration of complex themes. These elements combined to create immersive and thought-provoking narratives that have become a hallmark of his writing.
Here are some of the notable titles of Herman Wouk's books along with their respective publication years:
1. "Aurora Dawn" (1947)
2. "City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder" (1948)
3. "The Caine Mutiny" (1951)
4. "Marjorie Morningstar" (1955)
5. "Slattery's Hurricane" (1956)
6. "This is My God: The Jewish Way of Life" (1959) - Non-fiction
7. "Youngblood Hawke" (1961)
8. "Don't Stop the Carnival" (1965)
9. "The Winds of War" (1971)
10. "War and Remembrance" (1978)
11. "Inside, Outside" (1985)
12. "The Hope" (1993)
13. "The Glory" (1994)
14. "The Lawgiver" (2012)
These are just a selection of Herman Wouk's books, and he has written several other works, including fiction, non-fiction, and plays. Each of these books showcases Wouk's distinctive storytelling style and his ability to tackle a wide range of themes and subjects.
September 5, 2021
“Don’t treat me like an infant or a lunatic! I’m Youngblood Hawke, do you recognize the name? I came to New York alone, I got to the top of the writing heap, I made a fortune, I lost it, and I’ll make another fortune, do you hear?” This in a nutshell says it all.
A literary masterpiece! I never imagined I could discover an author (maybe it’s just this book) at this arguably late stage that could affect me the way Hugo, Dickens, Hesse, Hardy and other greats did. It’s an enormous story with gigantic characters. It’s epic in scope. The reader gets drawn into some fascinating legal and judicial conundrums around land disputes (some make for tedious reading, which may be intentional), various gruesome medical emergencies, intense family disputes, the achievement of success and bankruptcy - money is very much a central theme in this work - the labyrinths of the publishing, theatre and the movie industries, life in NYC and the backwoods of Kentucky, and even some philosophical discursions on the United States (McCarthyism, capitalism vs communism/Marxism, freedom, etc.) and more - and all are ingeniously woven into a most intriguing tale. The creative process of writing novels, screenplays and staging a play are treated sumptuously. One of the high points I really enjoyed was a chapter that brilliantly depicts an opening night on Broadway. The comical way Wouk describes the behavior of those typically present at these events I found terrifically amusing. You feel that you’re there and you feel the buzz. The post show party at what is obviously Sardi’s is equally fun, with the actors anxiously awaiting the morning papers with the reviews and their various reactions! when the papers are delivered to their tables by waiters are deftly depicted. On the same night a devastating tragedy occurs that is excruciating in the reading, depicted with even greater éclat.
There is some degree of contrivance, especially when money suddenly becomes available that happens to be just the amount needed. Nevertheless I can’t wait to read more of Wouk’s works. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers.
A literary masterpiece! I never imagined I could discover an author (maybe it’s just this book) at this arguably late stage that could affect me the way Hugo, Dickens, Hesse, Hardy and other greats did. It’s an enormous story with gigantic characters. It’s epic in scope. The reader gets drawn into some fascinating legal and judicial conundrums around land disputes (some make for tedious reading, which may be intentional), various gruesome medical emergencies, intense family disputes, the achievement of success and bankruptcy - money is very much a central theme in this work - the labyrinths of the publishing, theatre and the movie industries, life in NYC and the backwoods of Kentucky, and even some philosophical discursions on the United States (McCarthyism, capitalism vs communism/Marxism, freedom, etc.) and more - and all are ingeniously woven into a most intriguing tale. The creative process of writing novels, screenplays and staging a play are treated sumptuously. One of the high points I really enjoyed was a chapter that brilliantly depicts an opening night on Broadway. The comical way Wouk describes the behavior of those typically present at these events I found terrifically amusing. You feel that you’re there and you feel the buzz. The post show party at what is obviously Sardi’s is equally fun, with the actors anxiously awaiting the morning papers with the reviews and their various reactions! when the papers are delivered to their tables by waiters are deftly depicted. On the same night a devastating tragedy occurs that is excruciating in the reading, depicted with even greater éclat.
There is some degree of contrivance, especially when money suddenly becomes available that happens to be just the amount needed. Nevertheless I can’t wait to read more of Wouk’s works. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest American writers.
March 29, 2018
Wow! Wouk is a master story teller.
July 12, 2021
"Why do you write like you're running out of time?"
This line from the now-iconic musical Hamilton echoed in my mind pretty much the whole time I read Herman Wouk's masterful Youngblood Hawke. Certainly both protagonists have a superhuman drive to put pen to paper and shape the world with their words (and have a certain way with the ladies). And both are experts at self-sabotage whose lives were defined by the money swirling around them.
Honestly, it's hard to talk about a novel I liked this much. It's not a classic, but it SHOULD be-- a gargantuan feat of Dickensian styling (think David Copperfield brought forward a hundred years and with more time spent on process), twentieth century grapples with the American Dream, and sheer chutzpah from Wouk himself. I was taken in from the first sentence to the last by the struggles, triumphs, and tragedies of the eponymous Hawke.
Now I just have to start pushing it on everyone I know.
This line from the now-iconic musical Hamilton echoed in my mind pretty much the whole time I read Herman Wouk's masterful Youngblood Hawke. Certainly both protagonists have a superhuman drive to put pen to paper and shape the world with their words (and have a certain way with the ladies). And both are experts at self-sabotage whose lives were defined by the money swirling around them.
Honestly, it's hard to talk about a novel I liked this much. It's not a classic, but it SHOULD be-- a gargantuan feat of Dickensian styling (think David Copperfield brought forward a hundred years and with more time spent on process), twentieth century grapples with the American Dream, and sheer chutzpah from Wouk himself. I was taken in from the first sentence to the last by the struggles, triumphs, and tragedies of the eponymous Hawke.
Now I just have to start pushing it on everyone I know.
January 23, 2017
It's a mammoth 780 pages, but it doesn't lag and the story telling keeps you turning pages, so it doesn't feel like a slog to get through. I really enjoyed entering the whirlwind life of Art Youngblood Hawke set in 1940-50 NYC. It's got a bit of everything: the publishing world, Broadway, Hollywood, small town life in Kentucky, McCarthyism, great loves, great passions, great characters that you love and hate. It's worth reading, just to see what life was like for working women sixty or seventy years ago. We've come a long way baby! Thank God!
August 24, 2015
I absolutely loved this beautiful bountiful giant of a book! Delicious in so many ways...the main character of Youngblood Hawke, a powerful, brooding, thoughtful, reckless, passionate, curious, and life-devouring writer whose journey as a novelist and "American dreamer" kept me spellbound! As a lover of NYC the time period in which the book takes place, New York in the 40's and 50's, was wonderful to experience. Read this book! Go on a journey of fine story-telling!
February 5, 2019
Herman Wouk suffers from the terrible writer affliction known as ‘every word is a pearl’ syndrome. This novel never ends. My mother gave it to me as a 33rd birthday present as I am working on a few book projects now myself. While there is redeeming value in experiencing Mr. Hawke’s life journey as a writer, that positive takeaway gets lost in the utter verboseness of the story. That’s all I need to say.
November 28, 2022
Reread this after decades - still enjoyed it hugely! Plan to reread The Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War and the sequel!!
September 25, 2019
This was a long and interesting novel supposedly based upon the life of Thomas Wolfe. The story took place between 1946 and 1953. It was a great time in America and this novel captures that time. This was a 1,000 page book but I was hooked and just loved reading it. There were great characters and several underlying subplots that kept me interested. This is great story telling.
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February 5, 2021An epic entry in the Great Midcentury American Novel category. It took me forever to read, but that's partly because there wasn't a single page that bored me and I did no skimming. Also partly because it was like 800 pages. PHEW!
December 5, 2021
Here is a review by Jane: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 20, 2020
at the risk of saying too much, this has everything i could possibly want from a book, and though it has its flaws to be certain, they are overpowered by the sheer power of the text to compel me. from time to time, i become disenchanted with reading and it’s only books like these, big thick overly plotted stories of love and art and money, that bring me back to the fold and remind me why i love fiction. the time for these books has passed, i feel, but there are enough of them that i will always be able to fall back in love with the whole messy world and all its contradictions.
July 7, 2015
June/July 2015: My 2012 attempt at re-reading this book stalled out (see below). However, a couple of weeks ago I got an unexpected urge to try this book again, and though I got off to a slow start, after a few days I was into the book for the long run; I'm currently 478 pages in (more than halfway) with 400 left to go. Although Wouk's prose is occasionally long-winded, it does carry the story along, though a bit of tightening here and there wouldn't have hurt. There are, perhaps, too many cocktails and too many meals, but I'll say this for Wouk: he makes you wish you were partaking of those meals!
All in all, I enjoyed my re-read of this book very much, despite its sprawl - it could have been a bit shorter, and the sub-plot about Hawke's mother and her lawsuit might have been trimmed as well, as it detracted from the main tale, which is the near-meteoric rise and almost-fall of Youngblood Hawke, author.
2012: I first read YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE in 1972, as a teenager (back then there was nothing like the plethora of teen fiction one encounters today, and if a teenager liked to read, as I did, it wasn't unusual for them to read adult material). I'd first noticed it in the library in the mid-1960s, attracted by the orange dust-jacket of the hardcover edition and the size of the book. I had a lot more time to read in 1972, apparently, because it's one among many rather lengthy books I read that year - however, I've only managed 56 pages since beginning it earlier this week.
I'm not sure how aware I was back then that this was essentially a roman á clêf about Thomas Wolfe, and that characters such as Frieda Winter and Waldo Fipps were based on Aline Bernstein (Wolfe's lover) and Maxwell Perkins (Wolfe's editor at Scribners), though I've certainly been aware of this in the years since. And I wonder what today's readers can make of it, not knowing.
Anyway, I have nothing else going right now, so we'll see.
All in all, I enjoyed my re-read of this book very much, despite its sprawl - it could have been a bit shorter, and the sub-plot about Hawke's mother and her lawsuit might have been trimmed as well, as it detracted from the main tale, which is the near-meteoric rise and almost-fall of Youngblood Hawke, author.
2012: I first read YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE in 1972, as a teenager (back then there was nothing like the plethora of teen fiction one encounters today, and if a teenager liked to read, as I did, it wasn't unusual for them to read adult material). I'd first noticed it in the library in the mid-1960s, attracted by the orange dust-jacket of the hardcover edition and the size of the book. I had a lot more time to read in 1972, apparently, because it's one among many rather lengthy books I read that year - however, I've only managed 56 pages since beginning it earlier this week.
I'm not sure how aware I was back then that this was essentially a roman á clêf about Thomas Wolfe, and that characters such as Frieda Winter and Waldo Fipps were based on Aline Bernstein (Wolfe's lover) and Maxwell Perkins (Wolfe's editor at Scribners), though I've certainly been aware of this in the years since. And I wonder what today's readers can make of it, not knowing.
Anyway, I have nothing else going right now, so we'll see.
July 18, 2022
I picked up this old book again a few months ago and was so glad I did. I first read it about 3o years ago and its characters left such an impression on me that I never quite forgot them, like childhood friends. When I first read the book as a twenty-year-old I identified with the story's hero, Youngblood Hawke, as a struggling young man coming out the sticks and making it on a a grand stage. Reading it later in life, I see it as a heart-rending tragedy and appreciate the wisdom that Wouk weaves throughout the narrative. At its heart, Youngblood Hawke is a love story. And through the eyes of this great love you also witness the richness of life with all its joys, sorrows, and missed opportunities. The story telling is a little more old-fashioned (there is sometimes narration as opposed to the non-stop "show-don't-tell" mantra of today) and the book is long and epic, covering decades. We don't often see books like this anymore. But I, for one, really miss them. For in reading them, you're forced to look back at yourself and the world around you in a different way. This one is a treasure.
August 5, 2018
A great book by a great author. I have started to go back to the writers who had numerous bestsellers in the 1950s and 60s. People like Wouk, Leon Uris, Irwin Shaw, Edna Ferber, James Michener, et al, were simple wonderful writers and they seem to be largely forgotten today. It is hard to find anything but their blockbuster sellers in libraries, and sometimes not even those. There are current writers who would do well to go back and read their works. Novels like theirs are the reason people love to read. Not long ago I read Trinity by Leon Uris, another terrific read. Now I have a list waiting for me. I've read Michener's The Drifters three times and am looking forward to reading it again. I've come to think of this as the Golden Age of American novelists. Michener's Kent State, non-fiction, was also very, very good, but I'll never reread it: It was too disturbing; parts of it still haunt me. These writers deserve to be celebrated, not forgotten, and really I don't think they will be. They will always be rediscovered by new generations.
August 29, 2015
I first read this book 24 years ago and it made a big impression on me. I think it is Herman Wouk's best novel. Youngblood Hawke is a driven writer from the south who makes it big and makes big mistakes. Supposedly he is loosely based on Thomas Wolfe though the story is set in the 1940s ans 1950s. This book along with The World According to Garp made me want to be a writer.
It is a big brawling book about publishing in America, the movies, and how to make huge financial mistakes. There are John O'Hara influences. In fact Wouk was influenced by all those male writers of big thick novels in the times where he sets Hawke's story. It is also an intense love story and reading again made me just as sad. I cried when Hawke died.
If you are a writer and want some insight into the golden age of fiction publishing in the US, it would be worth your time to read it.
It is a big brawling book about publishing in America, the movies, and how to make huge financial mistakes. There are John O'Hara influences. In fact Wouk was influenced by all those male writers of big thick novels in the times where he sets Hawke's story. It is also an intense love story and reading again made me just as sad. I cried when Hawke died.
If you are a writer and want some insight into the golden age of fiction publishing in the US, it would be worth your time to read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2016
A young man full of vigour in more than one way, of mind and body and creative facility, shot to fame with his first book published and for good reason, and he has not only more ideas but elaborate plans of many many books he sets out to write. But he is innocent in ways of the world and learns at a cost to his health and creativity, to his heart and to his whole being.
The publisher, the agent, the high society that takes him up including the wealthy married woman who has him in her sights and soon in her claws, and he is an observer of the whole process as much as a pawn and a player learning to do better.
Very moving about the protagonist and very educating about the world out to devour him.
The publisher, the agent, the high society that takes him up including the wealthy married woman who has him in her sights and soon in her claws, and he is an observer of the whole process as much as a pawn and a player learning to do better.
Very moving about the protagonist and very educating about the world out to devour him.
October 19, 2017
I read this book over and over when I was much younger. Read my tattered paperback to pieces, in fact. I hadn't read it in years, but was suddenly struck with the need to reread it, so I found a hardback copy online. (Seems to be a first edition, lucky me.) It's been over 20 years since I last read it, and I was surprised to discover how very well I remembered it, and how very viscerally it affected me, even as many times as I've read it. I was probably about Hawke's age the last time I read it, and I'm much older now, so maybe my perspective has shifted. Anyway, what a story. What a writer. I'm going to reread all of his books before another 20 years go by. Next up, Marjorie Morningstar.
April 12, 2010
Yes, it's pop fiction, but ol' Youngblood was an inspiration to me when I read about him as a young wannabe writer. Wouk reworks the life of Thomas Wolfe (Hawke is from Kentucky instead of North Carolina) to paint an intriguing picture of literary life in New York City in the first half of the 20th Century. Wolfe lived fast, loved hard and died young, so his fictionalized life includes lots of jazzy material about booze, sex, love, greed, literary ambition and death.
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