What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bridges at Toko-ri
In one of his beloved early bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener crafts a tale of the American men who fought the Korean War, detailing their exploits in the air as well as their lives on the ground. Young and innocent, they arrive in a place they have barely ever heard of, on a ship massive enough to carry planes and helicopters. Trained as professionals, they prepare for the rituals of war that countless men before them have endured, and face the same fears. They are American fighter pilots. Together they face an enemy they do not understand, knowing their only hope for survival is to win.
Praise for The Bridges at Toko-Ri
“A vivid and moving story, as well as an exciting one . . . The humanity of the people is deeply felt.”—Chicago Tribune
“The Banshees screaming over Korea, the perilous landings on an aircraft carrier deck ‘bouncing around like a derelict rowboat,’ a helicopter rescue from the freezing waters . . . all are stirringly rendered.”—The Denver Post
“Michener’s best . . . a story of action, ideas, and civilization’s responsibilities.”—Saturday Review
Praise for The Bridges at Toko-Ri
“A vivid and moving story, as well as an exciting one . . . The humanity of the people is deeply felt.”—Chicago Tribune
“The Banshees screaming over Korea, the perilous landings on an aircraft carrier deck ‘bouncing around like a derelict rowboat,’ a helicopter rescue from the freezing waters . . . all are stirringly rendered.”—The Denver Post
“Michener’s best . . . a story of action, ideas, and civilization’s responsibilities.”—Saturday Review
126 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 12, 1953
490 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
James A. Michener
522 books3,588 followersJames Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer; founded an MFA program now, named the Michener Center for Writers, at the University of Texas at Austin; and made substantial contributions to the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, best known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings and a room containing Michener's own typewriter, books, and various memorabilia.
Michener's entry in Who's Who in America says he was born on Feb. 3, 1907. But he said in his 1992 memoirs that the circumstances of his birth remained cloudy and he did not know just when he was born or who his parents were.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
March 6, 2019
The Bridges of Toko-Ri is a novella by America author James A. Michener. The book tells the story of the United States Pilots in the Korean War as they undertake a mission to destroy the protected bridges in the enemy territory.
This is a vivid and moving novella and really does pack a punch. I loved the information about the ship and the aircraft landings; I remember a trip to the Intrepid War Ship in New York and being fascinated at how the pilots landed their aircrafts on these ships in such a tight space. It is a very short read but does enlighten the reader to the exploits in the air as well as the men who served on the ground. Together they face an enemy they do not understand, knowing their only hope for survival is to win.
My Uncle fought in this war as a foot solider, so it was nice to read this book and remember him and his war experiences and how lucky he was to return to his family in New York and live a full life although he rarely ever talked about his experiences.
I listened to this one on audible and I really don't recommend listening to it as the narration is very poor and does nothing for the book.
This is a vivid and moving novella and really does pack a punch. I loved the information about the ship and the aircraft landings; I remember a trip to the Intrepid War Ship in New York and being fascinated at how the pilots landed their aircrafts on these ships in such a tight space. It is a very short read but does enlighten the reader to the exploits in the air as well as the men who served on the ground. Together they face an enemy they do not understand, knowing their only hope for survival is to win.
My Uncle fought in this war as a foot solider, so it was nice to read this book and remember him and his war experiences and how lucky he was to return to his family in New York and live a full life although he rarely ever talked about his experiences.
I listened to this one on audible and I really don't recommend listening to it as the narration is very poor and does nothing for the book.
April 17, 2023
This is one of the author's earlier works. It is a great scean of a battle in the Korian war. A lot of detail and a lot of interesting charictors. I highly recommend this book.
May 25, 2015
While reading this I wondered what other fictional accounts were out there about the Korean War. I searched Listopia and found one list about the Korean war. In contains 92 books and all are nonfiction. Only 22 people have added books to it. There’s a Korean War group; it has two members.
It’s sad to think how little Americans know about it. This book by Michener was published in 1953. And so little since? Even during the war, fought shortly after World War II, Americans went on with their lives giving scarce thought to the battles being waged by their countrymen on the other side of the Pacific. This is something that saddens the characters in this short and excellent book.
The book begins:
“The sea was bitter cold. From the vast empty plains of Siberia howling winds roared down to lash the mountains of Korea, where American soldiers lost on patrol froze into stiff and awkward forms. Then with the furious intensity the arctic wind swept out to sea, freezing even the salt spray that leaped into the air from crests of falling waves.
Through these turbulent seas, not far from the trenches of Korea, plowed a considerable formation of American warships. A battleship and two cruisers accompanied by fourteen destroyers...they had been sent to destroy the communist-held bridges at Toko-ri.
Toward the center of this powerful assembly rode two fast carriers.”
Michener uses men from one of these carriers to tell his story. And splits it into three sections. “Sea” covers the take-off and landing of the fighter planes, emphasizing the command of such an undertaking and the difficulties of landing, including a nail-biting scene of rescue in icy waters. “Land” is a brief account of three days leave in Japan. One wife has made it there with her children to see her husband. This causes mixed emotions and the reunion is difficult. Even while on land duty calls, and the reality of her husband’s
situation as a pilot hits home. “Sky” covers the mission of destroying four Communist supply bridges by air. This is a sad and realistic portrayal of the war when one of the planes goes down on land and the pilot survives the crash but finds himself in enemy territory.
Apparently this book is looked at as anti-war. Though it didn’t read that way for me. It was realistic. People die. Planes go down. There is fear and bravado. The admiral doesn’t like war, but still, he’s a career guy doing his duty. His discussions with returning pilots don’t glorify war, they don’t vilify it, but rather face it with truth. When he says “Militarily this war is a tragedy” and he is then asked why America doesn’t pull out he says “That’s rubbish, son, and you know it. All through history free men have had to fight the wrong war in the wrong place. But that’s the one they’re stuck with. That’s why, one of these days, we’ll knock out the bridges at Toko-ri.”
Guess to me, that’s not so much anti-war as the truth. And Vietnam had not yet begun. Nor had our meddling in Afghanistan. Or the two wars in Iraq.
This is an excellent book, made more important by the rarity of books written about the Korean War. Seek it out. Read it in a day. It’s very, very, very much worth the effort.
It’s sad to think how little Americans know about it. This book by Michener was published in 1953. And so little since? Even during the war, fought shortly after World War II, Americans went on with their lives giving scarce thought to the battles being waged by their countrymen on the other side of the Pacific. This is something that saddens the characters in this short and excellent book.
The book begins:
“The sea was bitter cold. From the vast empty plains of Siberia howling winds roared down to lash the mountains of Korea, where American soldiers lost on patrol froze into stiff and awkward forms. Then with the furious intensity the arctic wind swept out to sea, freezing even the salt spray that leaped into the air from crests of falling waves.
Through these turbulent seas, not far from the trenches of Korea, plowed a considerable formation of American warships. A battleship and two cruisers accompanied by fourteen destroyers...they had been sent to destroy the communist-held bridges at Toko-ri.
Toward the center of this powerful assembly rode two fast carriers.”
Michener uses men from one of these carriers to tell his story. And splits it into three sections. “Sea” covers the take-off and landing of the fighter planes, emphasizing the command of such an undertaking and the difficulties of landing, including a nail-biting scene of rescue in icy waters. “Land” is a brief account of three days leave in Japan. One wife has made it there with her children to see her husband. This causes mixed emotions and the reunion is difficult. Even while on land duty calls, and the reality of her husband’s
situation as a pilot hits home. “Sky” covers the mission of destroying four Communist supply bridges by air. This is a sad and realistic portrayal of the war when one of the planes goes down on land and the pilot survives the crash but finds himself in enemy territory.
Apparently this book is looked at as anti-war. Though it didn’t read that way for me. It was realistic. People die. Planes go down. There is fear and bravado. The admiral doesn’t like war, but still, he’s a career guy doing his duty. His discussions with returning pilots don’t glorify war, they don’t vilify it, but rather face it with truth. When he says “Militarily this war is a tragedy” and he is then asked why America doesn’t pull out he says “That’s rubbish, son, and you know it. All through history free men have had to fight the wrong war in the wrong place. But that’s the one they’re stuck with. That’s why, one of these days, we’ll knock out the bridges at Toko-ri.”
Guess to me, that’s not so much anti-war as the truth. And Vietnam had not yet begun. Nor had our meddling in Afghanistan. Or the two wars in Iraq.
This is an excellent book, made more important by the rarity of books written about the Korean War. Seek it out. Read it in a day. It’s very, very, very much worth the effort.
March 9, 2017
I love James Michener-- one of my favorite authors! A short book about the Korean War, and the pain and loss that are due to war. Sad.
October 20, 2021
A novel about the Korean War, written around the time Michener was a reporter in Korea. This is a short read, with a very powerful ending. Michener has a way of finding the human in the bigger picture.
June 14, 2012
"Where did we get such men?"
This is a brief but epic look at those sent to fight our wars: their motivations, their fears, and their sacrifices. The novel is set among Navy pilots during the Korean War, but the characters would easily fit into the present.
For someone like me, used to Michener's massive epics, it is a blazingly fast read, with characters you lose far too soon.
I highly recommend it.
This is a brief but epic look at those sent to fight our wars: their motivations, their fears, and their sacrifices. The novel is set among Navy pilots during the Korean War, but the characters would easily fit into the present.
For someone like me, used to Michener's massive epics, it is a blazingly fast read, with characters you lose far too soon.
I highly recommend it.
September 23, 2025
Ziemlich schlicht gestricktes Heldenlied, das als zusätzlicher Handlungsstrang von Sayonara vielleicht eine gute Figur gemacht hätte, aber auf sich gestellt doch etwas eindimensional daher kommt.
Von daher ein Stern, auch wenn sämtliche, nicht allzu hoch gesetzten, Ziele, sicherlich erreicht wurden.
Von daher ein Stern, auch wenn sämtliche, nicht allzu hoch gesetzten, Ziele, sicherlich erreicht wurden.
May 20, 2022
This novella is Michener's homage to the Air Force pilots who flew in the Korean War and to the men who supported them. Short and powerful this one packs a punch. Recommended.
May 29, 2024
One of the highlights of my time in elementary school was the Wednesdays when the bookmobile would come to our school. Though our school had a library, by my later years there I had outgrown the selection they had on their shelves. By contrast, the bookmobile provided a sampling of the collection of our city’s library, many of which were titles geared towards older readers. It was on those shelves that I first encountered a copy of the Bantam Books edition of James Michener’s Korean War novella. With its dramatic cover portraying a landing signals officer waving off a fighter jet attempting to land while another lay burning on the carrier deck, it was almost as though it was designed specifically to catch my young eye. While I can’t recall my exact opinion at the time I read the book, I do know my memories of it were vaguely positive ones. Part of this may have been because of the film version of the book, which I always enjoyed for its exciting portrayal of carrier operations. When I saw it recently, though, I was inspired to revisit the source material, both to gauge how true the movie was to it and to see how well it held up on rereading.
The first thing that struck me as I reread it was the simplicity of the book’s structure. Michener divides the story into three parts. In the first one, which is set at sea, he introduces his readers to most of his cast of characters. Interestingly the one at the center of the story, reluctant fighter pilot Harry Brubaker, is the last one Michener introduces, yet it is clear from the start that his struggle is key to the book’s message. This takes center stage in the book’s second part, when the carrier on which the men are stationed arrives in Japan for shore leave. There Brubaker meets with his wife and children, who personify the life he left behind in order to answer the call to service. Seeing what Brubaker stands to lose makes his fears about the risky mission to destroy the eponymous bridges of the book’s title seem entirely understandable.
This emphasis on sacrifice was the biggest surprise for me on my re-reading, as while I had seen the role it played in the filmed version I had not remembered how important it was to the novella itself. Understanding better as I do now, though, the odd degree of America’s commitment to the Korean War, Michener’s focus on the sacrifices made by the few for the benefit of the rest struck a telling chord. Unlike the recent experience of World War II, the conflict in Korea made few demands on the Americans not in uniform, with even many active-duty Americans serving elsewhere. Thus much of the burden of service fell on men like Brubaker, reservists who put their lives on hold so that the rest of the country could ignore the fighting abroad. Written as it was while the war was still very much ongoing, it reads as much as a condemnation of such collective apathy as it does a celebration of the Brubakers who did their duty so as to grant everyone else that luxury. It’s here where the story’s power is most felt even decades later, making his book one of those that transcends its time to endure as a testament of war.
The first thing that struck me as I reread it was the simplicity of the book’s structure. Michener divides the story into three parts. In the first one, which is set at sea, he introduces his readers to most of his cast of characters. Interestingly the one at the center of the story, reluctant fighter pilot Harry Brubaker, is the last one Michener introduces, yet it is clear from the start that his struggle is key to the book’s message. This takes center stage in the book’s second part, when the carrier on which the men are stationed arrives in Japan for shore leave. There Brubaker meets with his wife and children, who personify the life he left behind in order to answer the call to service. Seeing what Brubaker stands to lose makes his fears about the risky mission to destroy the eponymous bridges of the book’s title seem entirely understandable.
This emphasis on sacrifice was the biggest surprise for me on my re-reading, as while I had seen the role it played in the filmed version I had not remembered how important it was to the novella itself. Understanding better as I do now, though, the odd degree of America’s commitment to the Korean War, Michener’s focus on the sacrifices made by the few for the benefit of the rest struck a telling chord. Unlike the recent experience of World War II, the conflict in Korea made few demands on the Americans not in uniform, with even many active-duty Americans serving elsewhere. Thus much of the burden of service fell on men like Brubaker, reservists who put their lives on hold so that the rest of the country could ignore the fighting abroad. Written as it was while the war was still very much ongoing, it reads as much as a condemnation of such collective apathy as it does a celebration of the Brubakers who did their duty so as to grant everyone else that luxury. It’s here where the story’s power is most felt even decades later, making his book one of those that transcends its time to endure as a testament of war.
June 19, 2021
I might have enjoyed this Michener novella more if it had been one of his typical epic length affairs. As it was it reads more like a long short story, wherein the principal characters lack depth and fullness. The eponymous attack on the bridges of Toko-Ri mark a short segment of the story, ironically enough. The most engaging section of the book for me was first third where the reader gains significant insight and respect for the pilots who must use expert precision and steady nerves to land on aircraft carriers subject to a myriad of inhospitable conditions inherent in the sea and air.
November 16, 2021
I enjoyed the details regarding air craft carriers and how difficult it was to land planes on them. Set during the Korean War, the author shows the senselessness of war, the unsung heroes circumstances creates during battles, and hints at PTSD in a commander. I tried reading Michener as a teen and could never get through the tomes. I liked this short one.
November 3, 2021
Breve ma intenso.
Non è solo il racconto di un evento bellico, di una missione necessaria, è anche un concentrato di grande e varia umanità.
La tensione, la paura, la determinazione, il coraggio, la speranza si avvertono in ogni pensiero, in ogni azione dei protagonisti, tutti magnifici.
La scrittura di Michener, anche nel breve, è potente ed evocativa.
Alla fine, un filo di commozione. Ci sta.
Molto, molto bello.
# LdM - Corea del Sud 🇰🇷
Non è solo il racconto di un evento bellico, di una missione necessaria, è anche un concentrato di grande e varia umanità.
La tensione, la paura, la determinazione, il coraggio, la speranza si avvertono in ogni pensiero, in ogni azione dei protagonisti, tutti magnifici.
La scrittura di Michener, anche nel breve, è potente ed evocativa.
Alla fine, un filo di commozione. Ci sta.
Molto, molto bello.
# LdM - Corea del Sud 🇰🇷
February 22, 2014
James Michener returns to the setting of war in the Pacific with his novel, "The Bridges at Toko Ri". In this novel Michener, himself a US Navy veteran of the Pacific theater in World War II, tells the story of a naval aviation mission to knock out the bridges at Toko-Ri in North Korea, a vital pass where the supplies of North Korea and China are funneled, and which was consequently well guarded by communist forces.
Michener is a master storyteller, and in this short novel, he carries on the tradition. Although this novel is only slightly longer than 100 pages, Michener draws some very compelling characters; the grizzled old Admiral, the non-conforming deck operations officer, the batch of aviators and petty officers who form the characteristic crew of a US naval vessel in wartime. The main character is a Naval Aviator, a lawyer in civilian life, who is hand-picked to conduct the mission to knock out the bridges at Toko Ri. He resents having to serve in combat at a time when most of America is oblivious to the war and unconcerned about its outcome. But he is a true Navy man, a man who takes his leave time to spring his fellow sailors out of jail and defend the honor of his ship.
My only gripe with this novel is that Michener's cheerleading for the Navy is a bit over the top. It seems that Michener's sailors can do no wrong. They are supermen, martyrs and heroes all rolled into one. The Navy could not find a better advocate than Michener, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Michener complains over and over in this novel about the ambivalence of the American people toward the war in Korea, which in 1953 may have seemed to be a justified complaint. But since then we have seen this scenario played out over and over again, for 9 years in Vietnam, and then for the past 13 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total committment of the United States to the war effort that Michener experienced in World War II is a thing of the past. We may never see it again. But it is a shame that this country would send some of its best young men and women into combat to be wounded or killed, and then turn a cold shoulder to them. Perhaps our service members deserve better.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in military fiction, the Korean war or novels about the US Navy.
Michener is a master storyteller, and in this short novel, he carries on the tradition. Although this novel is only slightly longer than 100 pages, Michener draws some very compelling characters; the grizzled old Admiral, the non-conforming deck operations officer, the batch of aviators and petty officers who form the characteristic crew of a US naval vessel in wartime. The main character is a Naval Aviator, a lawyer in civilian life, who is hand-picked to conduct the mission to knock out the bridges at Toko Ri. He resents having to serve in combat at a time when most of America is oblivious to the war and unconcerned about its outcome. But he is a true Navy man, a man who takes his leave time to spring his fellow sailors out of jail and defend the honor of his ship.
My only gripe with this novel is that Michener's cheerleading for the Navy is a bit over the top. It seems that Michener's sailors can do no wrong. They are supermen, martyrs and heroes all rolled into one. The Navy could not find a better advocate than Michener, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Michener complains over and over in this novel about the ambivalence of the American people toward the war in Korea, which in 1953 may have seemed to be a justified complaint. But since then we have seen this scenario played out over and over again, for 9 years in Vietnam, and then for the past 13 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total committment of the United States to the war effort that Michener experienced in World War II is a thing of the past. We may never see it again. But it is a shame that this country would send some of its best young men and women into combat to be wounded or killed, and then turn a cold shoulder to them. Perhaps our service members deserve better.
Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in military fiction, the Korean war or novels about the US Navy.
August 31, 2016
A very small book, but written in that typical Michener's way, with lesser depth than how he writes in his epics. Good book though. Writes about the Americans fighting the Korean War in the early 1950s.
The content is divided into three sections - SEA: in which we are introduced to the characters on an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula; LAND: in which the men of war take a shore leave in Yokosuka, Japan, before their final assault; AIR: in which we are led through their mission to destroy the heavily-guarded four bridges at Toko-ri in North Korea.
Characterization is present even in such a small book, which makes it more touching. It brings out the emotions of the men fighting in the war (no women fighters were observed while reading!), the questions and thoughts raised by them, and even what the general American public outlook was, back in their country at that time.
The content is divided into three sections - SEA: in which we are introduced to the characters on an aircraft carrier in the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean peninsula; LAND: in which the men of war take a shore leave in Yokosuka, Japan, before their final assault; AIR: in which we are led through their mission to destroy the heavily-guarded four bridges at Toko-ri in North Korea.
Characterization is present even in such a small book, which makes it more touching. It brings out the emotions of the men fighting in the war (no women fighters were observed while reading!), the questions and thoughts raised by them, and even what the general American public outlook was, back in their country at that time.
February 22, 2022
goated book
fitting perfectly the actual moment
"alone in a place he would've never imagined to defend, in a war he never understood"
while at home life flows naturally and no one is really interested in the war
fitting perfectly the actual moment
"alone in a place he would've never imagined to defend, in a war he never understood"
while at home life flows naturally and no one is really interested in the war
December 12, 2018
Admiral George Tarrant: Where do we get such men? They leave this ship and they do their job. Then they must find this speck lost somewhere on the sea. When the find it they have to land on its pitching deck. Where do we get such men?
I have to say I am rather ignorant about the Korean War. Most of my knowledge of it (honestly) comes from the fictional sitcom MASH - which I don’t think is saying much. And it looks like even DURING the war not everyone understand what it was about. And that’s what’s really heartbreaking about it all. To fight in a war that no one back home comprehends or even cares about, aside for the family members of the unlucky few that have to go and fight it.
You complain; you moan; and you think of all the ways you can get out of your predicament and get out of the war. But at the end of the day ... you’re there, and you have a job to do, and you might as well give it your all. That’s what integrity and heroism is all about, and it’s respectable.
For being such a short novella (barely over a hundred pages) I’m surprised James managed to fit in some characterization in these sparse pages, enough for you to feel for the people in this war tale.
The book is split into three sections. SEA: this is where is where the fighter jets test their landing gear on the carriers, in planning for their mission to bomb the bridges at Toko-ri to cut off the communist’s supply channels (plus a harrowing rescue at sea). LAND: A brief waiting period in Japan where the soldiers take rest, and the main character’s wife and kids are introduced. And finally SKY: where the actual mission takes place, but of course, encountering multiple obstacles.
I think overall the account paints a realistic portrayal of war. It’s definitely not glorifying it ... people needlessly die, lives are changed forever, etc., but at the same time it doesn’t rail against it as if it’s something that could have been easily avoided, but rather inevitable. In the words of the General: "All through history, men have had to fight the wrong war in the wrong place, but that's the one they're stuck with."
PS. This is my 200th book on Goodreads, I just noticed.
-Tim
I have to say I am rather ignorant about the Korean War. Most of my knowledge of it (honestly) comes from the fictional sitcom MASH - which I don’t think is saying much. And it looks like even DURING the war not everyone understand what it was about. And that’s what’s really heartbreaking about it all. To fight in a war that no one back home comprehends or even cares about, aside for the family members of the unlucky few that have to go and fight it.
You complain; you moan; and you think of all the ways you can get out of your predicament and get out of the war. But at the end of the day ... you’re there, and you have a job to do, and you might as well give it your all. That’s what integrity and heroism is all about, and it’s respectable.
For being such a short novella (barely over a hundred pages) I’m surprised James managed to fit in some characterization in these sparse pages, enough for you to feel for the people in this war tale.
The book is split into three sections. SEA: this is where is where the fighter jets test their landing gear on the carriers, in planning for their mission to bomb the bridges at Toko-ri to cut off the communist’s supply channels (plus a harrowing rescue at sea). LAND: A brief waiting period in Japan where the soldiers take rest, and the main character’s wife and kids are introduced. And finally SKY: where the actual mission takes place, but of course, encountering multiple obstacles.
I think overall the account paints a realistic portrayal of war. It’s definitely not glorifying it ... people needlessly die, lives are changed forever, etc., but at the same time it doesn’t rail against it as if it’s something that could have been easily avoided, but rather inevitable. In the words of the General: "All through history, men have had to fight the wrong war in the wrong place, but that's the one they're stuck with."
PS. This is my 200th book on Goodreads, I just noticed.
-Tim
September 30, 2017
As the daughter of a Korean War vet, I try to read as much as I can about the war that changed my father forever and defined his life. This short novel is nontypical Michener--pithy, focused, unwieldy. It portrays the gritty choices war forces upon a man who, just like most men, wants to be home with his family.
Michener is my father's favorite author.
Michener is my father's favorite author.
October 2, 2011
I really wanted to like this book, I really did, but it was just so plain boring!
December 14, 2017
My first Michener novel. Exciting Korean War aerial combat action
Finally got around to reading my first James Michener novel, and it's a doozy. A stirring tribute to heroism and sacrifices of U.S. Naval aviators of the Korean War, with thrilling action scenes and compelling characters (LT Harry Brubaker, green hat-wearing Mike, Beer Barrel, "Cag," the Admiral, etc.) alike.
--from the introduction by Steve Berry: "They were poor, barely able to put food on the table. His classmates, and even a teacher or two, tormented Michener about the secondhand clothes and toeless sneakers he wore every day. Later in life he recounted that taunting with a sly smile and a twinkle in his eye. He would say that those early years instilled in him an appreciation for life that he never forgot. They taught him about living simply and not attaching too much value to material things. And though he eventually earned hundreds of millions of dollars from writing, he always feared ending up poor."
--(also from Introduction): “As the stars came out and I could see the low mountains I had escaped, I swore: ‘I’m going to live the rest of my life as if I were a great man.’ And despite the terrible braggadocio of those words, I understood precisely what I meant.”
--(also from the Introduction): "The treatment proved painful in a multitude of ways, perhaps the most difficult being that it prevented him from straying far from home. The man who’d visited nearly every country could no longer travel." I wonder if my Dad (R.I.P.) must've felt the same way in the twilight of his years.
--p. 3: "the United States were defying its enemies." Interesting use of a plural noun rather than a singular noun....what would Dr. Shelby Foote (R.I.P.) think?
--p. 4: Banshee jets; obviously not to be confused with the prop-driven A-24 Banshee (USAAF version of the Douglas SBD Dauntless) dive bomber of WWII.
--pp. 8-9: Haha, gotta love the Beer Belly character! "From his own bridge, Admiral Tarrant watched the jets come home. In his life he had seen many fine and stirring things: his wife at the altar, Japanese battleships going down, ducks rising from Virginia marshes and his sons in uniform. But nothing he knew surpassed the sight of Beer Barrel bringing home the jets at dusk."
--p. 13: Wow, did the USN actually still have enlisted pilots during the Korean War??
--p. 21: "For in every war there is one target whose name stops conversation. You say that name and the men who must fly against the target sit mute and stare ahead. In Europe, during World War II it was Ploesti or Peenemunde. In the Pacific it was Truk or the Yawata steel works." In the case of Europe, add Schweinfurt as well. (WIKIPEDIA LOOKUP: Yawata)
--p. 41 "'would of [sic],'" argh!
--p. 46: "M.P. whistles," or Shore Patrol whistles (since we're talking a naval base here)?
"....but Admiral Tarrant, surveying the brawl from flag bridge, thought, @I’d hate to see the day when men were afraid to mix it up for pretty girls.'" Aahh, back in the good ol' days when men could still be real men, a Navy of (proverbial) "wooden ships and iron men," not the P.C. zero-defect bullshit we have nowadays.
--p. 55: "and some good Catholics like Mike Forney hated communism so much they could taste it." Dominus Tecum, Mike!
--p. 59: "Takusan" = many/a lot
--p. 70: "Like the society which had conceived the engine, the turbine was of such advanced construction that even trivial disruption of one fundamental part endangered the entire structure." Wow, sounds like a prescient reference to living on "The Grid!"
Finally got around to reading my first James Michener novel, and it's a doozy. A stirring tribute to heroism and sacrifices of U.S. Naval aviators of the Korean War, with thrilling action scenes and compelling characters (LT Harry Brubaker, green hat-wearing Mike, Beer Barrel, "Cag," the Admiral, etc.) alike.
--from the introduction by Steve Berry: "They were poor, barely able to put food on the table. His classmates, and even a teacher or two, tormented Michener about the secondhand clothes and toeless sneakers he wore every day. Later in life he recounted that taunting with a sly smile and a twinkle in his eye. He would say that those early years instilled in him an appreciation for life that he never forgot. They taught him about living simply and not attaching too much value to material things. And though he eventually earned hundreds of millions of dollars from writing, he always feared ending up poor."
--(also from Introduction): “As the stars came out and I could see the low mountains I had escaped, I swore: ‘I’m going to live the rest of my life as if I were a great man.’ And despite the terrible braggadocio of those words, I understood precisely what I meant.”
--(also from the Introduction): "The treatment proved painful in a multitude of ways, perhaps the most difficult being that it prevented him from straying far from home. The man who’d visited nearly every country could no longer travel." I wonder if my Dad (R.I.P.) must've felt the same way in the twilight of his years.
--p. 3: "the United States were defying its enemies." Interesting use of a plural noun rather than a singular noun....what would Dr. Shelby Foote (R.I.P.) think?
--p. 4: Banshee jets; obviously not to be confused with the prop-driven A-24 Banshee (USAAF version of the Douglas SBD Dauntless) dive bomber of WWII.
--pp. 8-9: Haha, gotta love the Beer Belly character! "From his own bridge, Admiral Tarrant watched the jets come home. In his life he had seen many fine and stirring things: his wife at the altar, Japanese battleships going down, ducks rising from Virginia marshes and his sons in uniform. But nothing he knew surpassed the sight of Beer Barrel bringing home the jets at dusk."
--p. 13: Wow, did the USN actually still have enlisted pilots during the Korean War??
--p. 21: "For in every war there is one target whose name stops conversation. You say that name and the men who must fly against the target sit mute and stare ahead. In Europe, during World War II it was Ploesti or Peenemunde. In the Pacific it was Truk or the Yawata steel works." In the case of Europe, add Schweinfurt as well. (WIKIPEDIA LOOKUP: Yawata)
--p. 41 "'would of [sic],'" argh!
--p. 46: "M.P. whistles," or Shore Patrol whistles (since we're talking a naval base here)?
"....but Admiral Tarrant, surveying the brawl from flag bridge, thought, @I’d hate to see the day when men were afraid to mix it up for pretty girls.'" Aahh, back in the good ol' days when men could still be real men, a Navy of (proverbial) "wooden ships and iron men," not the P.C. zero-defect bullshit we have nowadays.
--p. 55: "and some good Catholics like Mike Forney hated communism so much they could taste it." Dominus Tecum, Mike!
--p. 59: "Takusan" = many/a lot
--p. 70: "Like the society which had conceived the engine, the turbine was of such advanced construction that even trivial disruption of one fundamental part endangered the entire structure." Wow, sounds like a prescient reference to living on "The Grid!"
February 25, 2024
For any other author this would be a remarkable work. Carefully drawn characters of painful realism. The author is not scared of bad outcomes. You can't doubt that the author spent a great deal of time observing soldiers while they were in combat. Because I've never seen the movie or read this before, I did not realize that the central scene plainly is the source in Episode IV of Luke's run at the Death Star. But for Michener - ordinarily he would set the character in a geographical context of a book ten times this length driven by centuries of earlier characters, casting shadows generations into the future.
November 19, 2023
If it hadn’t been such a crazy week, I could’ve finish this book in a day or two. Once you get to the third chapter, it becomes a real nailbiter. I read the last 20 pages or so with a pounding heart.
This is a brief novel of the Korean War, and reads very much like a movie. And if this novel is in the any indication of Michener’s writing style. I will definitely be checking out his other books!
This is a brief novel of the Korean War, and reads very much like a movie. And if this novel is in the any indication of Michener’s writing style. I will definitely be checking out his other books!
December 18, 2025
It has been about 40 years since I read The Bridges at Toko-ri, but I recall that it was excellent and memorable. I would give it 5 stars, but I can’t be sure if I’m giving too much credit to the book—which is very short—because the movie, which is excellent, left such a strong impression on me.
As with all of my pre-2000 books, the “Date finished” may be a few years off, but I almost certainly read this before 1988. I selected an edition that was published after I read the book because I couldn’t find an edition that I recognized with full book data.
As with all of my pre-2000 books, the “Date finished” may be a few years off, but I almost certainly read this before 1988. I selected an edition that was published after I read the book because I couldn’t find an edition that I recognized with full book data.
January 31, 2023
“In Malaya, in China, over Europe or in the jungle airports of the Amazon this word betokens final catastrophe: “Mayday, Mayday.”
I'm not crying, you're crying...
I'm not crying, you're crying...
March 18, 2023
what eats my heart away is that back home there is no war... nobody gave a damn about korea. in all america nobody gives a damn.
eerily prescient…. almost 75 years later and nothing’s changed. sometimes i think, "korea isn’t the forgotten war, it’s the war that never was"...
eerily prescient…. almost 75 years later and nothing’s changed. sometimes i think, "korea isn’t the forgotten war, it’s the war that never was"...
December 17, 2021
This was fantastic! What a heavy read, full of personality and passion, which questions all the reasons for war and the types of men who fight them. Highly recommend!
February 16, 2024
Uau!
Um livro anti-guerra que parece pressionar demais nessa ideia. Mas não é hipócrita: se a guerra é horrível, a história segue horrível, no melhor sentido.
Um livro anti-guerra que parece pressionar demais nessa ideia. Mas não é hipócrita: se a guerra é horrível, a história segue horrível, no melhor sentido.
February 22, 2019
One of James A. Michener’s Best is The Bridges of Tokyo-Ri
This is one of Michener’s short but powerful novel set on a aircraft carrier in the Korean War. The parallels with the Vietnam are many. The book was made into a movie with an all star cast, including Grace Kelly. I have read this book more then once & a favorite of mine.
This is one of Michener’s short but powerful novel set on a aircraft carrier in the Korean War. The parallels with the Vietnam are many. The book was made into a movie with an all star cast, including Grace Kelly. I have read this book more then once & a favorite of mine.
January 2, 2013
Want to read Michener without having to read 600 pages to finish the book? This is it. It's 126 pages. Maybe some 30,000 words. Then go watch the movie.
May 8, 2016
At only 124 pages long, I think this book qualifies as a Michener short story.
February 6, 2021
It’s a bit ironic that James Michener is known for his many 1,000+ page epics, as this particular novel is probably the shortest “novel” that I’ve ever read. A whopping 85 pages. Maybe when this book was released (1953) a book this size was more of the norm. Buying it almost 70 years later, I can honestly say that I sure am glad that I bought it at a discounted price. Paying regular price for this thing would have been quite the rip off. Not only was the story short, but I really didn’t think it was that good either.
Although I’ve never seen the movie that was based on the book, I can see where such a movie around this story would be a hit; but only if the movie had been released sometime in the 1950s. This was the time when war movies weren’t particularly realistic, and they seemed more intent on telling a sappy love story. This is the case with this novel. I can see a movie executive picking this book up and immediately setting the wheels in motion to make a cookie-cutter Hollywood love story in the middle of guns, planes, soldiers, and explosions.
The hero’s name is Brubaker. The opening of the book really just serves to mainly “set the stage” of the character in the story. Nothing that happens is really relevant to the story other than to make us feel a certain way for Brubaker. This isn’t that unusual with novels (and movies), but the problem is that when the entire story is only 85 pages in length, a 30-page “introduction” is really too much. Brubaker is a pilot in the Korean War. He crashes into the icy waters. He almost dies. He’s rescued. It’s a good thing because he has a wife and two kids back home. Such is war.
So then we move on to the “real” story. Brubaker is recuperating in neighboring Japan when his wife and kids show up for a visit. How they manage to accomplish this in the middle of a war is a miracle, and it seems a bit silly. She’s mainly there so we can have it sink deeper the reality of war and how brutal it is for soldiers to risk death every day when they have young families back home. We also learn about the “big” mission he is to fly – to bomb the bridges at Toko-Ri.
This sets up the final act where said event occurs. I won’t give away the ending, although with a story this short, I really don’t think I would be spoiling anything. I’m awfully glad Michener didn’t try to stretch this thing into 200 or 300 pages. In fact, this book really belongs in a companion of short stories as opposed to a standalone novel. To be fair, though, had that been the case I don’t really think I would have enjoyed it any better.
I can forgive the fact that this was maybe more of the norm back in the early 1950s, but all of these years later, I would highly recommend you spend no more than a few dollars on this thing. Otherwise you might just feel a bit letdown once you’ve finished this extremely short book.
Although I’ve never seen the movie that was based on the book, I can see where such a movie around this story would be a hit; but only if the movie had been released sometime in the 1950s. This was the time when war movies weren’t particularly realistic, and they seemed more intent on telling a sappy love story. This is the case with this novel. I can see a movie executive picking this book up and immediately setting the wheels in motion to make a cookie-cutter Hollywood love story in the middle of guns, planes, soldiers, and explosions.
The hero’s name is Brubaker. The opening of the book really just serves to mainly “set the stage” of the character in the story. Nothing that happens is really relevant to the story other than to make us feel a certain way for Brubaker. This isn’t that unusual with novels (and movies), but the problem is that when the entire story is only 85 pages in length, a 30-page “introduction” is really too much. Brubaker is a pilot in the Korean War. He crashes into the icy waters. He almost dies. He’s rescued. It’s a good thing because he has a wife and two kids back home. Such is war.
So then we move on to the “real” story. Brubaker is recuperating in neighboring Japan when his wife and kids show up for a visit. How they manage to accomplish this in the middle of a war is a miracle, and it seems a bit silly. She’s mainly there so we can have it sink deeper the reality of war and how brutal it is for soldiers to risk death every day when they have young families back home. We also learn about the “big” mission he is to fly – to bomb the bridges at Toko-Ri.
This sets up the final act where said event occurs. I won’t give away the ending, although with a story this short, I really don’t think I would be spoiling anything. I’m awfully glad Michener didn’t try to stretch this thing into 200 or 300 pages. In fact, this book really belongs in a companion of short stories as opposed to a standalone novel. To be fair, though, had that been the case I don’t really think I would have enjoyed it any better.
I can forgive the fact that this was maybe more of the norm back in the early 1950s, but all of these years later, I would highly recommend you spend no more than a few dollars on this thing. Otherwise you might just feel a bit letdown once you’ve finished this extremely short book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews