Historical fiction book · Curated
The Winds of War
Herman Wouk · historical fiction
Series: Winds of War
In 1939 Navy commander Victor “Pug” Henry is posted to Berlin as the American naval attaché, and the war pulls his wife Rhoda, their children, and a Jewish daughter-in-law through Germany, Britain, and Russia until Pearl Harbor, where the battleship he was about to command is hit before he can go aboard. Herman Wouk’s 1971 novel is World War II saga historical fiction of one navy family from the invasion of Poland to the day the United States enters the war.
Why read it: A widely searched war novel—the Wouk title readers look up by name (and the miniseries), and a navy-family counterpart to The Nightingale already on the shelf (not a War and Remembrance sequel).
About this historical novel
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk is historical fiction set around 1939–1941 in the World War II era period with key settings including Berlin, Washington, London, Moscow. In 1939 Navy commander Victor “Pug” Henry is posted to Berlin as the American naval attaché, and the war pulls his wife Rhoda, their children, and a Jewish daughter-in-law through Germany, Britain, and Russia until Pearl Harbor, where the battleship he was about to command is hit before he can go aboard. Herman Wouk’s 1971 novel is World War II saga historical fiction of one navy family from the invasion of Poland to the day the United States enters the war.
On HisFic we tag it under 7. Family saga and 5. Military & war so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include war, family, diplomacy, duty, and fascism. A widely searched war novel—the Wouk title readers look up by name (and the miniseries), and a navy-family counterpart to The Nightingale already on the shelf (not a War and Remembrance sequel).
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Plot summary
In 1939 Navy commander Victor “Pug” Henry is posted to Berlin as the American naval attaché, and the war pulls his wife Rhoda, their children, and a Jewish daughter-in-law through Germany, Britain, and Russia until Pearl Harbor, where the battleship he was about to command is hit before he can go aboard. Herman Wouk’s 1971 novel is World War II saga historical fiction of one navy family from the invasion of Poland to the day the United States enters the war. A widely searched war novel—the Wouk title readers look up by name (and the miniseries), and a navy-family counterpart to The Nightingale already on the shelf (not a War and Remembrance sequel).
Subgenres
Eras
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Two families—one Northern, one Southern—are torn by the approach of the Civil War.
Regions & places
Global / multiple · Europe · North America
Berlin · Washington · London · Moscow · Pearl Harbor
Themes
- war
- family
- diplomacy
- duty
- fascism
Tags
war · saga · series