I think that one of Herman Wouk’s greatest achievements was helping promote the increased acceptance of Jews after World War II. Of course there were a number of reasons why Jewish people gained increased acceptance in the 50s, but Wouk’s books played a key role. Unlike some other Jewish writers, Wouk did not come across as a snob, or an elitist.

BTW, I thought The Caine Mutiny was an excellent movie. I would have been interested in the reasons Adam Taxin did not think so. For what it’s worth, Leonard Maltin gives it four stars, something he does for very few movies.

Little Al on June 4, 2015 at 8:27 pm

Also, re his contributions to liberal Dems in 2002, I’m not sure how much that tells us about his political views. I’ve noticed that a number of conservatives, as they grow older, turn more towards the left. If my memory is correct, Jeffrey Hart, in spite of his longtime service to National Review, and his many perceptive writings, wound up voting for Obama. Barry Goldwater also mellowed in his later years, although there is some question how conservative he really was, deep down, in his earlier years.

Even Bill Buckley mellowed slightly in his last years.

Little Al on June 4, 2015 at 8:34 pm

I love many of his books including Caine Mutiny, the Winds of War and War and Remembrance.

I believe that his TV Miniseries the Winds of War and War and Remembrance were the 1st to really show the Holocaust in all of its horror.

I will never forget that and the long sad voyage of his fictional characters Aaron, Natalie, and Berel Jastrow.

JimmyPx on June 4, 2015 at 8:59 pm

Glad to know the author of the “Winds of War” wasn’t one of those far right types that goes around calling leftists America haters.
It’s not that Muslims sold blacks into slavery to Europeans it’s that Herman Wouk probably should have written something like “Roots” for black slaves in the ME.
Only he’d probably have had to entitled it “Stumps” because it was a dead end for most of them.

Mochizuki Koga on June 4, 2015 at 10:54 pm

Fun fact about Herman Wouk’s sense of fun:

Herman Wouk turned his novel ‘Don’t Stop the Carnival’ into a musical with the co-writing help of Jimmy Buffett:

http://dctheatrescene.com/2013/04/10/jimmy-buffetts-dont-stop-the-carnival/

During the musical, Wouk himself provided the narration as the photo included here shows:

http://mtmkobbe.blogspot.com/2013/04/dont-stop-carnival-herman-wouk-and.html

Nick Fury on June 5, 2015 at 12:45 pm

Happy Birthday! I wish him well. I remember reading “War and Remembrance” in a condensed Reader’s Digest form long ago.

Worry on June 5, 2015 at 5:05 pm

Debbie, didn’t you know that your “great American patriot” Herman Wouk is a gun control advocate? It doesn’t if someone has a military record, or even a war veteran. If you ever contributed to undermine the Constitution, you are nothing but a traitor. Period.

T: I was unaware that he supports gun control. What is your evidence of that? I googled it and found that a number of sites claim that the NRA claims he supports gun control and has him on a list of celebs who support gun control. But that’s not enough. What exactly did he do or say that promotes or supports gun control? Please provide some documentation. Thanks. DS

Thorn on June 8, 2015 at 4:15 pm