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Ordinary Heroes: A Novel
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780374184216
ISBN: 0374184216
Label: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: November 01, 2005
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: October 27, 2005
Studio: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Editorial Review:
Stewart Dubinsky knew his father had served in World War II. And he'd been told how David Dubin (as his father had Americanized the name that Stewart later reclaimed) had rescued Stewart's mother from the horror of the Balingen concentration camp. But when he discovers, after his father's death, a packet of wartime letters to a former fiancée, and learns of his father's court-martial and imprisonment, he is plunged into the mystery of his family's secret history and driven to uncover the truth about this enigmatic, distant man who'd always refused to talk about his war.As he pieces together his father's past through military archives, letters, and, finally, notes from a memoir his father wrote while in prison, secretly preserved by the officer who defended him, Stewart starts to assemble a dramatic and baffling chain of events. He learns how Dubin, a JAG lawyer attached to Patton's Third Army and desperate for combat experience, got more than he bargained for when he was ordered to arrest Robert Martin, a wayward OSS officer who, despite his spectacular bravery with the French Resistance, appeared to be acting on orders other than his commanders'. In pursuit of Martin, Dubin and his sergeant are parachuted into Bastogne just as the Battle of the Bulge reaches its apex. Pressed into the leadership of a desperately depleted rifle company, the men are forced to abandon their quest for Martin and his fiery, maddeningly elusive comrade, Gita, as they fight for their lives through carnage and chaos the likes of which Dubin could never have imagined.In reconstructing the terrible events and agonizing choices his father faced on the battlefield, in the courtroom, and in love, Stewart gains a closer understanding of his past, of his father's character, and of the brutal nature of war itself.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Solid Turow Book
I recently finished the book over vacation and really enjoyed it. I always enjoy ST books because his writing is an upgrade over most of the authors of bestselling thriller and mystery books.
The book does depart from his usual style. Less of a hard core legal book. Also, many of his other books carefully analyze the characters personality from a psychologists viewpoint. This book had less of this analysis. As others mentioned, he does have the narrative alternate from present day ... Read More
Rating:  - Incredible World War 2 novel full of engaging characters
In Scott Turow's ORDINARY HEROS, he switches gears and takes the reader back to World War II and an the incredible adventures of David Dubin, a JAG lawyer thrust onto the front line where he comes face to face with the unimaginable horrors of war. This book is great. Turow is an incredible author, but he doesn't write enought to be considered one of the best. A novel every three years isn't enough, in my opinion, to generate and hold a fan base. However, the time between novels is what it takes to generate ... Read More
Rating: - Turow tries something a bit different--and it works
I've always admired Scott Turow as a writer, largely because he
doesn't always keep to the exact same format . . . he's written several
legal thrillers (PRESUMED INNOCENT being one of my favorites),
as well as such nonfiction works as ONE L (an inside look at what
life in law school is all about).
For some reason, I somehow had missed ORDINARY HEROES--a
2005 novel . . . so when I got the chance to listen to the taped
version, I grabbed the opportunity--and was ... Read More
Rating: - Slow to start, powerful second half.
The faults first. Some of the character dialogue is unrealistic and serves as exposition of Scott Turow's personal philosophies. The racial issue is interesting, but a bit heavy-handed. The opening hundred pages are a bit slow.
Having said that, Ordinary Heroes is incredibly gripping in conveying the drudgery, horror, and injustice of war, while still giving an entertaining read. This novel accurately conveys the moral uncertainties of war for all parties - including American forces. The central ... Read More
Rating: - a great read
This book was not only a fast read, but also raised a lot of questions. Made me question my dad about his stint in the army during WWII. A very thought provoking book.
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