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|---|---|---|
Searching... Dallas Public Library | FICTION - URIS | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | Fic Uris, L. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
In the years following America's terrible Civil War, the fate of the U.S. Marine Corps rests in the capable hands of Zachary O'Hara. A first-generation Irish-American and son of a legendary war hero, O'Hara is the one man who can prevent the dissolution of his father's beloved "Wart-Hogs," thereby ensuring his own future as a valuable member of this proud and vital branch of his nation's armed forces.
But a dark secret weighs heavily on this tormented, dedicated warrior. And the greatest obstacle to his mission is one he never anticipated: Amanda Blanton Kerr, the passionate, obstinate daughter of the ruthless industrialist who's the Corps' fiercest adversary. A beautiful heiress on a mission of her own, her destiny will intertwine with O'Hara's in the tumultuous decades to follow, forcing him to confront the devastating choice no soldier should ever have to make: between his duty and his desire; between his country and his heart.
Author Notes
Writer Leon Uris was born in Baltimore on August 3, 1924. He dropped out of school to join the Marines during World War II, but later returned to attend Baltimore City College.
His first novel, Battle Cry (1953), was based on his time as a marine. He followed it with a series of New York Times bestsellers, including The Angry Hills, Exodus, Topaz, and Trinity. QB VII was adapted into a TV mini-series starring Ben Gazzara and Anthony Hopkins. Uris has also written non-fiction (including Ireland: A Terrible Beauty and Jerusalem: Song of Songs) and screenplays (Battle Cry and Gunfight at the O. K. Corral). He has won the John F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the Irish-American Society and the Scopus Award from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
With this story of a heroic 19th-century Irish-American Marine, the long career of recently deceased bestselling author Uris (Mila 18; Exodus) concludes. Zachary O'Hara, son of a legendary Civil War hero, is the protagonist of Uris's epic adventure, which ranges from Washington, D.C., to Newport, R.I., and from the Civil War to the end of the 19th century. O'Hara grows up on Marine lore and joins the corps as soon as he can, earning a reputation in his own right with hard work and natural ability. When Major Boone affords him the opportunity of a lifetime a chance to save the corps and gain a prominent role in its future he jumps on it. Zach's career takes off and so does his love life, as he falls for the beautiful and headstrong Amanda Kerr. From the outset, though, the relationship is opposed by Zach's Marine superiors and Amanda's stubborn industrialist father, who has other plans for her future. But Amanda suddenly and inexplicably metamorphoses into a cunning businesswoman and pragmatically decides to abandon Zach (whom she continues to pine after). From here, the plot turns aren't plausible. Uris usually connects the many layers of his stories seamlessly; as this novel draws to a conclusion, however, the hasty revelation of family secrets leads to a forced, emotionally unsatisfying ending. Anyone seeking a compelling read should look to Uris's previous works, as this one is certainly the exception to the rule in a prodigious career marked by phenomenal storytelling. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A posthumous novel by Uris, who died, at 78, on June 21, celebrates the Marine Corps, as did his first, Battle Cry, now marking its 50th anniversary. O'Hara's Choice centers on Marines who fought in the Civil War and clarifies how their spirit lives on: especially that of legendary Sergeant Paddy O'Hara, whose courage and Élan reside in his son, Captain Zachary O'Hara. Do the men under the O'Haras' commands come as alive and demand our attention as deeply as do the "gyrenes" of Battle Cry? Well, passages of period description in Washington and research into the lives of Manhattan immigrants often stretch forth into a fine singing voice, for it's O'Haras we speak of here. Paddy is Corporal O'Hara as the battle of Bull Run starts and the Marine lines fold against Rebel artillery. Assisting Paddy, whose officers are all dead, is Wally Kunkle, 13, the Marine drummer boy. Time shifts throughout the story, back and forth from battle to decades later, with Paddy given the Congressional Medal of Honor, promoted to the honorary top enlisted rank of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, and then retired and running a saloon in Lower Manhattan, while Wally Kunkle becomes Master Gunnery Sergeant. All this glory leads to son Zachary's problems with his da's greatness, even when Zach woos Amanda Kerr, a wealthy heiress who wants to build a women's college. Uris's title is ambiguous: it refers to Zach's own long tenure in the Marines serving as a veil to cover up his father's deepest secret, and also to his need to resign from the Corps if he's to marry Amanda, escort her around the world, and help build her college. Bloody battles well done, much excellent period writing (aside from love-stuff), and altogether a recovery from 2002's woozy A God in Ruins. (For our review of 1953's Battle Cry ["It's terrific . . . Don't miss it"], go to www.kirkusreviews.com.) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This new work by the author of, most famously among his previous novels, the popular and filmed Exodus (1958), which focused on the founding years of Israel, turns out to be Uris' posthumous novel, for he died in late June of this year. Characteristically for him, it is a visit to historical times; and characteristically of him, historical facts are not seamlessly, fluidly integrated into the story, but, rather, give the narrative a patchwork feel. But there is certainly a compelling quality to the story itself. In general terms, the novel concerns a vital period in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. Specifically, its characters are the men whom Sergeant Paddy O'Hara saved from the jaws of death during various battles of the Civil War. Sergeant O'Hara was the second marine to be awarded the newly created Congressional Medal of Honor, and every year the men he saved hold a reunion. The year now is 1888, and the group meets with an important item on their agenda: the very future of the corps appears to be in jeopardy. They turn to Paddy O'Hara's son for the corps' salvation, and the plot takes off from there. Despite a leaden prose style, Uris achieves an effective level of urgency in his storytelling to maintain the interest of readers who will seek out the latest (and, presumably, last) work of a popular writer. BradHooper.
Library Journal Review
Uris's final novel (the author died June 21) is a tale set in the late 19th century when there were efforts to eliminate the U.S. Marine Corps. While there are moments of excellence, overall the novel is slow moving and curiously lacking in action for a military story. It also lacks focus. For instance, is it the story of a Marine Corps fighting for its existence? If so, Uris takes unnecessary liberties with historical facts or has simply made inexplicable mistakes (why fabricate a giant "Vermont" class of battleships with 14-inch guns when none would exist for more than a decade?). Or is it the story of a romance between young Marine Zach O'Hara, who has to choose between the Corps, and the wealthy, lovely Amanda Kerr? Or is it a commentary on the repressed sexuality, racial injustices, and economic inequalities of the time? Uris was a former marine who had early success with Battle Cry, a novel of Marines in World War II, but this is a disappointing finale.-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.