The Colonels: The Brotherhood of War

The Colonels: The Brotherhood of War by W.E.B. Griffin

The fourth of (I think) nine of W.E.B. Griffin’s “Brotherhood of War” series. These books focus on three members of the U.S. army – Rudy MacMillan, Sandford Felter, and Craig Lowell. In each one of these books, our three protagonists manage to achieve the rank of the particular book title –either right before, during, or at the conclusion of the story. These three characters are very different, yet are all connected via mutual experiences that they have found themselves in ever since the closing days of World War II, which was when the first book began.

MacMillan is the tough brute who never seems far away from a drink and wanting to punch someone in the nose. Felter is small bald Jew (I’m only mentioning his ethnicity because the author seems to mention it on every page that features the guy) who is a clandestine advisor to the White House. Craig Lowell is the rich spoiled playboy who just happens to be a fine soldier. Lowell gets the most page space because such a character is easier to write around.  He’s always getting drunk, bedding women (single and married), buying airplanes, arguing with his superior officers, and getting thrown out of the army. This shtick has slightly worn on me over four books. In fact, every time the author introduces a female character in the story, we know if she’s under 40 and even remotely good looking, she’ll be sleeping with Lowell within the next couple of chapters.  Still, though, Griffin manages to somehow make you like the guy. Maybe because he is such a great soldier, and deep down, we know his heart is in the right place.

There are lot of other characters that we have grown to know and love as well. They’re too numerous to name, but each book tends to introduce one or two new people, whereas we’re forced to say goodbye to one or two in each book as well (remember this is the military, and accidents happen – in war and in peace).

This book starts in VietNam in 1958 (before the U.S. involvement in an all-out war) and ends directly after the Bay of Pigs fiasco in Cuba in 1961.  There’s not a whole lot of conflict here, but we do get introduced to the creation of the special ops team known as The Green Berets.  The last 50-75 pages are probably the most exciting, as we find ourselves in the jungles of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs.  As I’ve stated earlier, though, in most of these books, there simply isn’t a ton of detail when it comes to war. Griffin is much more interested in telling a story, and when we have so many different characters – home and “abroad” - there’s an awful lot of “real life” that happens that isn’t necessarily directly related to fighting.

Please do yourself a favor and read the series from the beginning. Yes, W.E.B. Griffin, does give you enough background to where it’s not completely necessary, but you’re missing out on whole lot of good reading if you pick up this series somewhere in the middle.   Anxiously looking forward to tackling part 5…..