Customer Reviews (2)

an unusual and excellent steinbeck resource
this is an interesting and unusual compilation of Steinbeck's periodical writings, otherwise not readily available, which I found to be very insightful regarding the Salinas community's odd dislike of Steinbeck. While the Grapes of Wrath were hardly boosterism for California growers and law enforcement, some of these articles are almost rabid in their intensity and even more poignant in their journalism. This is a really useful resource for anyone interested in getting a wider sense of Steinbeck's thinking and development.

Still true today - unfortunately
I picked up this book at a sale and was intrigued by it right away.It was written in 1966 and the photos are so interesting to look at.But, the best part - every single one of his essays in the book is still relevant today.Which is not a good thing.It really made me stop and think about how far we haven't come as a nation - even though we think we're leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else.We are a selfish group of people, we contradict most of what we say and do, and we are blind (or look the other way) to many of our actions.

I really was appalled by the truth in which he spoke.I have a new found respect for Mr. John Steinbeck - not only as a writer, but as a politically aware individual. ... Read more

Product Description
A magnificent volume of short novels and an essential World War II report from one of America's great twentieth-century writers

On the heels of the enormous success of his masterwork The Grapes of Wrath-and at the height of the American war effort-John Steinbeck, one of the most prolific and influential literary figures of his generation, wrote Bombs Away, a nonfiction account of his experiences with U.S. Army Air Force bomber crews during World War II. Now, for the first time since its original publication in 1942, Penguin Classics presents this exclusive edition of Steinbeck's introduction to the then-nascent U.S. Army Air Force and its bomber crew-the essential core unit behind American air power that Steinbeck described as "the greatest team in the world." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great insight to the selection and training of the newly formed Army Air Force Bombadier Group
For the purpose this book was written for, it was extremely insightful.My father served in WWII as an aerial tail gunner in a bombardier group and it was extremely fascinating to get a glimpse into what he went through in terms of selection and training.The book was considered propaganda when it came out, before the term had such a negative connotation.The definition of propaganda is information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause There had been much talk about the mortality rate of a bombardier crew member and the intent of the book was to correct some of the misconception about the death rate, especially in comparison to infantry men.Steinbeck actually spent time going through the entire process of selection and observed the specific training for each of the members of the newly formed Army Air Force Bombardier Group.His hope was that the expose would help family members better understand what their son would be going through, beginning with the psychological and personality assessments that helped determine if the candidate was a good fit for a bombardier group.Steinbeck them observed the training each member would receive once they were selected.The training was intense and he wanted the family members as well as a potential candidate to have an idea of what the program would be like.This is not a novel and was not intended to be a novel.One insightful piece that Steinbeck mentioned was that even as he was writing this, things in the war were changing so rapidly that some of the information would already be outdated by the time it got to print.He still felt it was important to proceed.A very informative book and Steinbeck's writing style takes something that could have been dry reading and adds the human element.

Interesting, but not the typical Steinbeck
I've become a recent Steinbeck fan, specifically for his bare-bones story telling and amazing character development ability. My two personal favorites happen to be the Grapes of Wrath and The Moon is Down (a great read for a concentrated view of why Steinbeck is so well regarded!).

Being a flight enthusiast as well, I thought this would be a happy marriage between a great author and a great hobby, with a touch of 1940s nostalgia. The story starts with a very brief history of the US Air Force, its training program, and its motivation against the war machines of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Being that this book was intended as propoganda, it holds back no punches when describing the ideologies that launched us into this war, and the incredible unified patriotism combined with the army's drive and devotion that created a new branch of the military and type of war in under 2 years. In it's descriptions of the bomber crews of the Air Force, the book also does not hold back from lavishing praise on the parents of the finest soldiers in the country!

The book then follows the training and selection of each member of the crew formulaically, describing their noble and desirable characteristics (both physical and psychological), and offers the reader a glimpse at the rigorous training courses designed to get these new air-crews in the air in under 3 months. Steinbeck also calls out a particular model airman of each chapter to give the reader a human connection within the overly descriptive chapters.

I both enjoyed and thoroughly disliked this book for many of the same reasons. I greatly appreciated the look at the spirit the nation was forced to take during the 1940s. It was incredible to realize the precision and effort that went into training these men. However, this also lended itself to thoroughly redundant phrases and descriptions for each chapter, and left me feeling quite bored, waiting for the end! I also loved the few missions they flew near the end of the book, creating some clasically tense moments that I've seen in other Steinbeck novels. However, these also felt misplaced, as there was no real attachment to the characters who seemed to be thrown in at the last moment to make everything seem more personable.

I do not reccomend this book. If you're interested in WWII flights and training, this might pique your interest, but there are other first-person testimonials or similar stories out there. However, for a great WWII steinbeck read, pick up "The Moon is Down"! ... Read more

Product Description
John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath during an astonishing burst of activity between June and October of 1938. Throughout the time he was creating his greatest work, Steinbeck faithfully kept a journal revealing his arduous journey toward its completion.The journal, like the novel it chronicles, tells a tale of dramatic proportions—of dogged determination and inspiration, yet also of paranoia, self-doubt, and obstacles. It records in intimate detail the conception and genesis of The Grapes of Wrath and its huge though controversial success. It is a unique and penetrating portrait of an emblematic American writer creating an essential American masterpiece. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

skimming the surface with diary entries
I found this book to be less informative than I thought it was going to be. I was hoping to see more of whats happened in Steinbeck's physche during his labor over The Grapes Of Wrath, but it doesnt really happen. This almost feels like he was asked to perform this task and he did it as an assignment rather than a labor of love.

Interesting, but not Insightful
I found this work diary of Steinbeck to be far less informative than I had imagined it would be. Aside from his daily ruminations that he was unsure if "Grapes" would be a good book, there was little revealed as to his creative process. How did he create his characters? Why did he use certain plot devices? Where did his inspirations come from? All this was lacking.

If you read Christopher Tolkien's works on his father's "Lord of the Rings," you see the work created before you. You can see how a character developed, how a plot changed. In "Working Days" there is none of that. It is simply repetitive admonitions to himself to work harder. It became tedious and a great many times I wondered if the editor had simply repeated previous entries and only changed their number.

"Working Days" is interesting, but don't be fooled into thinking you are going to be there at the birth of a great novel.

great book from a great writer
If you enjoyed reading Grapes of Wrath, or any other books by Steinbeck...get this book. If you want to follow a writer through the process of creating an important novel, get this book. The daily journal entries written by Steinbeck show the ebb and flow of his moods, his confidence that he was indeed writing a great book, and those days when he felt that he lacked the talent to pull it off. It is rare to get the opportunity to watch an artist create....this is pretty darn close. And a good read!

A journal of a masterpiece getting written
Working Days is for Steinbeck readers or any student of creative processes and habits of successful people.John Steinbeck wrote the beefy The Grapes of Wrath like a freight train, averaging 2,000 words a day in longhand, from June through October, 1938. He did not do this in isolation.He got up an average of five days a week, had breakfast, wrote in his journal, then went to work until early evening, while hammers from neighborhood construction pounded relentlessly, amid human intrusions of all kinds, a souring stomach and self doubt.He was a purposeful journal-keeper, using it to set the goals for the day, to talk himself into character development and plot movement.No doubt the journal also served to subconsiously swat away the distractions so he could focus on the work.Working Days is edited by Robert Demott who has seemingly devoted his career to the meticulous scrutiny of Steinbeck's life, works and habits.If there can be a criticism of this volume, it's that Demott hovers too much; his is, for instance, one of the longest critical introductions I've come across.But this does not detract from the enjoyment of crawling around in Steinbeck's mind, which the journal freely permits.

Interesting and enjoyable look inside Steinbeck
This journal of Steinbeck's progress through Grapes of Wrath gives an inside view of what was on his mind when writing the novel.Interesting to see what Grapes of Wrath looked like from the inside out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Theatrical style with an ethos of propaganda
This story takes place in a small mining town located close to the sea.The town is in a Northern European country, which, judging by the last names of the characters could be Norway.One Sunday morning at 10:45 AM a foreign force of gray uniformed soldiers drives into town and occupies it.Two officials, the postman and the policeman, are out on the ocean, on a fishing trip, in Mr. Corell's boat.The shopkeeper, Mr. Corell, has also organized a shooting competition for the local troops.They are out of town when the gray uniformed soldiers arrive.The occupation goes off without much of a hitch.A bad of occupying soldiers plays for the entertainment of the citizens.All seems calm, but in time the town's people become shocked, then angry, then view the new soldiers with great resentment.In order to gain the support of the people Colonel Lanser, the commanding officer of the occupiers, hopes to enlist the co-operation of Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter.Lanser reveals to these two that Mr. Corell has in fact been co-operating with them for some time.That is how the invasion went so smoothly.The Colonel asks why don't Orden and Winter co-operate as the shopkeeper did?Orden and Winter are greatly surprised.They wonder world the town's people follow them even if they did co-operate?The mayor and the doctor see no alternative but to quietly resist.Indeed the whole town will in secret resist.

This book was first published in 1942.Although the invaders are never clearly identified as Nazis the text reveals that: (1) they are at war with England and Russia, (2) they follow a revered Leader, who must be obeyed at all costs, and (3) they remember defeats in Belgium and France in a previous war 20 years ago.

John Steinbeck is of course a famous author and a winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature.This book was written about one third of the way into his writing career.By then he had written many of the books he is most famous for, such as Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck Centennial Edition) and The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition).All this of course leads the reader to expect that this will be a great work of art.Unfortunately reading it is a little like seeing those old black and white World War 2 movies, where the heroes, little men, struggle on valiantly against the implacable enemy.The book was in fact almost immediately on publication made into a movie.Steinbeck wrote the book "... to motivate and enthuse the resistance movements in occupied countries ..." (Wikipedia) and editions were indeed secretly published in occupied France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark the Netherlands and Italy. (Wikipedia)The propaganda ethos is strong and to modern readers a little false.It should be noted that when Steinbeck wrote the book he had no experience of war, or occupation, and had never been to Europe.This is perhaps why the novel lacks the authenticity of his well knows depression and rural American novels.

To give Steinbeck his credit, though, it should be noted that, unlike those old movies, the Nazis are not faceless enemies of ultimate evil.We are presented with a very human array of soldiers, each one with his own motivations and reactions to various circumstances.Colonel Lanser is indeed the most interesting character in the book.He remembers the mistakes of the previous war and has doubts about his superior's orders.He is a man who looks for the path of least suffering, yet he is still a Nazi.Mayor Orden is also of some interest.He is a simple man, at times almost a buffoon, yet he knows what is right.

The novel reads very easily and the plot moves along at an interesting pace.Chapter Six, revolving around Molly and Lieutenant Tonder, is perhaps the best written, very human but somehow not quite poignant.Steinbeck writes in a very theatrical style, with much dialog, interior, one room sets and minimal narration.At times this style works and on other occasions it seems stilted.

In the past this book was a great commercial success and I do not mean to be overly critical of it.Let's face it, even today; people still like those old war movies.This novel is not bad, but not great.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ALL-TIME FAVORITE TRAVEL BOOK
Travels with Charlie



Travels with Charlie is about John Steinbeck buying a camper and taking his black standard poodle on a trip around the United States.He starts in New England and drove West across the northern border of the U. S. Then when he reaches the state of Washington he turned South and drove through Oregon and California.In Southern California he headed back East driving through the deep South.This is one of my all-time favorite travel books.

GunnerJuly 2,007

... Read more

Product Description
Travelling across America in search of who you are--now they do it on cycles, in cars, by bus or in the time-honored tradition of foot and thumb. The wanderers of today may wear their hair long and speak a different jargon, but their trip is one that men (and women) have taken for as long as this country has been pushing at its frontiers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Timeless story of friendship and heartache
If you have never read this classic, you should read it. If you read it long ago, you should read it again.

Clifton Fadiman, one of the 20th century's foremost critics, is said to have read 25,000 books in his lifetime, many more than once. "When you re-read a classic," he said, "you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before." I've read Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men probably a half-dozen times since I first read it as a teenager. Each time, as a reader, I connect more with the characters than I did the last. And each time, as a writer, I learn something more about the stories I want to write.

A Poignant Classic
George and Lennie are two itinerant farm workers moving from one California farm to another. The two of them move together in order to avoid the loneliness and misery that usually accompanies nomads. Lennie is an incredibly strong and hard worker who has a mind of a child. Unfortunately for him, his strength and child-like instincts oftentimes get him in trouble. George has known Lennie since he was just a kid, and is the brains behind this unlikely duo. George dreams of a bigger life for the two of them, a life where they would settle on a small farm of their own. The questions remain, however, of how will they acquire enough money to purchase such a place and if they will be able to do so without getting into any really big trouble on account of Lennie's unpredictable behavior.

This is perhaps the most poignant and well developed of Steinbeck's short novels. The characters are some of the most memorable ones in all of the twentieth century literature, and are masterfully developed and vivid. The narrative is as compact and tight as they come. Steinbeck is nothing short of a pure genius when it comes to constructing stories: each element, each sentence has its place and serves the overall purpose. This novella is a textbook example of what good storytelling is all about and will be enjoyed by both Steinbeck's fans as well as those who are new to his writings.

Of Mice & Men
My daughter can't wait to read this. It is a school required reading for her sophmore year.Thanks for the fast delivery.

bought for daughter
Required reading for my 15 year old daughter in high school.Easiest way to buy anything is here on Amazon.No lines, driving to stores, etc..Book arrived quickly and in good condition.Thanks, mark

Great service
Received the book very quickly. I ordered it for my son for school. So I haven't read it. But it is what he needed. Thank you ... Read more

Product Description
Hardback Book with JS in black on the front ... Read more

Product Description
A photobiography of John Steinbeck, covering his life and writing career, with excerpts from his works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Steinbeck info granted to needy student
The Book John Steinbeck gave me biographical info I needed to do my US History Project.I found anything and everything I ever needed or wanted to know about John Steinbeck, even what his life was like in the 1930's.This is what my project focused on: John Steinbeck's life in the 30's.Idefinately got what I needed from this book.I would reccomend this bookto anyone in need of general and/or specific biographical info on JohnSteinbeck. ... Read more

Product Description
The novelist who wrote The Grapes of Wrath and the director who produced Crisis and Lights Out in Europe combined their superb talents to tell the story of the coming of modern medicine to the natives of Mexico. There have been several notable examples of this pen-camera method of narration, but The Forgotten Village is unique among them in that the text was written before a single picture was shot. The book and the movie from which it was made have, thus, a continuity and a dramatic growth not to be found in the so-called "documentary" films.

The camera crew that, headed by Kline and with Steinbeck's script at hand, recorded this narrative of birth and death, of witch doctors and vaccines, of the old Mexico and the new, spent nine months off the trails of Mexico. They traveled thousands of miles to find just the village they needed; they borrowed children from the government school, took men from the fields, their wives from the markets, and old medicine woman from her hut by the side of the trail. The motion picture they made (for release in 1941) is 8000 feet long. From this wealth of pictures 136 photographs were selected for their intrinsic beauty and for the graceful harmony with which they accompany Steinbeck's text.

This new script-photograph technique of narration conveys its ideas with unexcelled brilliance and immediacy. In the hands of such master story-tellers as Steinbeck and Kline, it makes the reader catch his breath for the beauty and the truth of the tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Steinbeck the Great
In my humble opinion, John Steinbeck was one of the greatest writers who ever lived.However, The Forgotten Village: Life in a Mexican Village is merely a simple little story.It is not bad reading, and was apparently made into a movie, though I've never seen it. ... Read more

Product Description
A wonderful and inspiring collection of Christmas stories from leaders, authors, generals and important persons. In slip case and bound for presentation. Reading this is a fine way to get yourself and the family into the true Christmas spirit. ... Read more

Product Description
This book guides readers through these and other important Steinbeck works, particularly those that are most often taught, including The Pearl (1945), The Red Pony (1933), and significant short fiction. Clear analysis of each work includes discussions of character development, plot and setting, thematic treatment, historical contexts, and alternate critical readings. A biographical chapter, as well as an examination of the author's contributions and career, helps readers gain a sense of Steinbeck the man and his position as one of America's most important writers. ... Read more

Product Description
Just after the iron curtain fell on Eastern Europe John Steinbeck and acclaimed war photographer, Robert Capa ventured into the Soviet Union to report for the "New York Herald Tribune". This rare opportunity took the famous travelers not only to Moscow and Stalingrad - now Volgograd - but through the countryside of the Ukraine and the Caucasus. A "Russian Journal" is the distillation of their journey and remains a remarkable memoir and unique historical document. Steinbeck and Capa recorded the grim realities of factory workers, government clerks, and peasants, as they emerged from the rubble of World War II. This is an intimate glimpses of two artists at the height of their powers, answering their need to document human struggle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Steinbeck's Russian Experience
A Russian Journal is the first piece of nonfiction I've read by John Steinbeck.In 1948, Steinbeck and noted photographer Robert Capa undertook a tour through Russia in order to gain perspective of the Russian people.They weren't interested in politics or the government, but in the average Russian citizen.Their adventures in Moscow, Volograd, the Ukraine, and Georgia are related with Steinbeck's customary wry wit.Capa's photographs have a poignancy of their own, although it would have been nice to see them reproduced a bit larger.

On their journey, Steinbeck and Capa encounter comradeship, frustration, humor, music, and a ton of local food.His descriptions of the various meals they enjoyed in Russia was worth reading the whole book for.Having never been there, I can only hope that this book provided a realistic portrayal of the country at the time it was written.Especially interesting to me was the reverence for Franklin Roosevelt that they found as well as the desire for continued peace with the West.An excellent reminder that people are usually goodhearted, no matter what region they call home.Highly recommended.

The Human Experience in Steinbeck Fashion
I read A Russian Journal upon returning home from a two-month stint of teaching in Moscow and was excited to dive into another Steinbeck. Not surprisingly, Steinbeck offers a truthful and compassionate portrayal of the human experience through eyes which seem to dissolve cultural barriers. Respectfully intruding into the lives of normal people during post World War II Soviet Union, Steinbeck, accompanied by Robert Capa, documents the thoughts, work ethics, and questions of those who the rest of 1940s America failed to understand. Forging ahead behind the iron curtain, Steinbeck retells tales of normal, family-oriented, hard-working people found in the midst of his travels through the countryside who in many ways were no different than the Americans who feared and often disdained them.

Most remarkably to me, Steinbeck tells of a Moscow that is relatively unchanged today. Incredibly, this slice of Russian culture has remained the same in many ways though it has experienced such a turbulent century. I would recommend A Russian Journal to anyone planning on visiting Russia soon (because it is still relevant) and also to anyone who enjoys Steinbeck. It is simple, heartfelt, and relatively unbiased in its attempts to portray normal life in another culture. Its style is easily comparable to Travels With Charley, although I believe because Steinbeck understands his own American culture so much more richly, he is able to portray connections and summations about what he experiences much more definitively in Travels With Charley. Regardless, A Russian Journal is certainly an interesting and enjoyable read.

Really interesting book
I think this book is wonderful and very very interesting.
I like the style of Steinbeck and I have enjoyed all his books that I have read.
This book shows the life in the Soviet Union (they visit Moscow, Ukraine and Georgia) shortly after the war, when people are trying to rebuild their lives after the war. I`d say that mainly they are pretty enthusiastic about that and believe in the better future to be achieved by the hard work...
In the time of edgy relations between Soviet Union and USA, this book shows that the russians and the americans both are people just like others...

Loved It
I'm a photographer and huge admirer of both Capa and Steinbeck, but I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. In fact, it's totally readable, wonderfully informal and very engaging -- something of a page turner. You get a vivid picture of the strength and dignity of the Russian people after the terrible destruction of the war, and also an entertaining sense of the relationship between Capa & Steinbeck and their Russian hosts. Their trip took place in 1948, just as the cold war began, and it offers unique insight into how the people of Russia see the USA -- namely as an important and admired friend.

Unfortunately, the pictures, while fascinating, are not well served by the paperback printing. But given the paper quality and the small size of the book, they're about as good as they can be. I suspect that a hardcover would do the pictures more justice.

Great book, but buy in hardback - photo quality in the 1999 edition is poor
This is a great book, but you should buy a hardback edition instead of the paperback.I am a frequent visitor to Russia and I enjoyed the oportunity to compare and contrast Russia today with postwar Russia under Stalin.Unfortunately, Robert Capa's photos in the 1999 paperback are small and muddy.I could not even recognize places that I have visited many times.This book was a collaborative effort, but the 1999 printing seriously short changes Capa's contribution.

I don't know if the images are better in the 2001 paperback or the Kindle version, but after reading the 1999 edition I got a copy of the 1948 hardback via Amazon.I recommend that you do the same if you want to fully enjoy this excellent work. ... Read more