Worth The Read! (Hart's War - John Katzenbach)

Member Name: cbpotts

Product:	Hart's War - John Katzenbach
Date:	11/07/01 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great read

Disadvantages: none

Last fall while I was in Italy, I finished up the book I had brought with me just in time for the long plane ride home. So, while in a bookstore that sold a few books in English, I found Hart's War. Even though I hadn't heard the name Katzenbach, let alone read his stuff, I was intrigued enough by the description on the back cover to buy it. I figured if nothing else, it would keep me occupied during the 11-hour flight home.

However, from the first chapter, Hart's War had my full attention and interest. Tommy Hart is a Harvard law student drafted as a part of a flier crew during WWII. His plane's shot down and he's the only survivor, ending up in a POW camp.

The twists and turns begin when a Tuskegee airman, 1st Lt. Scott, shows up in the camp. Katzenbach does a splendid job of capturing the racism that was prevalent during that era and having it appear here, where men are giving up their lives to fight the Nazi racism against the Jews is brilliant.

When one of the men who has expressed an intense hatred for the Tuskegee airman is murdered, Scott is immediately proclaimed the guilty one and Hart finds himself forced to defend the man at a trial set by the Germans.

This book is riveting and held me enthralled from the moment I began to the last, on-the-edge-of-my-seat page. As a basic courtroom drama it would have been interesting, but to wrap the story around the volatile environment of WWII and a POW camp was genius.

Summary: