Review of Tour of Duty
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LY_Rachel
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- Latest Review: Tour of Duty by William H. Coles
Review of Tour of Duty
[Following is a volunteer review of "Tour of Duty" by William H. Coles.]
1960s France– a time and place of post-war reconstruction, the Cold War hanging over everyone’s heads. With old grudges still strong and alive, the native French and the foreign Americans unable to reconcile and peacefully coexist, change will need more than just time.
Tour of Duty is a historical fiction by William H. Cole, set in 1960s France. We follow Miles Ballard, an American doctor working in the military. However, he soon finds that the system is inefficient, led by a man more concerned about his image than anything else. In the uncertainty of the times, he must navigate trying to both initiate and deal with changes in his life and his world.
I found that there were characters who were introduced and expanded upon well. I especially appreciate how the character of Miles connects well with a reader of the 21st century. The way we may think about the values of the 1960s is mirrored through Miles, who generally has those values while still feeling like a person who could exist in the 1960s. Though he’s seen as naive and idealistic, he is firm in those beliefs, which also helps with connecting us, the readers, with him.
On the flip side, I found that some characters were expanded upon perhaps too much. The main storyline, which was described in the summary, is occasionally set aside for side plots. Side plots themselves aren’t a bad thing– in fact, they can add really well to a story. No, the problem is that these side plots rarely bore consequences for the main plot, and if they did, they were mentioned in the next chapter, but never again; it often felt like I was being pulled out of the main story to observe some random, irrelevant happenstance going on elsewhere.
The prose was also very matter-of-fact, which hurt the novel’s more emotionally charged moments. Because of this, I had a difficult time relating to the characters at times, which made those side plots feel even more meaningless.
Finally, as a historical fiction book, it was not very immersive. It sometimes felt like I was just reading a book of the 2000s, only to be occasionally reminded that we were in the 1960s. For example, there is an intense moment at the end of a chapter, emphasizing the fears of nuclear threat and the Red Scare. Then suddenly, in the next chapter, we have moved on to a completely different person, and the topic isn’t mentioned ever again in a way that is significant.
I must give this book a 2 out of 5 stars. This book has very few grammatical errors in it, and is competently written. It is a mature book that discusses nazism, rape, and suicide with the seriousness they deserve, and is very accessible to readers who may only know the bare minimum of WW2.
However, I cannot personally recommend this book because frankly, I felt it was mediocre. Characters had depth and development, but the plots of the story were poorly handled, leading to those characters feeling underdeveloped and underused.
There was potential, which is what allowed me to finish it, but ultimately, it was left untapped.
******
Tour of Duty
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
1960s France– a time and place of post-war reconstruction, the Cold War hanging over everyone’s heads. With old grudges still strong and alive, the native French and the foreign Americans unable to reconcile and peacefully coexist, change will need more than just time.
Tour of Duty is a historical fiction by William H. Cole, set in 1960s France. We follow Miles Ballard, an American doctor working in the military. However, he soon finds that the system is inefficient, led by a man more concerned about his image than anything else. In the uncertainty of the times, he must navigate trying to both initiate and deal with changes in his life and his world.
I found that there were characters who were introduced and expanded upon well. I especially appreciate how the character of Miles connects well with a reader of the 21st century. The way we may think about the values of the 1960s is mirrored through Miles, who generally has those values while still feeling like a person who could exist in the 1960s. Though he’s seen as naive and idealistic, he is firm in those beliefs, which also helps with connecting us, the readers, with him.
On the flip side, I found that some characters were expanded upon perhaps too much. The main storyline, which was described in the summary, is occasionally set aside for side plots. Side plots themselves aren’t a bad thing– in fact, they can add really well to a story. No, the problem is that these side plots rarely bore consequences for the main plot, and if they did, they were mentioned in the next chapter, but never again; it often felt like I was being pulled out of the main story to observe some random, irrelevant happenstance going on elsewhere.
The prose was also very matter-of-fact, which hurt the novel’s more emotionally charged moments. Because of this, I had a difficult time relating to the characters at times, which made those side plots feel even more meaningless.
Finally, as a historical fiction book, it was not very immersive. It sometimes felt like I was just reading a book of the 2000s, only to be occasionally reminded that we were in the 1960s. For example, there is an intense moment at the end of a chapter, emphasizing the fears of nuclear threat and the Red Scare. Then suddenly, in the next chapter, we have moved on to a completely different person, and the topic isn’t mentioned ever again in a way that is significant.
I must give this book a 2 out of 5 stars. This book has very few grammatical errors in it, and is competently written. It is a mature book that discusses nazism, rape, and suicide with the seriousness they deserve, and is very accessible to readers who may only know the bare minimum of WW2.
However, I cannot personally recommend this book because frankly, I felt it was mediocre. Characters had depth and development, but the plots of the story were poorly handled, leading to those characters feeling underdeveloped and underused.
There was potential, which is what allowed me to finish it, but ultimately, it was left untapped.
******
Tour of Duty
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Tour of Duty by William H. Coles
