'Caine Mutiny,' 'Winds of War' author Herman Wouk has died

[Dennis Donovan]

Source: NY1

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED 12:00 PM ET MAY. 17, 2019

NEW YORK (AP) — Herman Wouk (wohk), the versatile author of "The Caine Mutiny" and the World War II epics "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," has died at age 103.

Literary agent Amy Rennert says Wouk died in his sleep early Friday at his home in Palm Springs, California.

He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1952 for "The Caine Mutiny," the classic Navy drama that made Captain Queeg a symbol of authority gone mad. He adapted his two-part war epic into a highly rated TV miniseries that aired in the 1980s.

Wouk's Jewish faith inspired his stories of religious values and secular success. "Marjorie Morningstar," published in 1955, was one of the first million-selling novels about Jewish life.

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Read more: https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2019/05/17/caine-mutiny-winds-of-war-author-herman-wouk-has-died

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[dhill926]

1. man...didn't know he was still alive...

fantastic author. Really enjoyed his lesser known "Don't Stop the Carnival."

[SansACause]

5. Yes! I was just about to post this. That book is hysterical.

Jimmy Buffett made it into a musical, but it didn't do very well.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Wow.

I didn't even know he was still around. But then he was 103. That's the 2nd centenarian to pass in the past couple days (I.M. Pei died yesterday @ 102).

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Going to check on Kirk Douglas and Norman Lloyd now...

[BumRushDaShow]

4. Amazing there's still a handful still out here.

[Paladin]

6. Fine writer. trump has given "The Caine Mutiny" a whole new relevance. (nt)

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. Wouk was a great talent, one of my all-time favorite authors.

[susanna]

13. I stumbled across Wouk in my mid-20s.

I think a friend (former Naval Officer) loaned me Winds of War. I was kind of like, "wow." I vaguely remembered a mini-series in the 80s based on it, but the film did nothing for me (I was a little young). The book was an absolute revelation. He really was a gifted storyteller.

I went on to read The Caine Mutiny; same thing. Just amazing characters and stories.

May he rest easy.

[3catwoman3]

14. I think Winds of War and War...

...and Remembrance do a better job of telling the history of WW II than any history text ever could. Revelation is right.

In the TV series, Robert Mitchum was not at all a good choice for the casting of Pug. In the descriptions of him, the point was frequently made that he was short and stocky. Mitchum was hardly short. Carroll O'Connor would have been a much better choice, IMO

[susanna]

15. That might be why the miniseries left me a little cold.

I didn't think it was that well-cast!

And yes, the seamless telling of multiple stories over the WWII timeline was fascinating, especially to a kid who was a big history nerd. Gave me a better feel for how it all transpired.

[Dave Starsky]

16. The second one did better on casting.

Jane Seymour instead of Ally McGraw was an enormous improvement. I think she scored an Emmy for it, and she deserved it.

[susanna]

17. I never watched that one...

will have to look for it on YouTube maybe!

I do think it's time to re-read the books as well

[Dave Starsky]

18. The ABC War and Remembrance miniseries was fantastic.

The submarine scenes and the trials of tribulations of Natalie and her dad (Jane Seymour and John Gielgud) are absolutely intense. They actually filmed at Auschwitz, and it is heartbreaking and terrifying.

[Aristus]

8. I didn't think he was a very good writer.

But he was an excellent story-teller. The two don't necessarily have to go together. Read Edgar Rice Burroughs if you doubt that.

The Winds Of War and War And Remembrance are among my favorite long-trip reads.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Who knew he'd be prophetic with Caine Mutiny?

[gademocrat7]

10. Amazing author.

Rest In Peace, sir.

[lillypaddle]

11. I can see myself at age 13

browsing the aisles of my school library. Once, I chose "The Caine Mutiny," which was an odd choice at the time for a girl my age, who was wrapped up in the fiction of the Bronte' sisters. It was the BEST book I ever read, then or now. And after that, I found "Marjorie Morningstar." Honestly, I don't know why I didn't go further in exploring his works. I guess I got caught up in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." More angsty stuff, if you know what I mean.

I watch a lot of TV now, mostly politics. It shames me to think I've lost that yen for literary greatness. What the hell happened? TV? Politics? I am a true crime buff now, more or less. <sigh>

Herman Wouk, John Updike, and all the glorious rest: Thank you, and rest in peace.

[tinymontgomery]

12. Caine Mutiny

I just finished showing it to my class. Used it as leadership and loyalty class. Bogart is outstanding
in playing his part.