Defending Civilization

Young officer Thomas Hanlon encounters the dilemma of moral responsibility and questions the distinctions between good and evil when he meets the formidible Major Shea at Greenham Common in the 1950s

This second novel (Stealing Home) set on an Army base in the 1950s, offers a refreshing alternative to the yuppie dilemmas of much current fiction. Fledgling Lt. Thomas Hanlon narrates the story of moral conflict: should he comply with the deceit practiced by hard-drinking, self-righteous Major Shea, or should he blow the whistle on his superior officer? Shea's pragmatic approach to the politics of the cold war is unnerving, and Hanlon, witness to more than one incident of unorthodox maneuvering, is trapped between his loyalty to Shea and his desire to behave ethically. Disturbed and confused, Hanlon finally makes his choice and swiftly sees consequences. Written in punchy language and full of vivid imagery, the novel's only failing is the abruptness with which the story ends. If the author had permitted a broader picture to emerge, this book might have ranked with Captain Newman, M.D. and Mister Roberts. It's an intensely male narrative; the good vs. evil tension is not ameliorated by any significant feminine influence. The '50s setting is here mirrored by the moral outlook and narrow vision of these characters.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"In the army, you've got to know when not to think, which is just about all the time," learns idealistic officer Thomas Hanlon at England's Greenham Common army base when he discovers that the manipulative, possibly brilliant Major Shea has faked results at a shooting exercise. Troubled by ethics, Hanlon nevertheless survives the onslaught of Major Shea's self-serving "tests," and the two develop a mutual respect until an abortive exercise confirms Hanlon's suspicion that the army defends itself more than civilization, even at the cost of the sanity and careers of various men. An eminently readable novel and a cautionary vision of military waste, barbarity, and absurdity.Peter Bricklebank, City Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.