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Proud Legions |
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| Proud Legions by John Antal Jove Publishing 416 pages, April 2000 ISBN 0515127841 Reviewed by Morgan Ann Adams Proud Legions is the most well-informed piece of military fiction to come along since the end of the Cold War. Set uncomfortably close in the future, Antal describes in a blizzard of detail the probable event surrounding another full-blown Korean War. As Antal explains, North Korea has never signed a treaty ending that war. The situations are fantastic, though their place in reality is quite recognizable. Centered among a plethora of diverse characters is Lt. Colonel Michael Rodriguez. Rodriguez is smart, savvy and heroic. He reads The Iliad while commanding tank training. During a training exercise in South Korea, the North attacks leaving Rodriguez with plenty of men and machines, but not enough fuel and supplies. The United States and their South Korean allies are caught completely unaware. Rodriguez's main trouble stems from a lack of experienced and prepared soldiers. "The best equipment is effective only if the soldiers behind the weapons have the courage, group cohesion, and will to fight." This statement to a reporter becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Meanwhile, there are descriptions of military life so real you can feel the blisters forming on your feet. Only occasionally, patches of stiff dialogue mar this realistic portrayal. However, Antal makes up for this with the moment to moment feel of truly powerful suspense writing. The author is currently an active duty officer assigned to the Pentagon. Proud Legions is written with the philosophical depth of a man who feels daily a threat his nation does not comprehend. This is a hard-boiled piece of military fiction. The plot is largely confined to the imminent tragedy, leaving out the usual gratuitous sex (that would not exist on a real battlefield anyway). Lt. Colonel Rodriguez is the epitome of a hero. He is resourceful and fun to watch in action. The plot is easily carried by the force of his personality alone. A cast of characters at the beginning of the book is welcome, as most of the lesser personalities are not as vibrant. Most engaging is the detailed portrayal of the North Koreans. Aside from wonderful leisure reading, this book should be required reading in American history courses. The essence of Proud Legions' philosophical ideas is captured in the epithets before each chapter by T.R. Fehrenbach's This Kind of War. "But acquiescence society may not have, if it wants an army worth a damn." Antal has taken nothing lightly. Politics, war, youth and inexperience are all treated with the same seriousness they deserve. Antal has crafted an engaging, conceivable future war, along with the men and women who will be left to fight it. As Pvt. Jamie Emerson says in Proud Legions: "It doesn't matter what kind of background you come from - rich or poor, American or Korean...Cold and wet is cold and wet." |
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