Customer Reviews

And No Birds Sang

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4 star:		(1)
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Farley Mowat has entertained many readers like me for many years with lots of books. His story of his life as a soldier during WW 2 comes as no surprise. Now it is fashionable in America to talk of post traumatic stress disorder but the same conditions have existed on every battlefield from the beginning of time. Mowat vividly brings them to life as many writers of wartime do. This is an intensly personal and moving story and should be required reading for every 17 year old itching to go into the army. The title is especially evocative since Mowat is a naturalist and everywhere he goes, he looks for local birds. In spite of being in an exotic place, he would collect no new species there

I bought this book almost in a state of doubt. I had seen the name Farley Mowat and automatically assumed it was a good piece of writing as is most if not all of his other pieces of work. He is perhaps one if not the best Canadian writer ever to pick up a pen and paper. And after reading this book, i quickly realized why.

I had been searching for a book that could possibly inform and educate me on a Canadian's standpoint of the second world war. I quickly realized that I had picked out a good book. It puts you in the mind of a young man reaching adulthood and as had every other young man at the time, had his mind set in joining his fellow Canadians and Allies in the battle. This mindframe had been to be fairly excited and actually happy to go to the frontlines. As it had obviously not been programmed to the unfortunate reality of the war itself. Farley Mowat tells a great and wonderful story of his life before and during the timeline of the Canadian military's part in the war itself. Whether it was the obvious anxiety of waiting to be shipped overseas to the frontlines, or the brutal and graphic reality of the battle itself, Mowat unveils a true and dramtically emotional story of World War II.

Myself I was seaching for a book such as this one. It retold the historically correct graphic and terrifying nature of war, more specifically that of the Second World War. I know that one such as myself will never know and hopefully never experience the reality of war but, I can honestly say that I have infinite gratitude and thanks for those who fought for our freedom. All in all, a WONDERFUL book and I highly recommend it to any Farley Mowat fans or anyone who likes great historical literature. I just cannot seem to express how great of a book this really was. Hope you like it too!

Without a doubt, this book is the best written account of a
Canadian soldier's exploits in WW 2.
It holds your interest right from the start, when as a young man
he enlists in the Canadian armed forces as a "glamorous adventure", and continues to hold your interest to the very end, when as a
combat veteran he realizes that war is no game - it's a dirty,
bloody, horrifying business.
He takes you along for the ride : you are there in the midst of
the carnage & madness they call war. A visceral experience you
won't soon forget.

I read this book about 10 years ago when I was in highschool and I loved it. That isn't very easy for me to say because I'm not a big reader but this book really open my eyes to his work and his world. The whole book had my attention from start to finish and I have been looking for a copy for 3 years now but had forgotten the title. I am happy to say I have bought the book and am reading it for the third time. If you really are into war themed books and history then this book is perfect. It takes you back and puts you right beside Farley Mowat as he makes his way around europe during the second world war. A must read for all.

I remember reading this book way back in Grade 12. Its not so way back considering that it was probably two or three years ago. This book ranks among the best war books I have ever read. In some places, I laughed so hard I nearly dropped a lung. In other places, I remember being so sombre and imaging the horror experienced by Mowat and his band of Hasty Ps.

This is a must read for any Canadian even remotely interested in the Canadian role in World War II.

I didn't really want to read another war book, but a friend convinced me he thought this was the best one ever written. However, I came away from it thinking it wasn't as good as "The Forgotten Soldier". The last chapter about the battle over the Moro river was just as good. However, the depth of the first three chapters I felt was diminished by the author's sense of humor and his tendency to exaggerate. For example, the dying of the inscrutable A K Long - taking out his pipe for a smoke and a book to read when he was so seriously wounded, calm in the midst of terror - struck me as unrealistic. In sum, this was a good book but I would say, not really memorable.

This book is an excellent personal account of WW2. Any Canadian that has friends or family that were a part of WW2 will find this book quite powerful. This is a perfect book for conveying to young people the sacrifice that Canadian soldiers made in WW2.

This book was about when Farley Mowat was younger
and growing up during WW2.I picture in my mind his covet
to get into the war,also his dedication to ensue in his
father's footsteps.He looks down the road of death and
sees the consternation of the men of war.This book charades
and becomes the war I had never seen,since I am only 17 yrs
of age.