The e-book revolution has been a very, very good thing. The old gate keepers have been put aside. As a result readers and authors are enjoying unprecedented access to each other. If you're reading this, you are probably one of the growing numbers who buy their books almost exclusively online.
But there are some great older books that have been excluded in this digital tsunami. Team Yankee and A Canticle for Leibowitz are two such books. Both are classics in their genres and outstanding reads.
1. Team Yankee, Harold Coyle (1987): From Amazon.com – “A realistic depiction of World War III combat follows Captain Sean Bannion and the tank soldiers of Team Yankee as they battle the Russian invasion force, from Hill 214 in West Germany to the ultimate cease-fire.”
Harold Coyle's first novel. The definitive novel of the great war that almost was. I read this as a young tank platoon leader and was blown away (no pun intended). The realism, grit, and heart of this novel showcase the timeless challenges, heartbreaks, and triumphs of soldiers from any era.
2. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller Jr. (1960): From Amazon.com – “In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes. Seriously funny, stunning, and tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.”
I first read this Hugo Award winning classic as high school senior. It was required reading for English class. This groundbreaking novel turned ne on to a genre that I enjoy to this day.
Do you have any old favourites that missed the digital boat? If so, share these lost treasures with the rest of us!
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