Kicking the Hornets' Nest by Gerry Wells - Revision history

Sue at 13:54, 17 March 2018

2018-03-17T13:54:22Z

Sue at 15:03, 26 January 2015

2015-01-26T15:03:19Z

Sue at 15:16, 23 June 2012

2012-06-23T15:16:26Z

Sue at 15:16, 23 June 2012

2012-06-23T15:16:06Z

Sue at 15:36, 15 June 2012

2012-06-15T15:36:20Z

Sue at 14:02, 15 June 2012

2012-06-15T14:02:50Z

Sue at 13:57, 15 June 2012

2012-06-15T13:57:33Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=Kicking the Hornets' Nest |sort=Kicking the Hornets' Nest |author=Gerry Wells |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=Short Stories |summary=A collecton of short stories w..."

2012-06-15T13:56:53Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=Kicking the Hornets' Nest |sort=Kicking the Hornets' Nest |author=Gerry Wells |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=Short Stories |summary=A collecton of short stories w..."

New review

{{infobox
|title=Kicking the Hornets' Nest
|sort=Kicking the Hornets' Nest
|author=Gerry Wells
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Short Stories
|summary=A collecton of short stories with a story arc. They're elegant, thought-provoking and brilliantly readable.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|paperback=1780881568
|hardback=1780881568
|audiobook=
|ebook=B00841IC9S
|pages=224
|publisher=Matador
|date=#June 2012
|isbn=978-1780881560
|website=
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780881568</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1780881568</amazonus>
}}

WWII books about the RAF and the Navy are quite common. Books about Special Operations Executive and similar organisations proliferate. Stories about the army are fewer and try as I might I really couldn't think of one which was other than incidentally about tank crew, so when the opportunity came I ''had'' to read 'Kicking the Hornets' Nest' particularly as it's written by an author who crewed a Sherman tank in Operation Overlord, back in June 1944. I had just a couple of nagging doubts. It's a book of short stories. Would I find it easy to pick up - and out down again? The big worry was whether or not this was going to be a macho action story, which wouldn't really be my cup of tea at all.

I needn't have worried on either count. Yes - it's a book of about thirty short stories based around the lives of the six men who crewed ''ShitorBust'', their tank and mobile home. The tank might change, but the name never did - after all, it worked so why come up with a new one? Matt was the lieutenant in charge of Obie, Pancho, Smith, Joe and Tom. Pancho was from 'somewhere in South America', generally thought to be Ecuador and he was skilled at driving the tank. Obie Walker, on the other hand has some unusual attributes. He's usually the man going on ahead to check out suspicious areas. He wears sneakers (I bet he called them plimsolls) and is reluctant to carry a gun. Cheese wire's his weapon of choice.

I've read few books about the war which are ''less'' macho. The words which kept coming to mind as I read were 'thought-provoking' and 'elegant'. You're probably wondering how these words fit with battle conditions, but these were (extra)ordinary men sent to fight on behalf of their country, not killers set loose upon the world. I was particularly struck by one incident when the body of a German soldier was spotted. The men had no compunction about the man ''being'' dead, but they were ''outraged'' by the manner of his death. To me that's a distinction which sums up war for the normal man.

The writing is beautiful but then Gerry Wells is a poet and he ''knows'' how to make every word earn its keep. Some of the stories are just a few pages long, others longer and whilst some are stronger than others there are none which I would call weak, in any way. They might be short stories but there's a story arc which takes you through from the final months of the war to a future when each man would have his own battles to fight.

If I've one quibble with the book it's that there are endnotes, which pull you out of the story. I'd have preferred a note on the page or a glossary - because I'd usually forgotten an explanation when I next met the word! It is though a minor quibble.

I'd like to thank the author for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
Although aimed at a slightly younger audience we can recommend [[War: Stories of Conflict by Michael Morpurgo]] as being similarly thought-provoking.

{{amazontext|amazon=1780881568}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8946159}}

{{commenthead}}

[[Category:General Fiction]]

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-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Kicking the Hornets' Nest
 |author=Gerry Wells
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 |date=June 2012
 |isbn=978-1780881560
-|website=
+|cover=1780881568
-|video=
+|aznuk=1780881568
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780881568</amazonuk>
+|aznus=1780881568
 }}

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 {{infobox
 |title=Kicking the Hornets' Nest
 |author=Gerry Wells
 |reviewer=Sue Magee
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 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=224
 |publisher=Matador
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 Although aimed at a slightly younger audience we can recommend [[War: Stories of Conflict by Michael Morpurgo]] as being similarly thought-provoking.
-{{amazontext|amazon=1780881568}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8946159}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1780881568}}
 {{interviewtext|author=Gerry Wells}}

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |reviewer=Sue Magee
 |genre=Short Stories
-|summary=A collecton of short stories with a story arc. They're elegant, thought-provoking and brilliantly readable.
+|summary=A collecton of short stories with a story arc. They're elegant, thought-provoking and brilliantly readable. Gerry Wells popped into Bookbag Towers to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Wells|chat to us]].
 |rating=4.5
 |buy=Yes

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 {{amazontext|amazon=1780881568}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8946159}}
 {{commenthead}}
 [[Category:General Fiction]]

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 WWII books about the RAF and the Navy are quite common.  Books about Special Operations Executive and similar organisations proliferate. Stories about the army are fewer and try as I might I really couldn't think of one which was other than incidentally about tank crew, so when the opportunity came I ''had'' to read 'Kicking the Hornets' Nest' particularly as it's written by an author who crewed a Sherman tank in Operation Overlord, back in June 1944.  I had just a couple of nagging doubts.  It's a book of short stories.  Would I find it easy to pick up - and out down again?  The big worry was whether or not this was going to be a macho action story, which wouldn't really be my cup of tea at all.
-I needn't have worried on either count.  Yes - it's a book of about thirty short stories based around the lives of the six men who crewed ''ShitorBust'', their tank and mobile home.  The tank might change, but the name never did - after all, it worked so why come up with a new one?  Matt was the lieutenant in charge of Obie, Pancho, Smith, Joe and Tom.  Pancho was from 'somewhere in South America', generally thought to be Ecuador and he was skilled at driving the tank.  Obie Walker, on the other hand has some unusual attributes.  He's usually the man going on ahead to check out suspicious areas.  He wears sneakers (I bet he called them plimsolls) and is reluctant to carry a gun. Cheese wire's his weapon of choice.
+I needn't have worried on either count.  Yes - it's a book of about thirty short stories based around the lives of the men who crewed ''ShitorBust'', their tank and mobile home.  The tank might change, but the name never did - after all, it worked so why come up with a new one?  Matt was the lieutenant in charge of Obie, Pancho, (who succeeded Smith, who suffered from battle fatigue), Joe and Tom.  Pancho was from 'somewhere in South America', generally thought to be Ecuador and he was skilled at driving the tank.  Obie Walker, on the other hand has some unusual attributes.  He's usually the man going on ahead to check out suspicious areas.  He wears sneakers (I bet he called them plimsolls) and is reluctant to carry a gun. Cheese wire's his weapon of choice.
 I've read few books about the war which are ''less'' macho.  The words which kept coming to mind as I read were 'thought-provoking' and 'elegant'.  You're probably wondering how these words fit with battle conditions, but these were (extra)ordinary men sent to fight on behalf of their country, not killers set loose upon the world.  I was particularly struck by one incident when the body of a German soldier was spotted.  The men had no compunction about the man ''being'' dead, but they were ''outraged'' by the manner of his death.  To me that's a distinction which sums up war for the normal man.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 |borrow=Yes
 |paperback=1780881568
-|hardback=1780881568
+|hardback=
 |audiobook=
 |ebook=B00841IC9S