In the alternate history genre, David Westheimer's "Death is Lighter than a Feather" is relatively obscure, which is a shame because it is among the most accurate, well-written offerings available. In detailing the events of an American invasion of Japan in the absence of the use of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Westheimer shows a firm grasp of strategy, tactics, weapons and geography. However, unlike many alternate histories that focus on the military to the exclusion of all else, Westheimer has simultaneously produced a rich novel full of fascinating characters that truly captures the fundamental essences of the Japanese and Americans, as well as war in general.

Westheimer begins with a prologue that deftly weaves actual events into a world in which nuclear bombs are never brought to bear. Written in the manner of a history text, it quite effectively conveys the events and players that dictated the course of events without bogging down the fiction reader in historical minutia. At the same time, the matter of fact transition from reality to fiction sets the stage quite nicely for the heart of the novel.

Rather than attempting to follow a primary cast of characters through the entirety of the novel, Westheimer has instead strung together snapshots of the lives of average people on both sides of the fighting; an American frogman, a Japanese colonel, a young Japanese girl, an American Marine, etc. The only link between chapters is the occasional return to the history book approach of the prologue in order to detail the larger course of events, and set the tone for the next chapter. In less capable hands, this approach could make for a disjointed reading experience but Westheimer effectively carries through common thematic elements that allow him to cover an array of experiences and concepts without destroying the flow of the novel.

First and foremost among these elements is Westheimer's focus on the common man or woman. By and large, the big power brokers are completely absent. Neither MacArthur nor the Emperor (nor any of his generals) makes an appearance after the prologue. Instead, Westheimer focuses on low ranking officers, and even more so, on enlisted personal. The overall effect of this approach is a ground level view of the fighting that compliments the big picture portions of the text. At the same time, this close-in approach allows Westheimer to consider issues that would be discordant with a book focused on grand strategy. For example, the author considers a Marine who becomes convinced that he is killing the same Japanese soldier over and over again. Westheimer forces the reader to consider whether this is due to shellshock, or if it is a way of rationalizing the horror of killing one's fellow man.

Which brings me to another fascinating element of this novel: Westheimer's intuitive understanding of the causes of war, and particularly, the mindset of the American soldier. His ability to capture what unremitting hatred does to the Japanese, and the consequences that it has on the American soldier is remarkable. His writing is made even more profound in the light of 9/11 and our recent war against Iraq as he eloquently captures the motivation for fanatical, even suicidal, resistance, and the conflict that resistance causes in American soldiers who are at heart disinclined to kill unless it is absolutely necessary.

That said, Westheimer doesn't limit himself to consideration of combatants. His chapter covering a day in the life of a chaplain's assistant perfectly illustrates the contradictory nature of war in general, and the almost perverse naiveté with which America sometimes goes to war. At the same time, his descriptions of ordinary Japanese citizens, particularly women, and the dichotomy of what they see versus what they are told is superbly handled. Westheimer considers what it would be like to live in a world where the "divine" word of the Emperor is at direct odds with what one sees in their everyday life.

Ultimately, Westheimer has produced in "Death is Lighter Than a Feather" the rare alternate history that is historically accurate even as it is good fiction. From his descriptions of the ferocity of hand-to-hand combat, to the serenity of two lovers in a bamboo grove, the author displays a talent that is rare in authors of any genre. At the same time, he successfully ties these fascinating snapshots into a larger picture. Westheimer writes with authority on the invasion that never was, but he also considers war in general, and given the world in which we live, where kamikaze attacks have once again become the norm, it is perhaps more pertinent today then ever.

Jake Mohlman

A very compelling book that reads much like a series of interconnected short stories. The author sets up the "big picture" nicely then zooms down to describe the experiences of individual soldiers. Using this device, we see the invasion of Japan from both sides. The Japanese outlook is perhaps the most interesting as their belief in their eventual victory, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary, is alien to the Western mindset - as is their blind devotion to their superiors and their total dedication to a type of honor that requires death over surrender. Ironically, books such as this tends to make one think that atom bombs probably saved Japan as a nation for the death and destruction caused by an invasion would have killed millions of the Japanese population.

David Westheimer has written a superb, fact-based novel that covers the first six weeks of Operation "Olympic", the intended invasion of Kyushu in October 1945. Of course in actuality, the invasion did not occur because the atomic bomb raids precipitated a Japanese collapse. Westheimer invites the reader into a very-possible world where the atomic bombs have not been dropped either for political or technical reasons. Given the continuing debate over the morality of the a-bomb attacks, this alternate world is well worth examining. The book begins with a prologue (in earlier versions of the book, this was actually the epilogue) that provides the historical detail behind "Olympic". Eighteen chapters follow, each detailing the experiences of one or more Japanese or American characters in the invasion.

The title is taken from the Japanese expression that, "while duty is heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather." The real strength of this novel lies in the depictions of combat from the Japanese point of view, which is atypical for American readers. Having lived and gone to college in Japan, I can attest that Westheimer strikes many a true note in these depictions. Characters include resolute warriors, including a veteran fighter pilot, a determined corporal in a bunker and a fanatical battalion commander, but also cover Japanese civilians as well. One Japanese sergeant complains about some of the new recruits called up to face the invasion: "in his own regiment there was a private who had been a teacher in the middle school but it was known that he entertained subversive ideas and was not to be trusted with authority. It was a measure of the Army's desperate need that he had been permitted to serve at all. His proper place was prison, with other traitors and weaklings."

The combat scenes are very well done and these scenes evoke a sense of hopeless futility at times. The writing style is rich and detailed, but without irrelevant diversions. Westheimer also has a knack for focusing on interesting characters and situations, which is particularly true of his American characters. There is the UDT (underwater demolition team) frogman who bets that he will be the first American on Japanese soil and a B-29 pilot who affects a heroic attitude while concealing his cowardice. There is even a Japanese-American college girl who was visiting relatives in Japan when the war broke out and desperately wants to be "liberated" by the invading GIs. My particular favorite is the combat-happy US marine who believes that the Japanese are "playing a game on him" and that every Japanese soldier he kills is the same one.

The main point of the novel is to flesh out what most people with common sense could anticipate: the Americans will win but at great cost. Again and again, the fanaticism of the Japanese defense astounds the Americans. The novel ends by anticipating a Japanese surrender in January 1946, after many thousands have died on both sides. This novel should be read by anyone interested in the Pacific War or the atomic bomb controversy.

In The Great Wounded Bird And Other Poems, David Westheimer (winner of the 2000 Texas Review Poetry Prize) presents a memorable, strongly recommended collection of poems about the experiences of men in a time and place of war. Poggio Mirteto: RAF bomber crewman are in the room next to ours/At Poggio Mirteto, the Italian quarantine prison./When we try to talk to them through the wall,/They do not trust us./We might not be what we claim./But when the sing, "That was a cute little rhyme,/sing us another one, do," and we do,/We pass their test, genuine Yanks. We sing/"Sixpence" through the wall./"I've got sixpence to last me all my life."/Our American version innocent,/The British version dirty,/So we adopt theirs.

This review first appeared in DR AHEAD, the newsletter of the Air Force Navigators Observers Association (AFNOA).

AFNOA Member Westheimer (Turner 42-04)is one of the most successful writers of America's World War II generation, most famous for VON RYAN'S EXPRESS. However, for purposes of this review, two other books by him are notable: SITTING IT OUT, his 1992 memoir about being a prisoner of war in Italy and Germany, and SONG OF THE YOUNG SENTRY, a 1968 fictionalized verson of the same experiences.

In this volume of 56 short, crisp poems written in free verse (Westheimer says that it is really prose set up to look like poetry), the author revisits his memoir. The result is a wonderfully moving reading experience. For example, here is part of the poem called "Lucky":

"Sometimes I think how lucky I was To be captured instead of killed. Out of harm's way, mostly, For two years."

Or the first lines of the first poem, "Old Man," which says why this retelling of long past events in important:

"Men are dying old That I knew young. Their tales all told, Their songs all sung." Yes, the "greatest generation" is dying, but their tales still need to be told, and Westheimer does it with power. This is a poetic history of the crew of a B-24 who go to war in 1942 via the southern route, their navigator guiding them from Florida to Natal across the Atlantic and Africa to Khartoum and Palestine. Described in "The Southern Route":

"Every hour I shoot a three-star fix - Antares, Vega, Altair, Peacock, Fomalhaut, Deneb, Alpheratz"

From Palestine, they fly combat missions against targets in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and finally, for them, Italy where, still in 1942, they are blasted out of the sky.

Most of the story is about life in prison camps and the people on both sides of the wire, first in Italy and then, after Italy switched sides, Germany. Before that we get a taste of what it was like for young Americans on leave in such places as Beirut, Damascus, and Cairo. Liberation is a special experience and then there are hints of a long lifetime of memories.

THE GREAT WOUNDED BIRD is one evening of readind, but I have gone back into it several times. It also led me into reading Westheimer's three books which are memtioned above. All provide useful and somewhat unusual insights into the expereince of being a prisoner of war. It's educational, but, just as important, good, fun reading.

This is a marvelous story well told. Like the author's previous work, the setting of the story is a POW camp in Italy during WWII. The camp is populated by American aircrews. However, rather than tell a tale of war & heroics, you get to follow the maturation of a soft-spoken, rather cowardly young man into a strong, confident adult. You get to identify with a character & then follow him through his metamorphosis. I defy you not to have a tear in your eye at the finish.

Great book, David Westhiemer is a very informative and interesting author. The detail and accuracy in the story are superb. It was almost as good as his other book, Song of the Young Sentry. The story catches you and won't let you go until you finish, then you drool for more.

Like other Westheimer, war type, novels he really hit it off on this one. Later moving on to the motion picture with Frank Sinatra, this was a well thought out novel. Too bad it's not in print anymore. I would have recommened it to many of my co workers

David Westheimer takes us in for another look at the warbehind the barbed wire at Stalag Luft III. There are somenew details here about Stalag Luft III in a book that brings a more personal insight into the life of a POW inside Germany during World War II. I recommend this book to all those that have an interested in World War II, and the sub-genra of POW stories. As a note, David also wrote 'Von Ryan's Express', which also became a movie starring Frank Sinatra. Although that story was fictional, you can see where some of the ideas came from.