1/31/10 The War Mountains

John Mannock's fictional story about the war in Yugoslavia is tremendous. It is simply a great read with a great background and plot. During World War 2, there is a large conflict in Yugoslavia between the Nazis and the partisans. Despite it being 1944 and the war drawing to a close, the war continues and this area seems to have an unending conflict. With Hitler trying to figure out how to use his forces, he organizes a new division of the SS which takes recruita from the Middle East. He uses the grudges between the Muslims and Christians in Yugoslovia to gain support for his side. However, it is evident that the war is not going the way Hitler wanted it to and that the partisans and Nazis are roughly at a stalemate. This is where John Mannock proves himself to be a creative writer. Not only are all battle scenes vividly detailed, but shows the anger brewing on both sides. After one of the SS troops is killed, the partisan commander praises the killer. He claims that "'when [they] get an opportunity to kill them, [they] do so with considerable relish'" (92). Besides making up a fake unit and storyline, Mannock uses real characters such as Himmler, Hitler, and Tito. As he describes the new campaign the partisans are on, his twist and turns within the story keep the reader on his toes.