Castle Keep by William Eastlake
It is December 1944 and a detachment of American soldiers has been assigned to guard and ancient castle in Belgium inhabited by an elderly aristocrat, his young wife, and countless valuable artefacts. The soldiers are waiting out the war - indulging in various hobbies, exploring the castle's excesses (including a replica of Venice complete with canals and gondolas), in other words, trying to do something other than fight in the war - until a German counterattack puts them firmly back in the fray. As the American soldiers find themselves caught up in the snow and carnage of Hitler's Ardennes offensive, the war begins to take on a hallucinatory quality which leaves many of the men reeling.
"A surreal small masterpiece about the horrors and grim humours of war" - Time; "a story of war, but not of technical battle, and altogether poetic..far more coherent than Catch 22" - New York Times; "A quite unusual and superb war novel that should appeal to the devotees of Heller's Catch 22, but also to a wider audience, since it is more meaningful and ultimately tragic book." - Choice; "Eastlake's ultimate destination may be classically tragic, but the way to it lies through the twisting corridors of a carnival fun house." - Life"
William Eastlake is the author of several other novels, including Lyric of the Circle Heart, The Bamboo Bed, Dancers in the Scalp House and The Long Naked Descent into Boston.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780304358656 |
| ISBN 10 | 0304358657 |
| Title | Castle Keep |
| Author | William Eastlake |
| Series | Cassell Military Paperbacks |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2001-07-12 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |