FROM HERE TO SHIMBASHI

by John Sack ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 1955

Disarming chronicles of his G.I. record in the Korean war come from John Sack who is beginning to be known as a New Yorker humorist and who also has to his credit a fine account of a South American mountain climbing expedition (see The Butcher-Rinehart, 195). Beginning with induction, the short sketches take Sack through basic training, through military inconsistencies, and personalities. They note surroundings-from uninspiring mess halls to indignant generals- with a wit that has touches of Mauldin and a flippant realism that strips situations to their human core. A sergeant fidgets while giving orders; a Harvard graduate is nonplussed by Army rules of conduct; Japanese geisha girls have their definite charm and so forth. One reasonable thing about Sack's Army life was his post as a Stars and Stripes correspondent. Stories of his encounters with Communists have their value as first hand, funny narratives that show them as people rather than ideological automatons. Back in Japan, the author lived in Tokyo's Shimbashi district, making the most of his opportunities by going as ""native"" as the book does itself. Clever recollections, these have an American's fascination for the mysterious East- that turns out to be more of a pleasure than a puzzle.

Pub Date: March 16, 1955

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1955

Categories: NONFICTION