Book reviews

An Ice-Cream War
William Boyd Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
William Boyd Books
New book search
William Boyd Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of An Ice-Cream War
""An Ice-Cream War" is the story of American, German, and British lives in Eastern Africa turned upside down by World War I. European and American settlers in Eastern Africa, once friendly neighbors, reluctantly turned to enemies. The background of the novel is the amazing success of German lieutenant colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck (not much portrayed in the story), who commanded Germany's tiny, undersupplied African force (mostly African soldiers). He inflicted embarrassing losses on British forces at Tanga, and tied down Allied forces that outnumbered his own by at least 10 to 1 for the duration of the war. Against this fascinating and little-known history, "An Ice-Cream War" is an engaging novel of war, love, and revenge."
Ed Gibbon, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of An Ice-Cream War
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of story - Dry-cynical
Time/era of story: - 1900-1920's
War Thriller Yes
Armed Forces: - Army
Specific to - WW I
Exploring into the wild Yes
Plotlets: - stranded
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental: Yes
Eccentric: - obsessed
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - long-lived adults
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Africa Yes
Part of Africa: - Black Africa - White Enclave
Ice Caps/Sea? Yes
Where? - Ocean
Island? Yes
Island: - food/shelter preoccupation
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Small town? Yes

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 2
Sex Yes
What kind of sex: - actual description of sex
Unusual forms of death - decapitated
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to An Ice-Cream War
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
The Englishman's Daughter by Ben MacIntyre
The Blooding Of The Guns by Alexander Fullerton
Kruger's Gold: A Novel of the Anglo-Boer War by Sidney Allinson
Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Thriller/Action books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Big vehicle disaster?

Crime Thriller

Disaster, natural or nuclear

Exploring into the wild

Horror Story?

Legal Thriller

Medical Thriller

Religious overtones?

Spying/Terrorism Thriller

War Thriller

Water adventure

Western



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 2:32:02 AM
Anonymous 2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters 9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody 6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught 11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen 9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts 1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino 9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky 11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman 12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer 7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller 8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn 12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden 2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts 1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM

More message boards