The American vs The Winds of War: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
The American
“On a brilliant day in May, in the year 1868, a gentlemen was reclining at his ease on the great circular divan which at that period occupied the centre of the Salon Carre, in the Museum of the Louvre.”
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A reprint of Henry James' "The America" that includes a textual history of the novel, background and source materials, and critical articles by James and others.
The Winds of War
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Follows the various members of the Henry family as they become involved in the events preceeding America's involvement in World War II. Like no other masterpiece of historical fiction, Herman Wouk's sweeping epic of…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Winds of War highest: The Winds of War 4.4 · The American 3.7.
- The American is the quickest read — about 8 hours vs 16 for The Winds of War.
- The American has the widest readership — 7301 ratings behind its score.
- The American runs the darker storyline; The Winds of War stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The American | The Winds of War | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (7301) | 4.2 (31) |
| Hardcover | 3.5 (10) | 4.3 (39) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (3) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (87) | 5.0 (47) |
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Reception
| The American | The Winds of War | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 7301 | 47 |
| Editions | 126 | 52 |
| Citations | — | 7 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 9405 | — |
| Reading it now | 656 | — |
| Written reviews | 588 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 1265 | 2911 |
| Pages | 473 | 890 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The American or The Winds of War?
The Winds of War has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Winds of War 4.4/5, The American 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: The American or The Winds of War?
The American is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The American (473 pages, ≈ 8 h 46 m); The Winds of War (890 pages, ≈ 16 h 29 m).
Which is harder to read: The American or The Winds of War?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The American: Challenging; The Winds of War: Challenging.