The English Patient vs The Winds of War: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: War stories, World War II, World War, Historical Fiction, Fiction

Cover of The English Patient

The English Patient Michael Ondaatje · 1992 ★★★★☆ 3.9 308 pages · ≈ 5 h 42 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of The Winds of War

The Winds of War Herman Wouk · 1971 ★★★★☆ 4.5 890 pages · ≈ 16 h 29 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate The Winds of War higher: 4.5 vs 3.9 from 47 votes.
The English Patient is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 16 for The Winds of War.
The English Patient is the easier read (Moderate), The Winds of War more demanding (Challenging).

Side by side