Rolf Margenau

The subtitle-Should we prolong human life by 30 years?-makes this book sound really deep and thought provoking. It is may provoke thought but it is not deep. It is satirical and sort of funny, if a books with "murder, mayhem, misdirection, and decapitation" can be funny. Lucy Mendoza leads the Prendergast Foundation's study of Longevity, an enzyme that seems to make human cells live longer. Pharmaceutical company Mayer-Standoffi (great name!) doesn't want to share in this drug. They want it all. The government doesn't like it because they don't want people to live longer. It will cost too much. The religious protestors say only God can determine how long we should live. All of them are after Lucy and the Prendergast Foundation.There are lots of interesting characters , some likeable and some despicable, who are well developed and come together in believable ways. There is enough science to make it medical but not technical enough to make it unreadable. Indeed it is highly readable and kept me up half the night finishing it. Thanks to the publisher and Hidden Gems for giving me a free copy. I am voluntarily reviewing it because I loved it! I plan to read more by this author.… (meer)

Private First Class Wylie Cypher is a composite of several men. An injury at the end of basic training sidelined Cypher making him missed language training. Upon recovery, the army sent him to Korea. What follows is a look at the life of combat personnel from initial arrival to combat to post combat fatigue. The author examined a whole gamut of relationships between soldiers, natives and the people back in the United States from a personal, moral, and society perspective.

LibraryThing Member Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.… (meer)

Public Information: Coming of age during the Korean War by Rolf Margenau is a complicated mix of personal memoir and novel.
We follow Wylie, who as a very young man was sent off to fight in the Korean War and Margenau chronicles Wylie's time there through this expansive book. Inspired by his wife having kept 300 letters that Rolf wrote to her in anticipation of their getting married, Margenau has captured the angst and terror of Wylie's experience while at war. Wylie was essentially a public relations officer for the military, but still had his share of interesting experiences. The plot was conveyed well enough, even though the narrative tended to lag in places. Overall, the author has captured his experience quite well, with a good blend of humorous and sad recollections that balance out the story. For lovers of historical fiction, this is an invaluable addition to the genre that covers the Korean War.… (meer)

Public Information by Rolf Margenau follows 22-year-old Wylie Cipher as he finds himself in the midst of the Korean war in 1953. However, instead of having to fight in the front lines, he joins the Public Information Office and begins reporting on actual events. Though he meets so many people throughout his experience – such as Shit Dad and Amelia – at the same time, he remembers that he’s leaving so many others behind.

Before I get started, I just want to say that I am someone who usually doesn’t read historical fiction, so I went into this with a grain of salt. The book turned out to be just as hard to review as I thought it would be. On one hand, I really liked the beginning and the end but on the other, I thought that the kind of lost momentum in the middle. Between the 30% and 60%, I thought the story was a bit slow.

Other than that, I thought the plot was written well. The story was realistic and eye-opening, and I found myself wanting to know even more about what life was like for people involved in war efforts. There was a great blend of humorous and serious moments which I thought added to the realism of the story.

Right off the bat, I thought that Wylie was a really likable character. I liked his charisma and his personality, and I felt like he was easy to connect and relate to. Though the story was carried by the plot, there was a lot of character development for Wylie that really contributed to the coming-of-age theme. How he dealt with grief and love and every other human emotion really brought the story to life. For me, I have to say that my other favorite character was Amelia; though she was introduced a little later in the story, I took a liking to her bright personality straightaway and I thought the author did a fantastic job with the relationship dynamic between her and Wylie.

The writing style was engaging and descriptive throughout. There were a few typos and errors, such as “He strode resolutely to his side and emptying the pot on his left boot” and calling Mai Lee “Mail Lee”, but other than that, I thought the book was fluent and professional.

I really don’t want to give too much away – there’s a lot of depth to this story and it would definitely be the kind that you could reread over and over and find something new every time. Overall, I thought the story was beautiful and allowed me to educate myself on what the “forgotten war” was like. Above all, it was a reminder:

"There’s gonna be more for you to do. There’s gonna be better days. Life goes on."
Wise words from Shit Dad.… (meer)