Synopses & Reviews
In 1944, long before he wrote such classic novels as
I Am Legend and
What Dreams May Come, author Richard Matheson served as an eighteen-year-old replacement in the 87th Division during the latter part of the war in Europe. His tour of duty there inspired this acclaimed novel about a group of equally young and inexperienced soldiers thrown into the fury of combat.
The Beardless Warriors are a squad of teenage U.S. infantrymen fighting their way across Germany during the final weeks of the war. Under fire and in over their heads, the fresh-faced young men must grow up fast if they ever hope to see home again.
Everett Hackermeyer is the latest soldier to join the squad, "Hack," a troubled youth from a hellish family background, faces a new kind of inferno on the front lines, only to discover hidden reserves he never knew he possessed. Ironically, he doesn't come to value his own life until he runs the very real chance of losing it.
Review
"One of the handful of truly first-rate novels to emerge from the Second World War." (Ralph Peters)
Review
"Powerful, raw, visceral,...the real stuff, a masterpiece that ranks with the best war novels ever written." (Stephen Coonts)
Review
"Not just another war novel; it is one of the finest books that has come out of World War II or any other."--
The Detroit News"One of the most shocking accounts of war ever written . . . reminiscent of Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage."--Miami News
Synopsis
Long out of print, Matheson' acclaimed novel of World War II was inspired by his term of duty in the war. "The Beardless Warriors" are a squad of teenage infantrymen fighting their way across Germany in the final weeks of the war. Inexperienced and over their heads, they must grow up fast to survive.
About the Author
Richard Matheson is The New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend, Hell House, Other Kingdoms, Somewhere in Time, The Incredible Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, The Path, Seven Steps to Midnight, Now You See It…, and What Dreams May Come, among others. He was named a Grand Master of Horror by the World Horror Convention, and received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. He has also won the Edgar, the Spur, and the Writer's Guild awards. In 2010, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. In addition to his novels, Matheson wrote screenplays, and he wrote for several Twilight Zone episodes, including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” based on his short story. He was born in New Jersey and raised in Brooklyn, and fought in the infantry in World War II. He earned his bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. He lives in Calabasas, California.