In the words of the author, "a few flipped their lids, but most of them just raised hell, in a variety of ways and degrees." The pranks and escapades helped them cope. The bottle was a succor but the concern and support of their comrades was priceless. The physical and emotional toll it took left them dispirited and exhausted. You need nerves of steel to deal with the “Deluge” of patients fighting for their lives. Treating battle injuries is not an easy task. The doctors and the nurses had to put in inhuman efforts to save lives. There are plenty of unforgettable characters other than the Swampmen. Some events are hilarious while some are poignant. The adventures or at times the misadventures read like a drug induced dream. Once you get to know the Swampmen you will become their fans – they are generous people who take their jobs very seriously and help people whenever they can. Then why do the authorities tolerate such men? Simply because they are highly competent surgeons and such people are in short supply during the war. They break rules, disdain the officious military types, drink like a fish, dispense their own brand of justice and play elaborate pranks which might include fake human sacrifice. To call them maverick is an understatement. The story revolves around three surgeons in this unit – Hawkeye, Duke and Trapper John aka the Swampmen. Richard had himself served in the Korean War at the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital as a surgeon and based the novel on his personal experiences. This book has been written by Hiester Richard Hornberger Jr, under the pseudonym Richard Hooker, in collaboration with W. But welcome to the mad world of 4077th MASH – one of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH) of the US Armed Forces serving in the Korean War. When we think of the military we usually think of discipline, rigid hierarchy, and strict adherence to protocols. He had called it a “cult”, I do understand why. Homes and apartments were turned into elaborately decorated “swamps.” There were M*A*S*H T-shirts, M*A*S*H dog tags and an array of other M*A*S*H paraphernalia.What a book! I am giving it a rating of 4.5!Ī friend had told me about this book when I was in college. On college campuses, studies - even in the throes of midterm examinations - were forgotten. “School board meetings, athletic contests and civic events were canceled. McFadden wrote in the New York Times the morning following the series finale. “For many, the end of M*A*S*H was too important to miss,” Robert D. The ending was possibly the last time pretty much all of America stayed glued to their sets, outside of the Super Bowl. But the episode really served to bring closure to the myriad of characters at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, who had grown into a dysfunctional but tight family over the course of 11 seasons. Directed by series star Alan Alda, the movie-length finale ostensibly chronicled the final days of the war. At the time, it was the single most-watched program in TV history.Įven for a show that had racked up plenty of Emmys (and a Peabody) over its decade-plus run, the final episode (“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen”) was a particular standout. On February 28, 1983, over 125 million people tuned in to watch the two-and-a-half-hour finale of M*A*S*H, the long-running dramedy about a team of doctors in the Korean War.
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