Lords Of Discipline

Love it! So fascinating.

Good

Great book.

Great book. Prompt delivery

This is one of my alltime favorite books and I think Will is one of the most amazing, soulful and best developed characters I have ever come across in any novel. I read this book in college a few years ago after a close male friend of mine showed me a particular excerpt from it which described a professor of Will's at The Citadel. He was the passionate professor whom Conroy began describing by writing "he was the most brilliant scholar I had ever known. . . " Anyway, at that time a mentor of mine, my favorite professor (an English Prof) and good friend, had just been diagnosed with cancer and was told he had only a few weeks to live. I was devastated and wanted to express to him how much he meant to me and I wanted him to know what an amazing and inspiring professor he had been but I couldn't seem to find words that would do justice to how incredible he was. Well, my friend Richard showed me a passage from Lords of Discipline which simply blew me away - it was exactly what I felt about Dr. Stirling and Conroy just put it so beautifully. I was immediately struck by his eloquence and his mastery of imagery and I borrowed the book and read it from cover to cover without stopping. After he died, Dr. Stirling's wife later told me that the letter I sent him with the Conroy quotation had touched him deeply and to this day The Lords of Discipline will always hold a special place in my heart. I met Pat Conroy at a book signing in Atlanta and was able to thank him personally for his words of inspiration. He was a lovely man and I would recommend any of his books (The Water is Wide is my second favorite). If I had only read the summary of what The Lords of Discipline is about I would not have bothered to read it - I am a female and I have never been one to enjoy military type novels but this was a big surprise. This book is about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, love, and coming of age in a confusing society. It was not what I expected at all and now I never pass by a book simply because it doesn't "look" like one I would enjoy. Reading The Lords of Discipline changed my view on that. Obviously, I simply can not say enough about this book - please read it - you won't be disappointed!

The Lords of Discipline was an excellent novel. It had a great deal of detail, and was a very smooth read. The characters each had their own unique personality. I liked the realistic point of view, it made the book seem like nonfiction. The setting was in the South and had everything from southern belles to racism. Most of Pat Conroy's books seem to be in the South and based on military life. Both the Great Santini and The Lords of Discipline are real eye peelers to the experience of military life. They focus on the positive and negative aspects of this lifestyle. I appreciated the honesty about this kind of life that the author portrayed. Few parts of the novel held back or lacked an accurate description of what was going on. There was no sheltering from the "the real world" within the confines of this book. Multitudinous issues were addressed. Racism, first loves, self discovery, and rising to meet challenges were just some of the themes discussed in the story. This is a remarkable amount of variety for a set of characters and the author to deal with. Although this book is very long it doesn't seem boring or slow. It's one of those books that keep you up at night, a real page turner! The plot is rich with many twists and turns. There are several surprises and unexpected events up until the very end. It seems to mirror real life, exploring and provoling emotion and makes you think hard about your own pitfalls and accomplishments. There are scenes that blaze with the bitter truth of society and the morals of the human race. There is a strong system of heirachy here in America from the lower class runts to the high stepping aristocrats. This novel proves that this is so. The examples of unquestioned authority are truly amazing. In conclusion I would intensively recommend this splendid piece of literature. It's voice is heard loud and clear throughout the course of it's tale. So, come one, come all, and snuggle up with a grrrrrreat book!

The Lords of Discipline is an excellent book of friendship, love, pride, betrayal, redemption, and honor. It comes at you from all angels. No matter what genre you normally read, this book is for you. So well written and so touching, it will make you laugh at the humor of the situations , cry out of loss, feel pride when triumphs occur, and feel anger along with the cadets. Superbly written by an author who makes everything come alive. The characters seem to be real and so close that you could've known them yourself. The setting is so well established you can actually see what is going on. This is the type of book that draws you in and keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you know what is going to happen next, the plot line makes a sudden change and makes you want to know more. This book will make you want to read it again and again , and you probably will. If you enjoy any type of literature, The Lords Of Discipline is a must read. You'll never forget the characters, you'll wish you could forget the things they go through. As this is a semi-autobiographical book, you'll read the events of the Plebe year and tell yourself it doesn't happen, but it does. You'll see the world through the eyes of Carolina Institute Cadet Will McLean. You'll see the Viatnam war for what it was and you'll see the injustices of the world as he saw them. You won't regret having read this book.

....anyone aspiring to write a novel should read this to see how just simple words on a page can be used to such powerful Hemingwayesque effect....

This book was a huge success in the USA but is largely unknown in the UK. This is a quintessentially American story set in an American phenomenon, military academies and as such...

Pat Conroy is a superb writer. His use of language to convey emotions is second to none. This novel covers the transition to manhood for several young men who are enrolled as...

I live and go to school less than a mile or two away from the Citadel which the authour describes in this book.

I read this book at the New Jersey shore, but Conroy's vivid descriptions made Charleston, its rivers, ocean, marshes, mansions and prison-like Institute more real than the...

I was one of those violated boys that never made it. I left the Academy humiliated and ashamed. This book has hepled me provide some closure to that part of my life.

An absolutely phenomenal book. I cannot recommend this book with any greater urgency. Again, Conroy weaves a marvelous story, and he supercharges this book with race and class...

An absolutely phenomenal book. I cannot recommend this book with any greater urgency. Again, Conroy weaves a marvelous story, and he supercharges this book with race and class...

Back in college days, I've got a copy of this extra-ordinary masterpiece that has even more solidified my relationship with my circle of friends.