No Time for Sergeants and Other Plays about the Armed Forces - by Ira Levin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For the first time in one volume, here is the complete triad of military plays from Ira Levin, creator of such iconic classics as Rosemary's Baby, The Boys from Brazil, and Deathtrap. Featuring informative new introductions from the author's son, Nicholas Levin.

Drafted into the United States Army just before his first novel could be published, Ira Levin tapped into that experience to craft a trio of armed forces-themed works that run the gamut from madcap comedy to searing drama.

Notebook Warrior

Levin translated his time as a conscript in the army's Signal Corps into this earnest tale of a young violinist whose studies are brought to a halt by the draft. Twice presented on television during TV's original "Golden Age," Notebook Warrior is presented here for the first time ever in print.

No Time For Sergeants

One of the most popular--and laughter-inducing--military comedies ever to grace the stage, No Time For Sergeants introduced Andy Griffith to the world, and helped propel down-home entertainment into the cultural mainstream.

General Seeger

A Greek tragedy in khaki. Did Major General William J. Seeger's son die a rightful hero--or is the life Seeger's built for himself blind to the larger truths that surround it? Over the course of a single sun-streaked day, he'll conduct his own personal inquest to uncover the truth.

Review Quotes

"One of the best comedies of modern times!"

-- "Los Angeles Times on No Time for Sergeants"

"Superb. Last evening was one of the happiest times I ever spent in any theater."

-- "Daily News on No Time for Sergeants"

"A pulsing, utterly human, and frequently exciting play about army life."

-- "Women's Wear Daily on General Seeger"

"Levin has spun his tale expertly and tautly."

-- "New York Daily News on General Seeger"

"One of the funniest plays ever seen on Broadway, with a warm and affectionate quality that is rare in comedies...Take a simple and lovable innocent, guileless, gullible, and without malice, and place him in juxtaposition to the pompous earnestness of military discipline and bureaucracy, and you have the springboard for mockery that can be both devastating and heartwarming...Its gift for uproarious lampooning is matched only by its genial good nature."

-- "New York Post on No Time for Sergeants"

"Society-shattering...Human touches of wit with wisdom."

-- "Windsor Ontario Star on General Seeger"

"There is scarcely a breather between laughs. It is a hilarious success."

-- "New York Journal-American on No Time for Sergeants"

"Written with suspenseful skill."

-- "New York Journal-American on General Seeger"