The Winds of War, the first installment in Wouk's multi-volume story of World War II, has been dubbed by the author an "historical romance." In it Wouk uses fictional characters to show the impact of the global conflict on Americans of various walks of life. In this novel, and in its sequel, War and Remembrance (1971, 1978), Wouk traces the wartime career of Captain Victor "Pug" Henry, a career navy officer, and of Henry's family. Through the Henrys and their associates, Wouk is able to take a close look at the way war forces families to cope with death, separation, divorce, and constant trials.

The Henrys are representative of American families whose lives are disrupted by the war and whose heroism in its many forms leads to America's victory. Captain Henry and his two sons find themselves fighting in the important Pacific naval engagements: Victor in surface ships...