The Boo: A Tribute to the Man Who Ruled the Citadel

It was interesting reading this book. It was an early work by Pat Conroy, an author whose later works I have read a lot of. It is about a man who served as a father figure and mentor to young men at a Military Academy in the deep south. Boys became men under the watchful eye of The Boo. After having read this book I am not anxious to re-read "The Lords of Dicipline." This was worth the time it took to read. Great story.

Although billed often as a tribute to a living legend, Lt. Col. Thomas Courvoisie, who acted as the chief disciplinarian at the Citadel military academy in Charleston, SC during the 1960s, Pat Conroy's first book actually serves as a criticism of the political undertow which swept the ranks of one of the nations oldest military academies during his attendance. Conroy uses vignettes, historical facts, and ERWs, actual written disciplinary records, to depict how discipline was delivered over the years by Courvoisie, as a vehicle to show the reader, the erosion of the principles and ethos which set the southern academy apart from all other schools. He does this by showing the devolution of the school through the loss of one of its greatest leaders, and a change in philosophy honed over hundreds of years. He depicts his own relationship with the BOO, at the end of the book and suggests that he was not the caliber of student who should have graduated where his sense of justice caused him to break ranks and risk it all on a publication of a corrupt internal political system that espoused different standards for different individuals in contradiction to the tenets and mores that defined a Citadel cadet, and graduates--that only where discipline is dispensed evenhandedly, and uniform, albeit with compassion and fairness, regardless of position or status, can honor be achieved. Not the easiest book to read. Filled with colloquialisms, and special language reserved to military and unique to the Citadel cadets, it still has some brilliant moments, interesting anecdotes, and reveal the creative twist of phrases, that will later define a Pat Conroy read. Its entertaining, and historical, I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history, and military tradition.

This was quite interesting to read. First, because it was Conroy’s first published book and you can tell that he grew tremendously as a writer, based on this initial book.While I have family that has moved to SC in the last decade, I don’t have anything else that ties me to the state. I don’t have any military in my family that would cause me to be enamored with The Citadel. And yet, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. Cringing at times, laughing out loud frequently and admiring the man known as “The Boo”.

Pat Conroy’s tribute to the man who The Citadel cadets held dear to their hearts, Lt. Col. Nugent Courvoisie, the Assistant Commandant of Cadets at “El Cid.” Known to all as The Boo, Conroy devoted most of the book to the positive impact The Boo had on hundreds, maybe thousands of cadets over the years he served at The Citadel. Unfortunately in 1968 Courvoisie was relegated to keeping track of cadet luggage and ordering toilet paper for the campus because a new administration felt he was too close to the cadets. Conroy made sure that the world knew how his alma mater treated a man who had more influence on cadets that came through the arches of The Citadel than any other person teaching there. For years Conroy was estranged from the school because of his public criticism of it. However, after many years those wounds healed and he went back to give the commencement address. Like all of Conroy’s books, this one is a gem.

“The Citadel prides itself on being one of the last protectorates of right-wing conservatism in the country.” (Kindle Locations 120-121).Pat Conroy’s first book, The Boo, is a collection of vignettes and anecdotes about life at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, that Conroy attended in the 1960s; and its often feared, often revered, Assistant Commandant of Cadets, in charge of discipline, Lt. Colonel Thomas Nugent Courvoisie, nicknamed The Boo. It is written with obvious fondness and respect.Unfortunately, most of the stories are imbued with a ‘you’d’uv had to been there,’ insider, quality that didn’t connect with this reader.Recommendation: If you’re as stoked on Pat Conroy’s writing as I am, then you should want to read this offering, too. Just don’t expect too much.“The Citadel cherishes the belief that the more hardship endured by the young men, the higher the quality of the person who graduates from the system.” (Kindle Locations 233-234).Open Road Media. Kindle Edition, 174 pages, 3,064 Kindle Locations.

If you didn't attend the Citadel during the time the "Boo" was in residence, this book is fairly meaningless and the inexperience of the writer, who went on to much better things, is painful. But, the meat of the story is the authentic experience of living around this man and having his gruff love provide a shelter from the coarse existence of a military school.

I'm a huge Conroy fan, but this was like reading someone's college term paper, replete with sophomoric ramblings, repititions and pointless little stories. It was set in a very old-fashioned, macho, militaristic culture and does not even come close to sounding like the thoughtful, interesting, lush, dramatic works that Conroy usually produces. I guess it's there for historical purposes, and I made myself read it because I paid for it and I'm a compulsive reader! Don't buy it, it's not worth the time to read it.

Interesting but at times tedious ; interesting but at times tedious ;interesting but at times tedious ; interesting but at times tedious.