What is it?
Sherman, Dale. MASH FAQ: Everything Left to Know about the Best Care Anywhere. Milwaukee: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2016.
Why should M*A*S*H fans care?
There are a lot of books about M*A*S*H, and most of them mention the original novel, the Robert Altman film, and the show’s spin-offs, but will spend the bulk of its pages on the series itself. This book goes in to more detail on not on the series, but the M*A*S*H universe and beyond.
As a M*A*S*H fan, what part(s) should I read?
All of it! The book is written in a chronological order beginning with the Korean War in the 1950s and ending with M*A*S*H in popular culture into the 21st century.
TL;DR Review
In 34 chapters (mini-essays), Dale Sherman traces the history of the M*A*S*H universe from the Korean War through the series’ spin-offs and M*A*S*H references in pop culture. There have been many books written about M*A*S*H, and like many of the books in the M*A*S*H library, this one covers the basic information such as the actors and characters in the show, but what sets this book apart is it places the series in a much broader context of history, pop culture, and the M*A*S*H extended universe.
Full Review
When MASH FAQ: Everything Left to Know about the Best Care Anywhere was released in 2016, I bought a copy and added it to the ever-growing M*A*S*H library. It wasn’t until earlier this year when I as working on an inventory project that I set the book aside to read for this post. I began the book expecting the traditional television series book with a character guide, episode guide, and various lists and anecdotes. What I found instead was that Dale Sherman researched not only M*A*S*H the series, but the events and circumstances surrounding the show to produce a very well written history of the “M*A*S*H extended universe.”
Today, we are all familiar (and maybe a little tired of) with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For years, I have thought of M*A*S*H as having its own extended universe. There is the core series that ran for 11 years on CBS, but that would have not been possible without the original novel by Richard Hooker, published in 1968. That was followed by the MASH movie, directed by Robert Altman, in 1970. The series then began in 1972. That is the familiar, and often told, evolution of M*A*S*H. But I believe that there is more to M*A*S*H than these three points on the timeline. Sherman clearly does as well, as his book doesn’t begin in 1968 with Hooker’s novel, it begins with a brief history of the Korean War, which was from 1950 into 1953. M*A*S*H was set in war that is often called “The Forgotten War,” and even though M*A*S*H takes place in the Korean War, I imagine that many fans are unfamiliar it. How did it start? Who were the major players? How did the United States get involved in a war in Korea? Sherman gives a good, brief explanation of the war itself.
After the Korean War history lesson, Sherman dives into military history with the development of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) and its use in Korea. The writers of M*A*S*H were careful to use real scenarios from MASH units in the series, and the inclusion of the history of MASH units in Korea in this book helps tie the real life experience of the doctors and nurses in Korea to the experiences of the fictional doctors and nurses we see on television. Sherman uses the MASH unit chapter to introduce Dr. Richard Hornberger, a surgeon at the 8055th MASH who would write the M*A*S*H novel under the pen name Richard Hooker. From there, you might expect the book to take a familiar path, from novel, to movie, then to series, but Sherman offers some insight into how the novel became a movie and then how both were mashed into a series. In one chapter, he offers scene comparisons between the novel, movie, and series since there are some storylines that span all three iterations of M*A*S*H.
As Sherman begins to explore the series, there are no lists of episodes with the names of writers, directors, and guest stars. Instead, there are chapters exploring various aspects of the series. He discuss guest stars whose careers began on M*A*S*H, he tries to put together a timeline of events in the series (which is no easy task since we know continuity was not the greatest in M*A*S*H), and he discusses a few groups of episodes that either defined the series or broke the traditional television mold. These chapters are well written and well researched, and they are fun to read. I particularly enjoyed his chapters on the M*A*S*H filming locations and his discussion of the movies shown at the 4077th over the course of the series run. Sherman wraps up the book with chapters looking at the M*A*S*H spin-offs including AfterMASH, W*A*L*T*E*R, and Trapper John, MD. He also discusses M*A*S*H merchandise, references to the series in pop culture, and various parodies of the series over the years. He closes out the book with one of the only chapters that is a true list, and it’s a list of the awards and recognitions M*A*S*H earned during its run and beyond.
I finished the book feeling pleasantly surprised. I was expecting it to be similar to M*A*S*H: The Exclusive, Inside Story of TV’s Most Popular Show, The Complete Book of M*A*S*H, and TV’s M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book, and it is not. Those are great reference books and must have titles for fans of the show, but this book goes beyond the standard series information. Sherman clearly put in a lot of time and research to write such a thorough book. In my own experience, I know how difficult it can be to write about M*A*S*H in the context of its time, the place it represents, and the people it represents. I believe Sherman succeeds with representing all three. He places the series in historical context in a way that is well written and well researched. There is something for every M*A*S*H fan in this book, and this book proves that there is always something more we can learn about M*A*S*H. Follow Sherman’s blog and follow him Facebook and Twitter. MASH FAQ: Everything Left to Know about the Best Care Anywhere is still in print and is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various other sites in both new and pre-owned condition. I highly recommend adding this book to your collection because it offers a unique view of the full M*A*S*H universe.
The M*A*S*H Historian 