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didactylos's review against another edition
4.0
Decided to read this following a holiday in Vietnam. Told with a brutal honesty and certainly allows you to feel what it must have been like. Interesting that he holds to the view that they stopped/ slowed the spread of communism.
A rather skewed picture at times, apparently Americans don’t like warfare.... and they haven’t been involved in much.
A rather skewed picture at times, apparently Americans don’t like warfare.... and they haven’t been involved in much.
royzee's review against another edition
5.0
There are so many accounts of how it was in the Viet Nam conflict and I have read a fair few but this is outstanding. I bought this on an offer from Amazon UK for my Kindle and its readability was fine but then it is mostly text. Unlike some this book had been thoroughly proofed too making for a very engaging smooth read. Naturally, at times it is very grim and might not suit all tastes. However, if you were a little disappointed with other accounts' believability then this one is from the heart, warts and all.
Have always had respect for the USMC but this book shocked me as to how America uses its young men. It almost bears comparison with the Great War's Kitchener's volunteers but the author and many others were faced with coercion to enlist rather than volunteering. This guy could have run from his country's demands but he chose his own route accepting his fate as the Gods will decide. And oh my my what an adventure his book relates. I truly could not believe how he and his comrades were treated and though he survived to tell the tale it left scars. But he is sincere throughout for the good and the bad, mostly the latter.
The more I read about personal experiences in that war, the best way IMHO, the less I find I really comprehend. Sounds the opposite of what you would expect but read this book and you will leave it dismayed, disappointed and quite a bit disgusted at how the powers-that-be went about fulfilling their perceived intentions as the war unfolded. If you dismiss managerial incompetence and political shenanigans you are left with malicious intent, the author and his fellow "grunts" may have had some inspirational thoughts of patriotism at first but way before their tenure ended all they had was disillusionment and sadness. This is much of how I felt by the time I had read the last page.
It reaffirms to me that if a government has no recourse than fighting then it should promise only what its professional armed services can deliver. It is disgraceful to send the nation's innocents to combat in an alien environment with deficient equipment, incomplete training and inadequate support. Read this book and weep for those who did not return.
Have always had respect for the USMC but this book shocked me as to how America uses its young men. It almost bears comparison with the Great War's Kitchener's volunteers but the author and many others were faced with coercion to enlist rather than volunteering. This guy could have run from his country's demands but he chose his own route accepting his fate as the Gods will decide. And oh my my what an adventure his book relates. I truly could not believe how he and his comrades were treated and though he survived to tell the tale it left scars. But he is sincere throughout for the good and the bad, mostly the latter.
The more I read about personal experiences in that war, the best way IMHO, the less I find I really comprehend. Sounds the opposite of what you would expect but read this book and you will leave it dismayed, disappointed and quite a bit disgusted at how the powers-that-be went about fulfilling their perceived intentions as the war unfolded. If you dismiss managerial incompetence and political shenanigans you are left with malicious intent, the author and his fellow "grunts" may have had some inspirational thoughts of patriotism at first but way before their tenure ended all they had was disillusionment and sadness. This is much of how I felt by the time I had read the last page.
It reaffirms to me that if a government has no recourse than fighting then it should promise only what its professional armed services can deliver. It is disgraceful to send the nation's innocents to combat in an alien environment with deficient equipment, incomplete training and inadequate support. Read this book and weep for those who did not return.
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