A review by jbstaniforth
A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo

4.0

Grim combat-gnostic memoir of the Vietnam war. Unflinching both in its depiction of the horrific violence and purposeless futility of the war, and of its effects on the American marines fighting it (who become, over the course of the book, more violent, more bloodthirsty, more immoral, and more detached from humanity). Respectful of the troops and their motivations, but also written from the point of view of a marine who came home to join the anti-war movement. Absolutely damning in its criticism of the staff, of senior officers in general, and of war as a whole. Definitely worth reading, but it won’t leave you feeling good about much.