There are some very good books by Vietnam vet writers. I read this “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien last summer, and I highly recommend it…
Long time no visit;-)
Here’s three books that I found particularly good:
Chickenhawk by Robert Mason (a helicopter pilot’s biography)
The Ravens by Christopher Robbins (the “secret” war in Laos)
Low Level Hell by Hugh L. Mills (aeroscout pilot)
Do you know some book about the famous shooter Carlos Hatchcock or Hancock ?
Sorry I did nor remenber well.
Tim O’Brien’s “Going after Cacciatto”.
One of my favourite books depicting sheer idiocy of war. Crazy, dreamlike book.
I’m interested if you know it and your opinions.
Cheers,
Lancer44
I haven’t read, but I will. O’Brien includes a lot of hallucinogenic imagery into “Things…” too, almost to the extent that it’s a supernatural in parts related to second hand accounts. In one part, he relates a story he was told about how a GI somehow managed to bring his hot girlfriend/fiance to Vietnam! But that she slowly drifts towards some Special Forces guys, and she essentially becomes one of them, and then sort of a ghost or goddess haunting the jungle after she goes out “on ambush” alone one night.
One of the things I found curious about the book is that it is not a clear or concise “anti-war novel,” but is very subtle and non-preachy, considering that O’Brien states that he nearly went to Canada to avoid being drafted, and changed his mind at the last minute, I find this interesting.