The 13th Valley [Paperback]

John M. Del Vecchio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1999

A work that has served as a literary cornerstone for the Vietnam generation, The 13th Valley follows the strange and terrifying Vietnam combat experiences of James Chelini, a telephone-systems installer who finds himself an infantryman in territory controlled by the North Vietnamese Army. Spiraling deeper and deeper into a world of conflict and darkness, this harrowing account of Chelini's plunge and immersion into jungle warfare traces his evolution from a semipacifist to an all-out warmonger.

The seminal novel on the Vietnam experience, The 13th Valley is a classic that illuminates the war in Southeast Asia like no other book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There have been a number of excellent books about Vietnam. . .but none has managed to communicate in such detail the day-to-day pain, discomfort, frustration and exhilaration of the American military experience in Vietnam." --Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review

"The novel about the Vietnam War. . .Del Vecchio has constructed a classic war novel, a complex and frightening book, that gets it right." --Chicago Sun Times

"An important and distinctly American book." --William Plummer, Newsweek

From the Publisher

Praise for The 13th Valley, a Finalist for the American Book Award:

"There have been a number of excellent books about Vietnam...but none has managed to communicate in such detail the day-to-day pain, discomfort, frustration and exhilaration of the American military experience in Vietnam." --Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review

"The novel about the Vietnam War...Del Vecchio has constructed a classic war novel, a complex and frightening book, that gets it right." --Chicago Sun-Times

"An important and distinctly American book." --William Plummer, Newsweek

"The first Vietnam combat novel to demand--and deserve--comparison with Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead." --Philadelphia Enquirer

"The 13th Valley written with straightforward, authoritative, unadorned prose and merciless intelligence is not just the best Vietnam War novel to date, but the smartest." --C.D.B. Bryan, author of Friendly Fire

"The 13th Valley is dynamite! This is the most sensuously honest interpretation of the Vietnam experience I've ever read." --Al Santoli, author of Everything We Had

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (February 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312200811
• ISBN-13: 978-0312200817
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the great Viet Nam books, May 26, 2000

By 

Doug Vaughn - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The 13th Valley (Paperback)

If one were compiling a list of great novels dealing with the Viet Nam War, I believe that John M. Del Vecchio's harsh and gripping novel of infantry combat, The 13th Valley, would have a high place on that list. It is one of those novels that seems so realistic, both in its presentation of character and in the action (which literally wears the reader down just as it does the soldiers who are at the heart of the story). Unlike the view of Viet Nam taken in such books as Stone's Dog Soldiers and the movie "Apocalypse Now", this story doesn't dwell on the fringe craziness of drugs, secret missions or exaggerated characters for the sake of social commentary. It focuses on the lives of grunts in the bush and how they are transformed by the harsh reality of repeatedly facing and delivering death as their daily job. The universal questions don't have to be asked. They are implicit in the life or death struggle that Del Vecchio recounts so well. This is a stunning book; harsh, gritty, realistic, touching and disturbing. I you thought there was anything romantic or "exciting" about this war, you won't after experiencing this book. I highly recommend it.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, January 9, 2002

By 

John D. Costanzo "johndc" (Bensalem, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 13th Valley (Paperback)

If you want to be picked up and dropped in the jungles of Vietnam in the middle of a major operation, then read this book. It was one of the best Vietnam War books I have ever read. Written with both detail and compassion for all involved, it is a brilliant portrayal of the soldiers who fought in the "boonies" during that horrible war. Unlike many Vietnam novels that concentrate heavily on the psychological effects of fighting an invisible enemy, this novel is also about the military aspects of the war, and makes the often-overlooked point that our military had some brilliant successes brought about by the heroic actions of the thousands of valiant soldiers who fought the battles. I highly recommend this dramatic and finely written novel.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving . . . A novel that stays with you, July 19, 2005

By 

S. Pollock (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 13th Valley (Paperback)

I have read many military fiction and non-fiction books and none I have encountered present a more poignant and lucid picture of war. The characters are wonderfully brought to life.

It does a fantastic job of illustrating the experience of jungle warfare (and all the horror it entails). The march of the "boonie-rats" through the valley is exciting and described in magnificent detail. You really feel that you are marching along with them. The battles are vivid and intense.

It is also a touching love story with keen insight on romantic relationships.

Most importantly, it attempts to answer the philosophical question of how and why familial/racial/global conflict happens. It does this in a brilliant way and comes up with some TRULY FASCINATING ideas.

Read James Webb's "Fields of Fire" for another illuminating account of the Vietnam war.