Absolution is a true description of battle as Chuck Boyle saw it in Vietnam. He lays bare the raw emotions of the men who fought there, and his story serves as a vindication for their gallant sacrifice. It candidly contradicts the common and profane portrayal of the Vietnam veteran and liberates him from an unjustified stigma of shame. This true story is one of horror and love. It speaks to the vulgarity of war, and the nobility of the warrior.
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...It foregrounds the unsung grunts...impressive through-out. I read the book in a sustained state of awe and astonishment. -- Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, VA, May 14, 2000
About the Author
Charles J. Boyle grew up in rural Pennsylvania, entering the Army as a private in 1958. He rose swiftly through the ranks, earning a Commission through Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1966, retiring as a Major in 1978. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Tampa in 1973.
Assigned to Vietnam during 1967 and 1968, he commanded a platoon in combat and, at the outbreak of the Tet Offensive, was selected to command Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Among his many awards are two Silver Stars for gallantry in action, two Bronze Stars for valor, the Purple Heart, and numerous other awards for service.
Boyle is an active member of several Vietnam veteran associations, writing newsletters and collecting historical data pertaining to that era. He is frequently the featured speaker at reunions and other civic functions. Currently, he teaches High School JROTC near his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW,
By A Customer
This review is from: Absolution: Charlie Company 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (Hardcover)
Absolution is a true story of horror, love, the vulgarity of war, and the nobility of the warrior. Between 1960 and 1975, hundreds of thousands of young men were thrust into the barbarity of an Asian civil war. Inadequately trained for jungle warfare (and initially armed with defective weapons) the men of Charlie Company acquired their "killer skills" by instinct and imagination. Transformed by necessity, these young men became quickly transformed into brutal gladiators. "What's your body count"" commanders asked their soldiers each evening -- as if the war were sport, and if a scorecard named the winner. Exacerbating the soldier's dilemma was a powerful and biased news media which created a myth of the Vietnam-era solider as a misfit, a perverse example of a military machine gone awry, wreaking havoc and destruction upon innocent civilians. Absolution is the true, candid, unflinching story of Charles J. Boyle, a man who commanded a platoon in combat in Vietnam, and at the outbreak of the Tet Offensive, was selected to command Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry. Absolution is an invaluable, eye-witness account and an outstanding contribution to the growing library of Vietnam military history.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary and moving story of battle,
By Colonel Awbrey G. Norris (Winter Springs, FL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Absolution: Charlie Company 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (Hardcover)
Absolution, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, is not another "tour of duty," or "how I won the war," book. It is an extraordinary and moving story of battle, poignantly told by an author who has "been there." Absolution is a remarkable resurection of the Vietnam battlefield, with all of the valor, pain, and sacrifice that distinguised it from other wars. It is undistorted in its accuracy, and exquisite in its prose. Absolution, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, is superb history and great reading! It will tear at your heart and make you want to cry.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Infantry Lieutenant in Combat,
This review is from: Absolution: Charlie Company 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (Hardcover)
This book accurately shows what goes on in the mind of an infantry lieutenant. It focused on the human aspects of leadership and command. It showed how to deal with the loss of soldiers and friends in combat. Every leader has been too close to soldiers and this book shows why it is dangerous to do so. Having said that, it also shows what a soldier in the right place at the right time can and will do for his leaders. SGT Jay Cee and his friends from Company C, 3/22 Infantry gave their lives for their commander and friend. Absolution tells why soldiers will give their lives and how leaders deal with it. I recommend it for cadets before commissioning, lieutenants in the basic course, and captains prior to command. It is an excellent resource for leaders.
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