Customer Reviews

Charlie Mike

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a Viet Nam veteran this is the first book on Nam that I have ever finished and I am ordering three more of his books today. I lost track of the number of times I cried when I read this book and that was only one of the many emotions I felt. If you like action or want a realistic idea of what Nam was like you will love this book.

I bought this book back in 1986 when I attended jump school at Ft. Benning, GA. LTC Scott was my commanding officer while at jump school. But what enticed me to read the book more then anything was the author. LTC Scott was the most strac, high speed individual I ever had the privilege to meet. He had an aura about him that made him seem invincible, nay I even say, bullet proof. "You gotta love it" was his catch phrase he would always say. The book was as awesome as the man. I still have the book that LTC Scott autographed for me even after many natural disasters. He also presented me with my jump wings on graduation day. There is a picture of him on the back of the book, that is how I will always remember him, he looked like that on any given duty day. I went on to RIP after jump school and while I was only down the hill, I did not get to see LTC Scott very often after that. I often think about him and wonder what ever became of him and his career? I have never held the brass in very high esteem, but LTC Scott was the exception. I would have followed him to hell and back no questions asked. Read this book, you won't be dissapointed.

Rangers Lead The Way! HooAh!

Although the U.S. Army Rangers is mostly glamorized for its daring assault on Pointe du Hoc during the Normandy landings in WW2 and in Spielberg's movie "Saving Private Ryan" (which involved a certain squad of 2nd Battalion Rangers on a dubious mission), it has evolved into a leaner force in Vietnam with a much different mission, that of being the long-range "eyes and ears" of the Army. In "Charlie Mike," Leonard B. Scott portrayed the harsh reality of combat through the eyes and minds of these soldiers whose every mission was a struggle for survival, isolated deep behind enemy lines. As a former Ranger himself who served in 'Nam, Scott's descriptions of the sights and smells of combat as well as the camaraderie of the Brotherhood-in-Arms possess a realism and immediacy few novels equalled even today. The only deficiencies (hence "only" 4 stars) in this book are the poorly drawn romantic scenes; they probably are best left out altogether because, rather than lending a more human element to the story, they only served as boring interludes to the pace of the action. Luckily, the novel's written in "snippets" so that you can easily skip these parts. All in all, not a bad debut novel. If you like this type of book, I highly recommend "Black Hawk Down," which is based on the snafu in Mogadishu, Somalia.

As a vet of this conflict, I didn't want to read too much about it, but a buddy gave me some of Scott's novels and I found them to be true to life, brutal, a lot of humor and characters that live and die in a conflict that was at times pure madness. His central characters are alive with personalities, hopes, fears and courage. This novel is superb as are his other novels on Viet Nam. An absolute must read for anyone with an interest in what it was like. Rangers rule the night!

I was in this unit during the time the book covers and Scott was a platoon lieutenant. The book is realistic of the actions that occured and the personalities are factual. There is some embellishment but held a minimum. When you read the book my nick name in the book is "cowboy".
The nick name was given since I was from the state of Wyoming. I would encourage anyone with an interest in Vietman to read this book.

In 1986 I bought this book while in Jump School at Fort Benning GA. LTC Scott was the Commander of the Jump School and I still remember how in his opening speach to the class he said, "In two weeks you are going to go jump out of one of my C-130s and C-141s. Are you Crazy?!" He was a very impressive man and the book was very fitting to his style and attitude. I still have the book, and very often take the time to read it. I wish I could find a biogrphy of him or something telling where he is today. I will never forget the way he ran things and would leave people so motivated after giving a speach.

About the book, it is very well written and very descriptive of what a soldier would go through.

I first read this book back in the summer of 1985. I was in jump school down at Benning. The author of this book was the commander of the school at the time. He was a little guy, but don't let that fool ya, because he carried himself like a giant. And while we were running in formation in the hot Georgia heat, he would be running around us and yelling, "gotta love it". We would all yell back in unison, "charlie mike, sir!" Man, that guy was full of energy. You should know that "charlie mike" means "continue mission... no matter what... and against whatever odds". The book carries the same intensity as the colonel.

During those 3 weeks of airborne school I must have read that book 4 times. Boy-oh-boy I loved that book. And of course I went with all my fresh-made buddies to the Benning PX to have the Colonel sign it one Sunday.

I guess I was kind of surprised 2 years later in the summer of 1987 back at Benning for Ranger School when we were all running on that hot Georgia hardball. Because there he was again! Commander of Ranger School.

I'll never forget during that first week there, called "zero week", on one morning jog, he comes running up to me and says, "Ranger, are you an officer?" I says, "yes, sir." And he says, "what school you from Ranger?" I sound off, "Lehigh, Sir." He then yells back, "Rangers from that school don't usually do very well here at Ranger School." So I sound off again, "We'll see, sir."

I figured he probably said that to a lot of us kids. But I took that as a challenge coming from this colonel. That's the way he was. He was always challenging us. Making us push ourselves to do better. It felt pretty good 8 weeks later after Camp Merrill, deserts of Utah, swamps of Florida, and then back on that parade field at Benning when ol' Scott pinned that black and yellow tab on my shoulder. I got pay back from a school that had just washed out 50% of the class.

That's the way COL Scott was though. He pushed us. And he taught us how to push ourselves. And the book is no different. The characters have been taught the same way. Because when the chips are down, they push themselves to continue, to continue mission.

So last year when my 16 year old son asked me what Ranger School was like and what Rangers do, I told him. But then I said, "if you really want to know you should hear it from the guy who taught me." So I ordered the book off Amazon (my signed copy had been lost over the years) and after he read it, he told me he wanted to be one, too.

Charlie Mike, Sir.
Airborne Ranger

This novel portrayed the 60's. the era was one of complete dissarray,unhappiness and lines drawn in the sand. You were for or against. We that stood for, were the patriots, those against we felt were traitors. After all these years I guess the only that could state who was right are gone but their names will allways remain with us on the wall of honor. This novel brought back all those thoughts to me. He wrote a novel that not only smelled and felt but was the way things were in those days. Anyone in education should attempt to make this novel a required reading in our high school's today. It is a explanation of anyone that has ever served in our armed forces what we beleive in. Anyone that never has must learn the Rangers important belief, we must all Charlie Mike.

I couldn't put it down-the characters were great-the plot was great-a fast moving story that also brought tears to my eyes-running out now to buy the rest of his books!!!!!!!!!

I read this book in High School (late 80's) on a recomendation of a friend and I just loved it. Recently I found a copy at a coffee shop for $1 and just had to buy it and read it again. Again it is a very gripping book about the vietnam war and a ranger team. This is a must for any fan of military stories and veterans.