Chickenhawk: Back in the World: Life After Vietnam [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Mason (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

From the author of the bestselling autobiography Chickenhawk--selling over 540,000 copies--comes a triumphant sequel that reveals the Vietnam War's shattering legacy in the heart of a returning vet. A moving and no-holds-barred account of the downward spiral of events in one vet's life. Photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This affecting sequel to Chickenhawk , a 1983 memoir of Vietnam, covers Mason's postwar life and his struggle with the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder: overwhelming restlessness, panic attacks and inability to hold a job. After finding relief in writing about his tour as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, he then took a major misstep by joining a drug-smuggling venture that involved a sailboat voyage across the Caribbean. Caught by U.S. customs authorities, Mason found himself facing the shame of trial and the terror of prison. During this critical period, he received the news that Viking had accepted the book in hand for publication. Thus: "While I was experiencing the highest moment of my life, I was also experiencing the lowest moment of my life." Mason has a powerful personal tale that should have wide appeal. His account of the smuggling misadventure and his imprisonment in Florida are searing.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140158766
• ISBN-13: 978-0140158762
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #759,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A response to the Kirkus Review of this book., October 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Chickenhawk: Back in the World: Life After Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

While not as action-packed as Mason's first book, Chickenhawk, this sequel is still a fine read. The Kirkus Review calls the book "flat-footed." Before I read this book, I probably would not have been surprised to hear that the sequel to what is probably my favorite book of all time does not live up to the first installment. Chickenhawk is mostly a war story, rich in detail and technical information about the helicopters Mason flew. I am fascinated with helicopters and that is probably why I like Chickenhawk so much. I approached Back In The World with skepticism. I doubted that it had any chance to be as interesting as Mason's first book. But as a fan of Chickenhawk, I was happy to discover that Back To The World does not really try to stand by itself. In many ways, it is just the story of how Chickenhawk was written. It is the story behind the story.

The Kirkus Review makes it sound as though this book is dull, and belittles the significance of Mason's incarceration and his description of the way Chickenhawk was recieved by the public. Personally, I thought Mason's imprisonment was conveyed in a style reminiscent of Henri Charrier's Papillon, another of my favorites.

The point is, it is impossible to fully understand or appreciate Chickenhawk as a description of the Vietnam Experience without reading this book. If you liked Chickenhawk, this is a must-read.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've read Chickenhawk, you have to read this book, October 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Chickenhawk Back in the World: Life After Vietnam (Hardcover)

I first read Chickenhawk in 1984. I have read it several times since. Those readings have allowed me to seem to know Mr Mason on a unique, personal level. That feeling, and his writing style, made the book interesting. While not quite the impact as Chickenhawk, there are stories in this book, especially near the end, that, if you've read Chickenhaw, you have to read Life After Vietnam.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review, August 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Chickenhawk: Back in the World: Life After Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all of Mason's books-- Actually the first book I read was "Solo", the sequel to the (and I hate this word:) Techno-Thriller "Weapon"-- which made me want to go out and get all his books, and when I got to Chickenhawk I just cried. So, last week I was book shopping and I always look for new books by my favourite authors I was shocked silly to find a sequel to Chickenhawk! This book is in no wise a bland recap of Mason's years between being a Helicopter Pilot to being an author and a lecturer. `My body sent me a painful message, saying that it had developed an extreme dislike of alcohol. What a shock. Alcohol was as much a part of my biology as my blood. The message was a headache so horrible that I couldn't see straight....I switched to smoking pot....I began to feel better immediately.'" This is without resonance? That is one of the most powerful and Honest statements Mason makes in this book. Mason honestly tells the reader what it was like trying to readjust to the world, after the hell of Vietnam. And we see that is was not easy... but he suceeded. I commend him for that and I commend him for writing this sequel, which must have taken more guts to write than the original Chickenhawk. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Bob!