Courage Under Fire [Hardcover]

Patrick Sheane Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 1996

Major Nat Serling investigates the shooting down of a medevac helicopter during the Gulf War, a crash that takes the life of Captain Karen Emma Walden, who is up for a posthumous Medal of Honor, and uncovers more than he expected about the incident. A first novel. 30,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A powder-keg investigation into the actions of the first woman eligible for the Army's Medal of Honor in combat keynotes Duncan's exciting debut. Lt. Col. Nat Serling has been racked with guilt ever since four members of his tank unit died under friendly fire in the Gulf War. Now Nat is assigned the inquiry into another fatal Gulf War incident?one that led to the death of helicopter pilot Cpt. Karen Emma Walden, who is in line for the Medal of Honor. Serling suspects collusion when Walden's crew chief, medic and machine gunner at first supply the same details of the event. But as the three begin to break, their confessions provide vivid, disturbing images of the physical and psychological brutalities of war. Serling, meanwhile, suffers the demons of depressive drinking as he struggles to rebuild his marriage, career and life by assuaging the remorse arising from his own desert storm. Duncan constructs this novel with the slick cinematic skill that has made him a top Hollywood screenwriter (Nick of Time, etc.), and when Serling finally uncovers the truth of what happened both to himself and to Walden, there won't be a dry eye in the house.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This military tale imagined during the Gulf War would sink out of sight if not for the star-studded (Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan) action movie with which it will be packaged this year. The basic plot pits flawed truthseeker against liars and bureaucrats and operates by determining whether a female chopper pilot posthumously merits the Medal of Honor. Politicos demand it; Lieutenant Colonel Serling (no doubt the Washington role) gets the task of putting the paperwork ducks in a row as a means of reviving his career after blighting it in a friendly-fire incident, whose horrors he expunges by drinking most of the way through this book. Through his hangovers, Serling interrogates the men who crewed Captain Walden's helicopter. Based on their conflicting versions, a half-dozen different flashbacks of Walden's fatal battle occur, which probably indicates Meg Ryan will get killed in a variety of postures, heroic or cowardly. Anyway, Serling corners the liars and proves Captain Walden gave her life as a . . . well, wait for the movie and consider this book the script. Gilbert Taylor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (February 7, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399141510
• ISBN-13: 978-0399141515
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,323,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You've seen the good movie -- now read the excellent novel, January 4, 2002

By 

T. Waltz "Writer/Editor" (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Courage under Fire (Paperback)

Mr. Duncan captures the military world perfectly... from squad level all the way up through the political ether-zone that is the brass-filled Pentagon. The dialogue, especially the banter between common soldiers, is realistic and enjoyable to read. The chilling descriptions of the barren Desert Storm environment -- the land, the battles -- are dead-on accurate. I know... I was there with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force! I highly recommend this book, and I'd love to see more work from Mr. Duncan in the future.

2.0 out of 5 stars If You Were a DUSTOFF Driver, You'd Be Annoyed, October 7, 2009

By 

Stephen Knight (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Courage Under Fire (Hardcover)

When I initially read the pre-release copy of this book, I called the publisher and asked how is it that a UH-1H MEDEVAC was sent into action without gunship escort...and carried machine gunners in contravention of not only US Army regulations but the Geneva Convention? No one could answer this question, so I cast the net further and spoke to troops at the 52nd Medical Evacuation Battalion where Duncan did his "research". The troops there reported that all Duncan was interested in was "Where would the guns be mounted?" When informed that MEDEVACs did not carry weapons of any kind--other than pistols for the crew, with which they could protect their patients--Duncan still pressed them with, "Yeah OK, but if you HAD to put guns on the helicopter, where would they go?"

I hope you get my point.

I was never in the MEDEVAC community, but I do know and respect their selfless service. Making a MEDEVAC chopper into an air assault helicopter is a slap in the face to the entire DUSTOFF folks. They don't need guns, because they make up for it with guts.

Duncan had a story he wanted to tell, but that's no reason to let him off the hook by completely ignoring reality, and in doing so, diminish the valor of those who provide Distinguished Unhesitating Service To Our Fight Forces--DUSTOFF.