The Day of the Dead [Hardcover]

Marshall Brement (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2005

In the early autumn of 1962, David Marnin, a young Foreign Service officer, arrives in Saigon to be the Ambassador's aide. Though young and inexperienced, he brings to the job a keen intelligence and a rich sense of adventure.

He soon becomes involved with one of the most beautiful Vietnamese women. Unforgettably depicted are scores of characters -- ambitious journalists, Saigon bargirls, diplomats, clandestine agents, a disenchanted general, a Catholic bishop, Buddhist monks, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and one truly unforgettable Southern belle.

This important novel demonstrates brilliantly how and why the United States engineered the 1963 coup that overthrew the South Vietnamese government and resulted in the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother. These actions irrevocably enmeshed us in a situation from which there was no turning back. They led to a full scale war that should never have been fought the way it was, a war that reshaped American, Asian, and world history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Day of the Dead" is riveting. I only put it down when I fall asleep. I had never put that crucial piece of history in its perspective. It is a brilliant book, enlightening, with such a vivid sense of place. -- Mariana Grove Washington, D.C.

Day of the Dead was to me dynamite and fascinating. I put it down after reading it in one and a half days. It is a brilliant portrait of violent, misguided times of smart men, energetic men, driven men, getting it wrong and in the process shaping history. The book captures the madness, the lessons, the humanity of those times. -- Jim Lilley Washington, D.C.

About the Author

Serving under six presidents, Marshall Brement finished his career in the diplomatic corps as Ambassador to Iceland. This appointment came from President Reagan after a stint in the West Wing. Brement is retired and lives outside of Tucson.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: Moyer Bell and its subsidiaries (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559213876
• ISBN-13: 978-1559213875
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,738,979 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cautionary Tale, October 12, 2006

By 

Donald W. Cooper - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Day of the Dead (Hardcover)

"Day of the Dead" is a tautly written, inticately woven tale of a fateful time in recent American foreign policy and history. Seen largely through the eyes of David Marnin it recounts the complex military and political events that ensued in 1963 culminating in the coup which overthrew Ngo Dinh Diem, his assasination, and the end of the First Republic of Vietnam. There are eerie echoes of today here. I found this to be artfully crafted, a compelling piece of historical fiction, a must read. It is, too a cautionary tale-perhaps, for some an enlightenment, for others a vindication.

5.0 out of 5 stars A dark saga of trans-cultural ignorance that led to destruction of human life, August 8, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day of the Dead (Hardcover)

Set in the 1960s, "Day of the Dead" is a political novel about a young Foreign Service Officer who comes to Saigon, Vietnam to be the Ambassador's Aide. Cast amid competing agents, a jaded general, a Catholic Bishop, Buddhist monks, a beautiful Vietnamese woman, an alluring Southern belle and more, he strives to keep afloat of turbulent events as the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother lead to full-scale war. A dark saga of trans-cultural ignorance that led to destruction of human life, "Day of the Dead" is a powerful and gripping saga grounded heavily in history, and offers a striking metaphor for modern U.S. policy in the Middle East.