Customer Reviews

The Day of the Dead

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"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.

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.