Dog Company Six: A Novel (Bluejacket Books) (Blue Jacket Bks) [Paperback]

Edwin Howard Simmons (Author)

Book Description

Series: Blue Jacket Bks | Publication Date: September 15, 2008

A Marine who wielded both pen and sword in a long, distinguished career captures the heroism and horror of the early days of the Korean War in this gripping novel. As a young man--with his own experiences in the war still vivid in his mind--Simmons wrote of the complex gamut of emotions and experiences that made this bloody encounter between East and West so unique. He kept the manuscript to himself until the war's fiftieth anniversary, when it was published to critical acclaim. Lauded for bringing a psychological intensity and realism to the war, the novel tells the story of a Marine reserve captain abruptly recalled to active duty to lead a company of Marines in a series of battles from the mud flats of Inchon to the frozen wasteland of the Chosin reservoir.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The press that discovered Tom Clancy and has integrated just a few other novelists into its mainly nonfiction list over the years now offers an excellent debut novel about the Korean War . The author is a Marine combat veteran of that largely forgotten conflict, and this tale could easily be autobiographical (although he claims it isn't); it was written just after the war and then filed away in Simmons's attic for nearly 50 years. The simple story of Marines at war follows Capt. George Bayard as he commands a Marine infantry company of Pacific War vets and new recruits in 1950-1951. Simmons avoids any geopolitical discussions of the war, and instead focuses on Bayard and the men of Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, and the grueling ordeal they face in close combat with the North Koreans and Red Chinese. Bayard is a new company commander, an unknown quantity who must prove himself to his men, especially the WWII combat-tested lieutenants and sergeants. From the surprise amphibious landing at Inchon through the horrific street fighting in Seoul, and on to the frozen wasteland of the Chosin Reservoir winter campaign, Bayard learns a lot about himself and his ability as a leader. His education, however, comes at a grim price, particularly when his company is nearly wiped out defending a snowy mountain pass in sub-zero weather and legendary battalion commander Lt. Col. "Red Snapper" Quillan must come to their aid. Simmons writes with the salty authority of a man who has seen war, providing a convincing and graphic foxhole level view of the infantryman's fight with rifle, grenade and bayonet. This will be a hit with fans of military history, but Simmons's frequent use of unexplained Marine Corps jargon and acronyms may leave civilian readers in the cold. 15,000 first printing. (May) for 24 years.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

YA-A taut, exceptionally well-paced, and exciting novel. Simmons tells the story of Marine Reserve Captain George Bayard, recalled to service during the Korean War from a comfortable teaching position and given command of rifle company D ("Dog" in the military phonetic alphabet), which shipped out in time for the September 15, 1950 attack on Inchon. Readers follow Bayard and his company through the terrible ordeal of the winter of 1950-51. The tale of the advance up the peninsula and the miserable retreat is gripping, and Simmons's well-chiseled characterizations are unforgettable. The most important aspect of the novel is the author's depiction of unit cohesion. Throughout, Bayard is a reluctant warrior, but by the time the first bullets fly he finds the magnetic pull of home with all its comforts is insufficient to overcome the bond he has established with the men of his company. Veterans like Simmons can fully convey this attribute. A vividly accurate depiction of combat in Korea.
Alan Gropman, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Washington, DC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591147891
• ISBN-13: 978-1591147893
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,149,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telling it like it was, May 6, 2000

By 

Robert B. Morrisey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Company Six (Hardcover)

While "Dog Company Six" is billed as a novel, it might well be viewed as a diary of a Marine rifle company, the down-and-dirty war fighters, during its long guelling days of combat in a miserable war that shouldn't have happened. Author Simmons knows all-to-well of which he writes. He's been there and back, having commanded every kind and size of Marine Corps combat unit from platoon to a division while serving as a Marine during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He is also an accomplished writer and Marine Corps historian with a shelf full of fine books to to show for it.

Throughout the battles that ensue, from the mud flats of Inchon to the frozen wastelands of the Chosin Reservoir, Simmons masterfully and meticulously sets the scenes in which the company operates, allowing the reader to share in the intensity and realism experienced by Dog's Marines. The ongoing dialogue, expertly and abundantly woven throughout the book, will indeed be familiar to those who have endured and survived combat.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written book, June 21, 2000

By 

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dog Company Six (Hardcover)

Dog Company Six: This is an excellent book, exceedingly well written. Although presented as a novel, this work of fiction provides a thorough history of Marine Corps action in Korea, from the landings at Inchon up to the end of the war. The author, General Edwin Howard Simmons, records the Marines' struggles, up and down the peninsula, north and south, through the eyes of Captain Bayard, the commanding officer of Dog Company. General Simmons writes with an excellent command of the English language, which he employs to describe the foul-ups and successes of the Marines in Korea. This book is definitely written from the point of view of the "grunt" in the mud (or snow). The highest rank for a character in the book is a light colonel. I would highly recommend this book.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the best war novels, July 16, 2000

By 

Lowell Woolley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Company Six (Hardcover)

"Dog Company Six" is one of the best war novels I ever read, and I'm a fan of the genre. Without swashbuckling heroics, it shows what war is really like from the point of view of an infantry company commander. That it is set during the Korean War is coincidental. It could have been set in any modern war. The courage, loyalty, self-sacrifice, exhaustion, grief and heartbreak experienced by the officers and men of Dog Company are universal. They have been experienced by the men fighting all mankind's wars throughout history. The author's own experience as a combat Marine in Korea give it an authenticity that is rare in war fiction. "Dog Company Six" deserves a lot more attention than it has received.