Customer Reviews

Eyes Behind the Lines

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have read all of Gary's books, and find that he is a very good writer. I have cried, and laughed at the things he said in his books. I don't mean that I laughed at his books,but at the things he said , the way he said them. I also was with the LRRP/RANGERS (echo 50th /75th), and I know a little bit about what he was writting about. I have met Gary & I know that he is a truthful,& honorable man. So thats what make me say that all his books are the true meaning of the men he writes about. Roadrunner6 out

Like Ms. Thiess below, I have spent many hours interviewing the author of this book. I have also had the pleasure of meeting him and his wife. Linderer is a talented writer, an honorable person, and in my opinion a hero. Although subjected to a defamation campaign by a fellow vet consumed with professional jealousy, Linderer's account, actions, and service record stand as the truth they are.

This book is perhaps even better than the first, in the sense that anyone who read Eyes of the Eagle came into it wanting to know what happened to the men of Team 24 after the mission of 20 November 1968. I don't advise reading either book without the other, and I don't advise reading the first one without the second one to immediately jump into afterward. ;)

I've read this book 6 times at last count, and it's not old yet. From an editorial standpoint, it's not perfect; there are minute grammatical errors every so often. "Grammar Gestapo" members might be able to pick them out. However, they don't detract from the overall quality of the book, or the power of the accounts contained in it. Written in the form of a diary, it has the feel of a letter home - informal, intimate, and at times profane and irreverent. It's definitely must-read.

I actually echo John Reids comments. If you have any doubt, go to that website and check it out. I followed the article, and it is full of factual info which makes you want to read more about these guys. I am in total awe of the guys who served out there, and through reading more books like this, I learn more about the brotherhood that keeps them going!!

Highly recommended!

Action packed of what really happened in nam.Go behind enemy lines and feel the adrenalion rush of close encounters, ambushes
and prisioner snaches. I cant tell you how much this book actually teaches you about the horrors of war and the good times the soilders had to.

Gary Linderer and all the men of the LRRPS give you a first hand account of what it was like to sit through hours of boredom one minute then to have hundreds of enemy soldiers suddenly appear and make your blood run cold with terror as your mind races to the thought that you could be discovred and face 20 to 1 odds . This as with all of Garys books are highly recommended reading if you are the kind of reader who can actually picture yourself being there with him.

Excellent book, as was his first one, Eyes of the Eagle. He takes the reader into an entirely different world from that of the hard-working infantry in conventional "line" units. His description of Lurp tactics and their use of the substantial air and artillery assets which were "on-call" and at the disposal of Lurp teams, illustrates how the Lurps could be so effective, virtually assuming the role of well-armed guerillas against more "conventional" NVA units. In most other contacts, it was the NVA who generally initiated the fight--with Lurps it was usually the NVA who were placed in the reactive mode. As a former Lurp in the 1st Inf. Div in 1968, I can testify to the authenticity of Lederer's writing.

This is probably one of the best books I've read about the Vietnam War. Gary Linderer (and his teammates have authored several books) write in a way that makes you feel you were there. I highly recomend this book and the others.

I thought his first book, Eyes Of The Eagle, was outstanding. Now he comes back with this one and blows me away again!! Being a big fan of LRRP/LRP/Ranger operations I follow these brave men through all their trials and tribulations. Linderer is both funny and bold, his stories reflect the comradarie he and his fellow team mates had. They had courage and daring. Our country should be proud of them. A must read by a brave man!!

This is a great book for anybody intrested in either the Army, or special operations in the US military. Gary Linderer takes you on a full blown tour of Vietnam as a LRP in the 101st Airborne. The book leaves you in suspense and makes you get a craving for more. The whole book turns the war around and puts it in a perspective from not the usual line GI's point of view.

Eyes Behind the Lines is a great look at a 101st Screaming Eagle LRRP/Ranger in Vietnam who served honorably and earned a number of high combat awards in the process. While this book chronicles Linderer's tour of duty he doesn't skimp on the praise for others in the unit like Kenn Miller, Rey Martinez, Riley Cox, and so many others who went behind the lines in the jungle war and paid a heavy toll in the process.
That he wrote about his time in-country was admirable but that he continued to write about so many others in his successive books speaks well of his character and professionalism.
I had the pleasure of working with Gary Linderer at Behind The Lines magazine and I saw him devote his time and energy in giving voice to others who richly deserved their time in the short limelight of the written word.
A Silver Star for gallantry, a Bronze Star for Heroism, and several Purple Hearts speaks better of his time in combat than critics who weren't there and later criticized his efforts. Oddly enough, some even provide the evidence of his considerable bravery.
I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who said it best...'It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled...the credit belongs to the man in the arena...'
Gary Linderer was the strong man in the arena and deserves our applause.