From Publishers Weekly
Retired U.S. Army major Marvicsin served two tours in Vietnam piloting Hueys and Cobras, providing close-air support, rescuing trapped patrols and performing other hazardous duties. He also spent time in a North Vietnamese "tiger cage," and the vague account of that experience is the only disappointing element in an otherwise riveting memoir. In a rough-talking, sometimes hilarious narrative voice, Marvicsin and freelance writer Greenfield take the reader through helicopter training in the States and into combat, then pile on hair-raising reports, like the one about the major's being forced down in a minefield during a battle between ARVN and NVA forces. Maverick (a nom de guerre) regarded himself as a "playful lad living in the wonderful world of weapons." But there's more to the book than youthful swagger: Marvicsin recalls movingly his reaction to the terrifying situations in which he found himself and the horrifying things he witnessed. This is one of the best personal accounts to come out of the Vietnam War.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This third-person narrative relates the exploits of a pilot of both transport and attack helicopters in Vietnam. Lieutenant Marvicsin's story is told with obvious dedication to the subject and often overwhelming language, but with such dizzying dramatic content that it invites disbelief. There are also some errors and omissions regarding helicopter performance and operations. This work is going to find a critical audience with those who were there, as well as others with an interest in the conflict. For a more sober, accurate, and informative description of the life of the Army pilots who flew the aero rifle platoons into and out of landing zones through heavy enemy fire, see Robert A. Mason's Chickenhawk ( LJ 7/83).
-Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
-Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
