The Proud Bastards [Paperback]

E. Michael Helms (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0965396649 | ISBN-13: 978-0965396646 | Publication Date: September 1996 | Edition: 1st

The true story of one young marine's harrowing journey from boot camp at Parris Island through the hell of combat in Vietnam during the height of the war. This is no run- of-the-mill "guts and glory" war story. Helms' powerful narrative rips off the blinders and shows war as it really is! The military details are accurate. The emotional details are extraordinary. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know about Vietnam, about war, about life in the military.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The reader is engaged with this vividly told account of combat. Superb reading!" -- Midwest Book Review

A hard-hitting, blunt memoir. -- The Veteran

A stunning account of war, seen through the eyes and mind of one young marine. Like Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front, The Proud Bastards is timeless. -- The Veterans News

A vividly told account of combat . . . superb reading for anybody wanting to know about life and death in the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a combat marine. -- Midwest Book Review

An agonizing, emotional read that merits your attention. The Red Badge Of Courage of the Vietnam War. -- The American Veteran

The best grunt-level, tell-it-like-it-was work I've read. Great stuff. Captures the tedium, the language, the realities of Vietnam. The Proud Bastards is a classic. -- Keith William Nolan, Vietnam War author/historian

This account of the war in Vietnam will hit you like a blow to the kidneys . . . The power of these words will astound you. Read this book! -- Buzz Review News

From the Publisher

Helms' staccato, AK47-style delivery is less than typical of the autobiography genre, but it works well in this fast-moving, hard-hitting, no excuses journal of one man's Marine Corps experiences.... Helms has captured the essence of Parris Island and presented it in a manner that...will have any former Marine "boot" flashing-back on the most memorable months of his or her life and reliving the alternating sensations of fear, enthusiasm, dread, despair, confidence, and ultimately, the pride of graduation and being called "Marine" for the first time.... The Proud Bastards is a story told from the heart as well as from the gut. Any combat vet will easily relate to the experiences of the men of "Echo 2/4" as Helms describes the day-to-day life of a combat infantryman in Vietnam at the height of the war: the anxiety of a combat patrol; the sphincter-clenching tension of a night LP (listening post); the knee-knocking, "here it comes again!" dread of dropping into a hot LZ; the gut-wrenching pain of seeing a buddy's name on a casualty list while you are recovering from wounds in a hospital ward; or watching a buddy disappear forever in a spray of mud, smoke and shrapnel; the throat-constricting sadness of a simple field memorial service; and the insanity of the bizarre becoming the norm.... As Helms describes receiving the bittersweet news that he's going home, you find yourself sharing with him the mixed emotions of relief, joy, confusion and hope. You put the book down with a shake of your head and take a deep breath. Then you pick it up again and look at the cover...for a long time.... (Bay Area Veterans News, February 1997)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Karmichael Press; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965396649
• ISBN-13: 978-0965396646
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,133,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful Account, February 11, 2004

By 

Norris McDowell (Hendersonville, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Proud Bastards (Paperback)

Never have I read a more gripping combat account. It's a wild, unfettered ride. From the author's numbing, raunchy belittlement at Parris Island Marine boot camp to fighting in a faraway country he found "luring, lovely, and lethal," Helms pulls no punches. I especially like "Mikey's" biting, insightful running dialogue with himself.

Often as I read a book I will pause and thumb through a few pages to see how soon the chapter will end; perhaps because I've lost focus and I'm ready for it to end. I never did that while reading "The Proud Bastards" because Mr. Helms spared me the bother. He has the blessed knack to know when his readers are ready for a chapter to end and he writes accordingly.

Helms is observant in other ways that made reading this book an adventure. Seldom have I read a brutal war story graced with so many coloful descriptive passages about the lay of the land: the trees, birds, mountains, ocean, stars, and the weather. Such contrasting lends realism that "takes the reader there." I think it both sets the stage for and respites the gruesome battle scenes to follow.

I owe E. Michael Helms. He took me to Vietnam, showed me around, then got me out of there when he knew it was time for both of us to leave. He is an especially gifted writer, which "The Proud Bastards" proves abundantly.

I highly recommend this book.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Book, November 5, 2000

By 

Dennis Fried, Ph.D. (Osprey, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Proud Bastards (Paperback)

Perhaps the best book about combat I've ever read. The writing is superb, and like all good writing, becomes transparent as you are carried into the story. The setting is horrific, the language raw, as you share a teenager's thoughts and emotions in the face of violent death. Words are not wasted here - the writing is spare and accurate.

There is no moralizing about the "meaning" of the war. In effect, the author says, "Here's my story. Draw your own conclusions." My conclusion is that Mr. Helms is one hell of a writer!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 101st. vet declares "Not just another Viet Nam war story!", October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Proud Bastards (Paperback)

This isn't just another book telling you about jungle combat in Viet Nam. Mike Helms thrusts an M-16 in your hands and drags you along as he tromps through the mud and blood of firefights and ambushes. Your stomach will tighten into knots. Fear will gnaw away at your mind as you climb to the top of another vine covered hill. Feel adrenaline flow as bullets buzz your head and stitch the ground in front of you. Learn why Veterans hold tightly to one another years after the war has ended, why some wake screaming in the night. As a Viet Nam combat veteran, I've experienced the horror Mike tells so vividly. He has mastered the technique of putting the reader into the hot seat. I was grateful when the book ended and I could close the cover and cry. Mike has every right to be one proud bastard.