Customer Reviews

Slow Walk in a Sad Rain: The Catch-22 of Vietnam

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

 

 

McAfee's novel is masterful, vividly written as if the author was actually there (and from what I understand, he based it on first hand experience). The language is brilliant, the characters are alive and believable, the narrative totally captivating. McAfee modeled one of his main characters on my own brother (officially MIA - presumed killed - in the Vietnam War) -- the name of the character closely resembles my family name. He and McAfee were roommates at New Mexico Military Institute high school back in the 60s. And McAfee, in many respects, nailed it. My brother lives on in this novel!

This is a highly charged depiction of Vietnam, and is well worth the read. McAfee tells the story as only a man who was there can!

This book is very intense, moving and offers an insight to how war is perceived by those induring the events first hand. I was pulled into the book by both it's writing and subject matter.

The book starts out fast and never slows down. It captures your attention with the all too real descriptions of the men in a US Army Special Forces detachment at a firebase in VietNam. The book pulls every emotion out of you from crying over the loss of a trooper to laughing with tears rolling down your cheeks at the attempts to get rid of an elephant carcass left over after a firefight with the NVA.

The only problem I have with this book is the over the top tales of American's having to hijack a helo in order to get out of an area where they found the CIA to be running drugs.

Still I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to know the real emotions of men under fire and how very different people come together to form a tight knit family of sorts.