These Good Men: Friendships Forged from War (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For former Marine Norman, the Corps is a brotherhood that instills a strong sense of clan in its members. So, 16 years after a Viet Cong ambush on a bridge, he set out to track down 11 survivors of his platoon. One motive behind his quest was a desire to find out whether, as a 20-year-old radio commander, he left a man to die on that fatal day in 1968. His search brought absolution and a renewal of bonds of comradeship. Each ex-buddy had changed in a different way. One, an insurance executive, turned his wartime experiences into an "incessant monologue," a "series of comic skits." Another, a supervisor in a maximum-security prison infirmary, suffered an emotional breakdown just before freelance reporter Norman caught up with him. Told in simple, lean prose, this wistful Vietnam memoir is both personal catharsis and meditation on the anger, grief and loss caused by war.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Former Marine Norman was not at a bloody ambush at a bridge over the Quang Tri River because he had taken over another duty, but the other members of his squad were, and they were riddled with bullets and shrapnel. The ones who survived were contacted by him 18 years later to see how they had fared after their combat experience, and they show how resilient the human spirit can be. Those wounded were now dealing with their lives as handicapped, and the untouched physically, like Norman himself, were reliving the guilt and pain daily. Norman's account of his journey to rebuild friendships with his squad mates is powerful,touching and knowing, and filled with personalities more deftly sketched than those in many novels. It is also as solid a document as reader's will find describing the human debris of war, and the strength of character of its survivors. Good work.
- Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (September 2, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517076195
• ISBN-13: 978-0517076194
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,227,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finished it ASAP,

By	Tim (Enfield,Ct,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: These Good Men: Friendships Forged from War (Hardcover)

I came upon this book while searching for soemthing to read for the period at school. I found my slef entranced in teh book and checked it and finsihed it that nite. This is truly a great book which opened my eyes up to a side of war I never really thought about. Pst war after all is said and doen the different thigns which men go through. I reccomend this book for anyone Intrested in the grunt life of a Marine in Vietnam and also the psychological effects of The Vietnam War. Excuse my typing. Mike Norman Thank You for writing a great book. Tim

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 9, 2009

By	Gary E. Earls (Morrow, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: These Good Men (Paperback)

This is an excellent book about men who served together under very trying circumstances. Norman had reservations about contacting his old comrades to see how they were doing and how they would react to him. Each man had his own story to tell Norman about their life after Viet Nam and how they were able to get together for a reunion. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to contact his old friends or is curious about what happens to veterans after they leave the service.