Customer Reviews

Warriors: An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since the end of the Vietnam War, many memoirs have been pubished, most mediocre at best, and many that strain credibility. This book is a breath of fresh air, by far the best account of the experiences of a rifle company commander that I have read!
Tonsetic' straight forward narrative captures intimate detail without overembellishment, and describes the changing pace of infantry combat, as well as the concerns a commander feels for those he commands. His writing style is simple and direct. It is worthwhile reading for anyone who wants to get a better understanding of what VN was all about.
To establish my credibility, I too served as a rifle company commander during my second VN tour, though in a different unit a year later. This is the book that I would give to my 39-year old son, should he ever asks "What was it like?"
This is a superb book, worthy of a read by veterans and non-veterans alike.

"Warriors: An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam," by Robert Tonsetic, is an excellent addition to the canon of American military memoirs. In the preface Tonsetic notes that the book is "essentially a personal history" of his tour as a rifle company commander during the first six months of 1968--"the bloodiest year of the Vietnam War."

The book includes eight crisply drawn maps that illustrate the places and tactical situations covered by the text; 16 pages of black-and-white photos of people and places mentioned in the book; a useful glossary of military terms and acronyms; and a bibliography of relevant books and documents. These supplemental features greatly enhance the book.

But in the end it's Tonsetic's fine text that stands on its own. Tonsetic writes in a sober, matter-of-fact prose style that I found very effective, and well suited to his subject matter. His text is full of fascinating technical details about the art and science of 20th century warfare. But he never gets excessively technical; his narrative remains grounded in the human dimension of his gripping story.

Tonsetic covers a lot of ground: night fighting tactics, the danger of "friendly fire," enemy tactics, dealing with prisoners-of-war, etc. He writes dramatically of the leadership and staffing issues he faced as a company commander. He vividly portrays the stress and harsh conditions endured by the hard-working infantry soldiers, and the author's compassion and respect for these men really shines through. Tonsetic stresses in his preface that the "people, dates, locations, and operations described in this book are real and documented in official Army records." The author's testimony of the truthfulness of his narrative adds to the book's power.

A real personal and up close look at what Warriors go through when fighting in military combat. It has often been said that,"War is Hell" and this book comes as close as possible to describing what battle in an infantry Company is like.
The author was a highly trained soldier ,ready to use his skills and everything else he could muster;to lead his men into battle ,defeat the enemy and get as many of his men home safely as possible.
He spent 9 months ,fighting battles in Vietnam,in 1968 during the bloodiest months of the war. While this was going on, he was totally aware of the politics of the war that was being fought out in the anti-war protests in the streets and on the campuses of America.He was also fully aware of the politics that were also being played over the war.
The author was not only a dedicated hero,but he is able to convey to the reader what it was like to be there.As strong a person as he was,we can see that a human being can take only so much stress of battle when he is in a position that his last breath may only be an instant away...and to be subjected to this for 9 months.
There are endless ways to look a the whole business of war;but to the people who sacrifice their all for the freedom of others;we owe them our greatest gratitude, thanks,and respect.
When you talk about service to one's country;Robert Tonsetic shows what it really means.

This book was short and too the point and exactly what I was looking for. It was an easy fast read and CPT Tonsetic sounds like he had a solid grasp of what was going on at the time. Anyone looking to step into a grunts shoes for a while this is good book for you. Any modern grunts like myself ,in the middle of my second Iraq tour, who nedd to be reminded someone always had it a bit tougher this is also a good book.

I thought that this was a very good book about the Vietnam War. It is definitely worth reading for those interested in learning about the reality of war for ground troops. It described well what life was like in a rifle company, what a commander's responsbilities were, and what a difficult experience it must have been. The author described the battle scenes very well and they were exciting (and scary), and in the Spring of 1968 they were pretty frequent as well. It was purely a description of life in the field and did not discuss the politics of the war. My only complaint is that the narrative was a bit too detached; I would have also liked to learn more about the actual thoughts and emotions that the author and his troops experienced during this time, about the war and each other.

I read this book in an effort to remember my tour of service in Vietnam back in 1969. Being a member of the 199th I wanted to see if it would re-awaken memories. I found it extremely enjoyable.. well written.. and a very good book. For anyone who wants to know what Vietnam was like I recommend it highly. Fast reading, engrossing, and kept me flipping pages throughout.

What an exceptional story and book. As I read this, I could only think about how hard it must have been, and what it must be like for those in Iraq now. With all the fancy rockets and technology, this book gets down to the actual folks who pay when things go bad. An excellent book, I recommend it to everyone who wants to understand combat at it most personal.

This seemed to be one of the best Vietnam memoirs I have read. It was detailed and gripping. I read it in one sitting.

Good well written first hand account by a company grade officer trying to do the right thing by his men but not always able to do so because of pressure from the officers above him. Typical of the Vietnam war and decisions being made by officers that weren't on the ground with the unit in contact and couldn't appreciate the situation. Just way too short as I wanted to read more.

Most of us forget war's toll on individual lives and only remember the sound bites we hear on television. The locations differ, but the soldier's challanges remain the same between Vietman and today's war on terror. Someday soldiers will write about the Iraq war experience. Until then, this is a vivid reminder of yesterday's war which is the same experience our soldiers face today.

This is geat non-fiction that reads like heroic fiction. Those who served will remember this reality.

Highly recommended for those who want to really understand what happened yesterday in the jungle and is happening today in the desert.