Customer Reviews

Welcome to Vietnam, Macho Man

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

 

 

For every individual boomer who always wondered what it would have been like over there, read this book. It will take you step by step as if you, yourself were there. It is fascinating and well written. In fact, I don't believe I've read books in fractions that cover every facet of what happened to the 26th Marines MEU. What their thoughts were, how they felt, and how isolated we really were.

I found this book at a Community Flea Market whilst on holiday christmas 98. As an Australian Vietnam Veteran (1966/67)and a Retired Army Warrant Officer I usually do not read "gungo ho" war books.On reading the back cover of the book and discovering that this was a true story about this young platoon commander at the siege of "Khe Sahn" I could not put this book down, it is a must read for every platoon commander or officer cadet.I was glad that I did not serve at Khe Sanh, it makes my one year tour look like a picnic.

Ernie Spencer is one of the best Company Commanders the USMC has had. Macho Man is a trip through the worst of the war in Vietnam conucted by an a fine writer who is able to capture the ordinary life of a grunt, combat and the tensions that war places on young men. This no self congratulatory memoir. This comes from the heart. A ride with the "Macho Man" is a unique and penetrating experience.

CNN specials on the siege at Khe Sanh provoked my interest in this battle and that generation of young Veterans. Spencer's book is a well written, no-nonsense read on a young Marine Lt.'s mental and physical survival during his year at Khe Sanh. Humorous and thought provoking, it dispels any glamour or John Wayne attitudes one might have about war. Those prior service will enjoy his descriptions of fellow services and situations. A fast and at times humorous read. Couldn't put the book down.

I have always felt that this is "The" Vietnam book. The author delivers the horror of combat into the lap of the reader...he holds no punches, his prose is said to be profane, yet I do not construe it as such....it is merely reality. The use of vivid descriptiveness is abundant yet not overdone. The responsibility of commanding a rifle company of Marines on a lonely hill outpost in the very worst venue of the war is brought to light and presented in a brilliant fashion in metaphor form..."his hill" is in actuality a mistress that he garnishes and bejewels with barbed wire and anti personel mines...

I could go on and on but won't, realizing my redundantcy, I will just say that this is perhaps the best of all books to emerge from the conflict.

author of ...Eye of the Tiger

- It has less than 10 illustrations. They help make the book more interesting. For example the illustration about RPG makes the story more vivid.

- The author expressed a lot of emotion but he provided very few details about what was happening there. Consequently, I don't see clearly what was happnening in Khe Sanh at that time.

- The tone is raw and in-your-face. It's annoying.

There are much better books about Vietnam war such as We were soldiers, etc...

I came across this book, in a stand of penny-novels, in a 24/7 convenience shop, sometime round-about 1990.

It impressed me deeply.

Like Spencer, I am a Catholic.

Reviewers elsewhere have said that it should be required reading for junior officers.

I think that it should be mandatory reading for popes, cardinals,bishops and all of the rest of the catholic corporate executives - who stayed home, who avoided the reality of it all.

The wrong catholics got sent to see and experience the horror and the evil, - and to understand how they'd been betrayed by the sky-pilots.

These things should have been experienced by those at the very top of the Church heirarchy; not just those at the very bottom.

Spencer makes it quite clear that this betrayal is what has driven him to write a book, to share his experience, to try to educate those who saw nothing of it, and who simply dismiss what one tries to say - and who just roll along to church on Sunday as if it all never happened.

As if no women and kids were ever napalmed , no soldier ever had his body blown apart - or, if they did happen to be, then that had nothing whatsoever to do with rolling along to church on Sunday.