Customer Reviews

Whattaya Mean I Can't Kill 'Em?

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent book. What it lacks in writing style it makes up for with brutal honesty and relentless truth-telling.

Rad Miller's book is an excellent primary source, and a useful tool for someone who wants to learn the history of the Vietnam conflict. Bearing in mind that this is only one soldier's perspective, the book perfectly captures the spirit of the late sixties and early seventies, and goes beyond simply describing combat and training, but actually grapples with the issues of the war and chaos that reigned on the homefront. A must-read.

One thing can be said about this SEAL is that he sure has a sense of humor.Of course,war isnt pretty.Its sexy.But really,unlike these other books I've read,like LRRP's Ranger,boy ,does that book ramble on and on about technical issues and stuff I've never been familiar with.But Rad was able to express himself not in a robot fashion,just brain washed to kill,but the human side of being a commando.It was very exciting and intruiging.I was totally involved in it.I have read some true combat novels that just don't get to details about what was going on.Some didnt explain how it felt in combat in true real time detail.Rad Miller takes you there.I hope to get his autograph some day.

Miller's re-cap of his life before / during his tour in Vietnam, as a Frog/SEAL is well written, and is very intense reading. His no B.S. approach to the theme that this book carries is incredible. Leave nothing out, and just tell it like it is in plain english, with a few four letter words included.

Looking for Rambo? Want John Wayne? Go elsewhere. Miller tells it like it really was for most combat vets. Months of training and monotony punctuated by moments of sheer panic. The best plans go wrong, the toughest troops get tired, hungry, hurt, and do almost comical things while facing death. Miller has the maturity to admit his human frailities but still manages to show that he was indeed one of the best trained, fiercest fighters in the world. I felt his pain lugging overloaded combat packs, trying to stay awake on all-night ambushes, of almost drowning while crossing rivers and streams, and the morality of staring face to face with an armed enemy and wondering if pulling the trigger is the right thing to do. There's very little military techno-talk in this book, and it can be understood by anyone who was never a soldier but wants to see what it takes to turn a young high school jock into a warrior.

I wanted to know what it was like to be a SEAL in Vietnam. This book more than explained what it was like. Miller tells his life story from graduating high school to buying a tape-deck that lasted nearly 20 years. He goes through what BUD/S was like, SEAL Training, and getting his fair share of beatings. Oh, by the way, I hate to read, but I didn't put this book down. I highly recommend it.

The only reason why I read this book is because some one told me my uncle was in it. So I read every page looking for a mention of him. I was pleasantly surprised that the book commented on how misguided the military was. The author was very candid about problems with the Vietnam War. He definitely did not try to glamorize the war nor did he come across as some type of brutual killer which is the impression that the title cover of the book projected.

Rad tells you, in my opinion, what its like to be a man; how to deal with things and not run away from them. I have read Blood on the Risers 3 times both of these books give me the same lesson in strength. These guys are heros in my opinion. True warriors in every sense of the word. It makes me proud to be American.

This book is about a man named Rad Miller JR it was a good book. It was reccomended to me by my boss. I liked this book cause it said, "the other side of the war."

This book should be mandatory for every officer in the military, as well as any person wanting to join the armed forces, or thinking about it. It's a down to earth tale of one man's journey from scrunchie to frogman to navy seal, and several combat operations he was involved in. The writing is fluid and conversational, it's not too technical, and the parts that are the author explains well enough.

I really can't recommend this book enough to add to any collection of non-fiction books on your shelf!

The majority of criticism of this book goes against the accurate statement that Miller really isn't much of a writer. But what those critics seem to miss is that's EXACTLY what makes this book so worth reading. Unlike many authors of the same genre, Miller isn't out to entertain or educate an audience with polished form or textbook writing formulas, instead he simply talks about his experiences in the Vietnam War in a brutally frank, unpolished, straightforward, and often hilarious manner. In the process, Miller takes the reader on a tour of Vietnam in the late 60's, (actually three tours), giving a fantastic view of what it was like to serve in that confusing war.

Supplying technical details when necessary, colored with social overviews that give perspective on the era, and tied together with a sense of humor rarely found in war/military books, Miller's book is a home run that reads as if he's sitting next to you in the bar, remembering old times. A must-read for anyone interested in the genre.