Word of Honor (Paperback)

~ Nelson DeMille (Author) "Ben Tyson folded his Wall Street Journal and stared out the window of the speeding commuter train..." (more)
Key Phrases: mound incident, spectator pews, prosecution wish, Lieutenant Tyson, Van Arken, Karen Harper (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If fiction can assuage the lingering moral pain of the Vietnam War, it's through the kind of driving honesty coupled with knowledgeability that DeMille (By the Rivers of Babylon) employs here, in a story which, as riveting as The Caine Mutiny but with wider implications, probes the conflicting concepts of honor, duty and loyalty as they relate to an event of the My Lai varietyand assesses blame. Prompted by a just-published book that holds ex-lieutenant Ben Tyson accountable for a hushed-up massacre committed by his platoon in a Hue hospital 18 years before, the army recalls Tyson to stand trial for murder. Tyson, confronted by an army authority anxious to save its own face, an embarrassed federal government (which has its own "deal" to propose) and a threatened marriage, and entangled, furthermore, in his own past lives and present sense of guilt, must call on all his lawyer's cleverness and his own inner toughness to fight his case. The flashbacks to Hue, the pre-trial investigation (involving an attractive female major), the court-martial proceedings, the emotions of the principal characters and the soul-sickness wrought by war (which is the story's effective subtext)all are depicted with marvelous vividness. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo. Foreign rights: Jack Ellison. November 11
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This huge and merciless account follows an ordinary corporate man, Ben Tyson, as his Army commission is reactivated so that he can be court-martialed on charges of murder. The events go back 15 years to a hospital in Vietnam where his platoon took heavy action and many civilians died. Did he wantonly kill enemy and civilian alike? The investigation, intended to restore military honor after My Lai, gives no quarter. All the hostile witnesses are called up while friendly witnesses are lost or silent. Tyson's own sense of honor lets him give only tiny scraps of information even to his attorney. The courtroom sequences are so powerful that most of the other action is like filler. The dialogue rings true and shows a gift for wit and timing. Apart from its unfortunate length and a slightly over-drawn hero, this succeeds as a mature and compassionate statement about Americans at war in Vietnam. Barbara Conaty, Medical Coll. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 855 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446674826
• ISBN-13: 978-0446674829
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Phenomenal Book...Maybe Demille's Best, July 26, 2001

By	"dsrosen19" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Word of Honor (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all of Demille's books. I have enjoyed all of his books. I do not think that any can compete with Word of Honor. First of all, he truly allows the reader to understand the central character, Benjamin Tyson. I would catch myself on numerous occasions, understanding in certain situations exactly how he felt. His character development is flawless and the reader truly gets to know the characters.

The plot itself was incredibly interesting with the Vietnam war backdrop against a modern family in Long Island. In addition, a military courtroom drama is an uncommon trait in modern fiction. In reality, the last one I read was the Caine Mutiny.

I could not put this book down, and it's pretty long. I think I read it in just two sittings (not bad for 700+ pages). Demille truly engages the reader, unflods the plot in small steps, and keeps the reader on his toes. In addition, the detail of all aspects is incredible. I would recommend this book to everyone and have actually purchased it twice because when I lost it I could not live without it.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of DeMille, July 15, 2002

By	Peter Lorenzi (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Word of Honor (Mass Market Paperback)

Nelson DeMille can be quite dark. Spencerville, The General's Daughter, and even Plum Island come to mind. The more books he writes, the darker he becomes, it seems.

I have been a fan since Charm School. I worked my way through Gold Coast, Cathedral, Rivers of Babylon and even Mayday, one of his earlier, co-authored, often overlooked books. Mayday shows the signs of his greatness.

DeMille works best for me when he maximizes the humor (often irony) and tension while minimizing graphic viloence or the dark side of human nature. Often his villains are driven but not inherently evil. His heroes are always flawed and usually funny in the worst situations.

Word of Honor balances all of these features and the result is one of DeMille's best, if not THE best. Vietnam has been cathartic for many Americans. Unlike World War II, where good and evil seem clear (and the basis for more heroic fiction than any other event in the world), Vietnam is nuances and conflicted lives. DeMille uses these to fine tune his humor and his hero.

This one is well worth checking out.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DeMille Delivers, October 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Word of Honor (Mass Market Paperback)

Nelson DeMille knows of what he writes. As a Lt. in the service in Nam and a keen human observer--we are given over 700 pages that draw us into a world we Americans sometimes do not like to revisit.

The central character, Ben Tyson, is a modern day commuter with a cushy job in NY, a family out in the 'burbs and a sense of honor that is about to be tested to the inth degree. Somone has written a well selling book about the atrocities at Hue. The author's two witnesses have made Ben Tyson culpable for his unit's macabre killing behavior at a French hospital during the war. And now the government plans to make him their scape goat.

After 20 years of living with the past, the truth starts to come out. Slowly, in stages, as DeMille builds the tension with episodes between Tyson's wife, his lawyer, his reunion with his men, the author who revealed his secrets, and a cout-martial trial.

I always appreciate DeMille's well researched novels. Mixing actual events with fiction using humor and pathos is his baliwick. Characters you want to know and dialogue that snaps.

A moving read of war, adventure, and trust.