Warriors: An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam

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

"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.

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.

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.

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.