Rating: 
Summary: Too many repetitions
Review: '13 cent killers' suffers from too many repetitions, from chapter to chapter and even on the same page - even the explanation of the title's meaning is repeated. Why? All this - filler - seriously takes away from the reading experience. This is sad because the narrative is excellent and all business when it comes to the details of various missions and the task of being a sniper in Vietnam. However, many other details are probably aimed at other Marines and offer little meaning for other readers. The final disappointment appears when you flip through the 12-page glossary and conclude that it carries no entry for the M-16 assault rifle.
Rating: 
Summary: the truth will set you free
Review: Culbertsons book is a military club best seller because it shines the light of truth on much of the exaggerations and out right lies that have come out of the vietnam war. When Culbertson speaks of himself in combat action with the rest of his fifth marine buddys he is using a writing technique called a "flashback" . many combat veterans see past events like a movie where they view themselves merely as a participant. The reason many of the stories in the book seem disjointed is because each sniper team operated with different units in different places during the same time period. This is the most technically accurate portrayal of the Fifth marines in Vietnam that exists. This book also contains the names of operations , list of snipers, and battles that were led by specific officers . Check out the usmc history annals on these events and you too may learn the truth about Vietnam.
Rating:
Summary: bitter and disjointed.
Review: For a book about a deadly business, this one is boring. it switches from place to place, is repititious, and switches from first to 3rd person, for some reason.
For some reason, without naming names, he denigates Carlos Hathcock, another Marine sniper, claiming he either did not exist or did not do all that was claimed in the 2 books written about him by Charles Henderson. The Marines thought enough of Hathcock to name a building after him. A Marine Officer I met, who wrote 2 books of his own about his experiences said Hathcock was real and probably did a lot of stuff not in the books.
For a extremely interesting book about Marine sniping I recommend Silent Warrior by Charles Henderson
Rating:
Summary: the truth will set you free
Review: Have to agree some of the others reviews, this is a poor example of writing. The haphazard fashion in which the stories are presented destroys any continuity for the reader. I found many of the extraneous details included add nothing to the story and are distracting. The author slips back and forth between a third person narative and first hand narative which at times degrades into rambling personal rants with no point and even less substantiation. My older brother is a jar head from the same era, he too suffers a pervasive bitterness resulting from his stint. They say they are proud to have served but seem mentally and emotionally wounded. I wanted to love the book, but the author made that impossible.June 20, On rereading the reviews for this book I can't help but think the two "A Readers" reviews are written by the same person. They seem awfully defensive of a book they are merely reviewing, overly concerned with the other reviews, and the only ones that see truth as the major asset of this book. Where does the author live now?
Rating:
Summary: 13 Cent Killers - A review by John Sibole
Review: I have just completed reading "13 Cent Killers". I have also read volumes of other so-called "true stories" of Marine snipers feats of virtually inconceivable exploits. "13 Cent Killers" is only one of the few humble books I have had the pleasure of reading. It is not a book written out of arrogance and conceit, but of his "Brothers in arms", of which this man truely loves.
After reading "13 Cent Killers", I had the great honor of speaking with John Culbertson personally. I found him to be a genuine "down to earth" Marine.This book was written to honor his Brother Marines who had fought at his side, and for the "True Heros" of the war, his fellow Marines that had made the "Ultimate Sacrifice", for God, Country, and Corps.
John Culbertson, Tom Casey with whom I have also spoken with personally, Vernon Mitchell, Billy May, and countless more Marines are truly "The Few The Proud". Putting their fellow Marines ahead of themselves in time of grave peril, to fight for, and protect what they loved so much.
As quoted by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, "Uncommon valor was a common virtue", and is still today.
John Culbertson, Billy May, Vernon Mitchell, and all of my Brother Marines who would fill countless pages, I salute you, and welcome you home.
For my Brother Marines who have fallen throughout our great history and are with "God Almighty USMC (Retired)" I am forever in your debt. You are in my prayers always.
This is my humble opinion.Semper Fi. Job well done Marines.
John "Gus" Sibole
USMC/0351
1980-1983
Rating: 
Summary: Good good....
Review: I just finished this book and I have to say that it was very interesting and even suspenseful in some parts of the book. BUT, it was kind of hard to understand fully because there was a lot of confusion during the first 5 chapters or so. The rest of the book, however, is very well written and I think I would like to read other books concerning snipers in Vietnam.
Rating:
Summary: 13 cent killers
Review: In 13 cent killers by John J. Culbertson, the 5th Marine snipers in Vietnam get to tell their amazing stories from "the bush". The best part about 13 Cent Killers was the detail that the author provided. Culbertson was very descriptive and did not miss any details as he relived the time that Ron Willoughby and Tom Casey spent fighting in Vietnam. Culbertson describes everything in great detail from the snipers hide, down to exactly what the enemy was wearing as Casey watched them sneak around through his scope. Culbertson makes this book great by providing as much detail as he did. There is one part about this book that could use improvement. I thought that Culbertson could have spent more of the book talking about the fighting and the time that the snipers spent out in the field. Most of this book was spent talking about the newly developed sniper school and how Gunnery Sergeant Vernon D. Mitchell, a veteran sniper who served in World War II and the Korean War. This makes the book a lot more boring than it should be. The theme of this book was war. Even though war was the theme, the snipers still got an uneasy feeling every time that they got an enemy troop in their sights. I guess that the theme of this could also be that in war it is not easy to kill a human. This theme is shown throughout the book. Every time the snipers record a KIA (kill) they are happy but only because they survived. The theme of this book was war. This was one of the best sniper books that I have read. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war or snipers. The Culbertson makes this book so interesting by the way he describes Willoughby and Casey sneaking around the jungles of Vietnam to get the best shot that they could at the enemy. If you like stories about the Vietnam War this is a book that you should defiantly read.
Rating: 
Summary: Truth wins in this Book
Review: In 13 cent killers by John J. Culbertson, the 5th Marine snipers in Vietnam get to tell their amazing stories from "the bush". The best part about 13 Cent Killers was the detail that the author provided. Culbertson was very descriptive and did not miss any details as he relived the time that Ron Willoughby and Tom Casey spent fighting in Vietnam. Culbertson describes everything in great detail from the snipers hide, down to exactly what the enemy was wearing as Casey watched them sneak around through his scope. Culbertson makes this book great by providing as much detail as he did. There is one part about this book that could use improvement. I thought that Culbertson could have spent more of the book talking about the fighting and the time that the snipers spent out in the field. Most of this book was spent talking about the newly developed sniper school and how Gunnery Sergeant Vernon D. Mitchell, a veteran sniper who served in World War II and the Korean War. This makes the book a lot more boring than it should be. The theme of this book was war. Even though war was the theme, the snipers still got an uneasy feeling every time that they got an enemy troop in their sights. I guess that the theme of this could also be that in war it is not easy to kill a human. This theme is shown throughout the book. Every time the snipers record a KIA (kill) they are happy but only because they survived. The theme of this book was war. This was one of the best sniper books that I have read. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war or snipers. The Culbertson makes this book so interesting by the way he describes Willoughby and Casey sneaking around the jungles of Vietnam to get the best shot that they could at the enemy. If you like stories about the Vietnam War this is a book that you should defiantly read.
Rating:
Summary: I was there-but as a pilot!!
Review: John Culbertson is in my opinion, a true patriot, and has an excellent way of presenting his stories. I have read his books and especially enjoyed this one as I, quite surprisingly, found my name mentioned as an F-4 pilot! Having always fantasized about how I would have performed as a grunt, rather than a pilot, I can, through the eyes of John, vicariously live the life I've always wondered about. His stories put me there as though I am living the part and appreciate his attention to detail. I sense his accounts are factual, not over dramatized, and leaves me with a real appreciation of not having had to experience the ordeals he and so many of his comrades had to endure. I highly recommend this as well as any other books or articles John has written. A job well done!!
Rating:
Summary: Take a pass on this one.
Review: Several elements of this book require explanation. Why the author switches from the first person to the third after seventy or so pages is but one. For reasons known best to Culbertson, several times throughout his book he calls to question the ability and veracity of Carlos Hathcock, the legendary Marine sniper. Without naming Hathcock, he dismisses out of hand many of Hathcock's accomplishments without providing a single document, official or otherwise, or even quoting the usual unnamed sources. He merely labels it nonfactual. For example, he describes Hathcock's elimination of an enemy company in Elephant Valley as "BS". It may well be, but before one hopes to undermine a Marine institution like Hathcock, it would serve you well to have some source for the assertion other than your opinion. Lacking even a modicum of evidence in support, other readers may well conclude as I did that Culbertson was engaging in building up his crew by tearing down another. That effort falls flat. I did not finish this book. I abandoned the effort on page 101 when I read these words: "The 5th Marines constituted a very exclusive club and operated under a contract signed in hell by the Grim Reaper himself." The story of the 5th Marines Snipers deserves better than this and so does the reader.
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