Warriors : An Infantryman's Memoir of Vietnam

Rating:
Summary: The challenge of wartime command
Review: "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.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful account of infantry conflicts and conquests
Review: First person account of the travails faced and challenges met by a young infantry captain who assumes command of a badly demoralized company on the eve of the Tet Offensive. This heroic story, taught and gripping, is all the more compelling because it is true.

Rating:
Summary: Warriors
Review: I do not want to downplay Robert Tonsetic's role in the Vietnam War, it was heroic to say the least. But when reading the book many of the paragraphs and accounts felt rushed; Tonsetic never described, in depth, the areas he was fighting in; he never described his feelings about the war; and the most interesting things to happen like fishing with hand grenades and taking a Huey out for a joy ride when completely inebriated was never described in great detail: "After a few beers, Jaynes and his buddy decided to take a night joy ride in one of the Huey's. They flew for about an hour and returned the helicopter safely to base." This is the whole half paragraph describing one the more interesting and funny things I have encountered in a Vietnam memoir. This, as well as many others really hurt the book in the long run.

There is also no character description in the book. Basically Tonsetic briefly describes a soldier and what he did in a battle, which will be frustrating for many readers.

The book is mostly concentrated on the strategy and tactical aspect of Vietnam; where the soldiers moved, who they fought, etc. If you are looking for that then I suggest this book, but they are still betters ones out there like it [SOG by John Plaster]. If you are looking for a Vietnam era book then I would definitely turn you away from Warriors. Instead you should look at The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Fiction) or The 13th Valley, long but worth it, by John Del Vecchio.

Rating:
Summary: Warriors
Review: I thought that this was a very good book about the Vietnam War. It is definitely worth reading for those interested in learning about the reality of war for ground troops. It described well what life was like in a rifle company, what a commander's responsbilities were, and what a difficult experience it must have been. The author described the battle scenes very well and they were exciting (and scary), and in the Spring of 1968 they were pretty frequent as well. It was purely a description of life in the field and did not discuss the politics of the war. My only complaint is that the narrative was a bit too detached; I would have also liked to learn more about the actual thoughts and emotions that the author and his troops experienced during this time, about the war and each other.

Rating:
Summary: Vietman And Iraq
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Warriors
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: At Last - Realism
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Warriors
Review: 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.