Rating: 
Summary: Dark Journey Down Memory Lane
Review: It seems the only Nelson DeMille books I pick up are his Vietnam stories. I bought Word of Honor some years back in hardcover on the discount table at a local bookstore. I secured Up Country the same way.The book is entertaining, and held my interest throughout. While the relationship of Paul Brenner to his romantic interest, Susan Weber, seems contrived at times, it kept me sufficiently hooked to keep me involved to the end. Perhaps the most compelling element of the story is an old soldier's backward look at the battlefields of his youth. Possibly the greatest accolade I can give Up Country is that, after 36 years, I've got the itch to go back to Vietnam, much as Nelson DeMille did some years ago. Like him, I survived the A Shau campaign he described in the book. I swore I had no need or desire to go back there and confront old ghosts. After reading this book, I'm warming up my checkbook and calling my travel agent.
Rating: 
Summary: Going Up Country with Nelson Demille
Review: At forty-two old, I am not old enough to remember the Vietnam War, which is the subject of Nelson Demille's recent effort. My memories are tainted by hazy media images of newscasts and brief mentions in High School history classes right before the summer break. It wasn't until college when I was taking classes at night; I began to meet the occasional combat veteran who spoke, in passing, of the war and what really happened. The actual experiences of each Veteran I met far outweighed the plain text of the history book and were always incredibly moving. That is the theme of this novel-explaining the past to himself and others. Nelson Demille served at various times in Vietnam including the horror of the Tet Offensive. That action becomes the backbone of the novel where Paul Brenner, now retired under questionable circumstances from the Army Criminal Investigation Division is asked to return to Vietnam to investigate a 30 year old murder. We last saw Paul Brenner in The General's Daughter (which was also made into a fairly decent movie of the same name starring John Travolta as Paul Brenner). He is still dealing with the fall out of that case and is rather at loose ends, professionally and personally. His former boss, Colonel Karl Gustav Hellmann asks to meet him at the Vietnam Memorial. They both share a past in that horrible war and while picking out the names of their dead comrades in arms; Karl begins to slowly explain why he wanted a meet. "Finally, Karl said, 'There is a name on this wall of a man who was not killed in action. A man, who was, in fact murdered.'" Additionally, "'Regarding this American Lieutenant, we have evidence that he was murdered by an American Army Captain.'" The evidence is a letter that another Vietnam Vet took off a dead Viet Cong Soldier some thirty years ago, along with some other souvenirs. The letter was written by the dead man's brother who claims to have witnessed the murder. This man, a murder witness, might still be alive somewhere in Vietnam and Karl wants Paul to got and investigate the case. They even have a location for the man, but Paul is aware that he is not being told even half of the real story. But Paul, for various reasons not entirely clear to himself, agrees to make one more journey to Vietnam for the United States Government. Once in Saigon, now officially Ho Chi Minh City, he meets with Susan Weber. Ostensibly, Susan Weber is nothing more than an American Expatriate who is to help Paul by making him aware of current customs in Vietnam as well as translating the language. But, Paul soon figures out that she is another part on an increasingly more difficult puzzle as he begins to follow the trail. This is a far different novel than the thrillers Mr. Demille has penned in the past. Instead, this is an extensive travel log as Mr. Demille recounts various battle scenes from his past and others in Vietnam. The novel is full of long scenes of Paul Brenner staring at rice paddies and former battle sites, detailing the horrors seen in combat. At 1170 pages in large print, the reader eventually longs for the action that one is used to in a Nelson Demille novel. Unfortunately, the action for the most part is limited to approximately two hundred pages total, split about evenly between the very beginning and the end. And even though the action picks up drastically towards the end of the novel, the last few pages reveal a very weak and unsatisfactory ending. While this is a good opportunity for Mr. Demille to evolve the character further in another novel, after spending some much time reading this work, it would have been nice to tie up just a few pieces of the puzzle. Instead, the reader is left with some vague hints and the feeling that one has been exposed to a very long and painful cathartic release for Mr. Demille in the form of a novel. Accepted in that spirit, is a very detailed and well-written complex work, driven almost entirely by character pain and development. Just don't expect a lot of action, the hallmark of Mr. Demille's other enjoyable works.
Rating:
Summary: Different from Demille¿s others novels, but just as good
Review: I was very taken by UP COUNTRY, for one thing I am going to Vietnam later this year and two, I thought it was a very well told story. In this novel, Demille takes us literally up country to locate a old NVA soldier who witnessed a murder from the war days of 2 American officers. The trouble is it is in Vietnam, and in the north of the country no less. The journey begins and Demille gets to work.
First realize that with Demille your gonna get your monies worth, he writes very literally and explains everything from soup to nuts. If you can be patient your gonna be happy. Again we meet Paul Brenner from The Gerneral's Daughter: funny witty but tough as nails. I love how Demille makes his humor roll and roll, I love funny things and Demille and I share the same sense of humor. Also ironically Demille mentions Sen. John Kerry in the book and how he was a fellow Vietnam veteran, and now he is in the news poised to be the next president. I recommend it but be patient and open minded.
Rating: 
Summary: One of DeMille's Best!
Review: I loved Nelson DeMille's "Up Country!" I had previously enjoyed his "The Lion's Game," "Plum Island" and "The Gold Coast." I followed up "Up Country" with its prequel, "The General's Daughter" and also enjoyed that and realized how the movie killed the best parts of the book. "Up Country" has a retired Paul Brenner investigating a decades old murder in Viet Nam. DeMille's Brenner character is as delightful as John Corey, featured in Lion and Plum and as I understand, DeMille's next book. "Up Country" is exciting, charming and as always witty. I just finished "Word of Honor" and although DeMille's Ben Tyson is no Brenner or Corey, I was so taken with him, I literally cried at the conclusion. I don't think you can go wrong with any work by Nelson DeMille.
Rating:
Summary: A Journey of a Lifetime for a Vietnam Vet!
Review: Having never read or listened to any of Nelson Demille's books, I bought the audio of this story. I cannot express my thanks enough to the author for this brilliant story of a Vietnam Vet 'forced' to relive his past in Vietnam. The character development of Paul Brenner throughout the story is excellent, as is the singlemindedness of both Susan and Colonel Mang. This story is a most fitting one for the generation of both those who were sent to Vietnam and those who didn't. Having been a member of that generation who was spared from going to Vietnam by serving in Europe during the last couple years of the war, I was very moved by Paul Brenner's journey throughout Vietnam and the vivid descriptions of life in post-war Vietnam some 30 years later. His visits to past battle fields and the 'chance' meeting with Col Mang were amazing. The manipulations by Brenner's superiors are a telling indictment of how greed and power cloud decision-making. Colonel Mang, in his own way, is a better man than most of the US Government string pullers in the story. I strongly recommend this book to everyone, but especially Vietnam Vets and the journalists who cover briefings by politicians and military officers.
Rating:
Summary: So far, his best!
Review: My husband and I were in the airport, getting ready to head to Miami for our first vacation without the kids. Not used to having free time, I had not brought any reading materials. Being a fan of Nelson DeMille, I ran to the airport book store. Two books were on the shelves that I had not read as of yet, "The General's Daughter" and "Up Country". Not realizing that "Up Country" was a "sequel" to the "G.D.", I grabbed it. I was glad I did because I could not put the book down. As usual, DeMille leaves us wondering what will happen next. One could visualize what was happening. The details, the sense of smells, sounds, emotions, evoke the senses of the reader. It was also an informative book, with an appreciation for all the men from the war. Colonel Mang gave me the chills, while Susan Weber went from trustworthy to seemingly deceptive. Of course, the reader is rooting for Paul Brenner. DeMille's books are always full of sarcasm (one of the main reasons he is my favorite), and intrigue. Being from Long Island, NY, "Plum Island" was my favorite until now. "Gold Coast" actually had me laughing out loud at times. Nelson DeMille's style of writing would appease most. If you haven't read any of DeMille's books, I urge you to!
(This review refers to the PAPERBACK.)
Rating:
Summary: A Real History of Vietnam with Humor
Review: I loved this book. I think I was in Jr. High or maybe Sr. High when the war took place. One of my Brother's dearest friends died there. The amazing amount of history Demille has incorporated into this novel makes it one that should be required reading for every young adult. My sadness that it was fought incorrectly, we lost many fine young people, and it turned into a communist state was overwhelming as I read this book. I think Everyone should read this, however you felt about the war.
Rating:
Summary: Move Over Ernest Hemingway
Review: Nelson DeMille improves noticably with each new book, always experimenting, a striking feat considering that he is the greatest American writer. There is nothing more satisfying to read than a first-rate character, such as Paul Brenner, who appears in a series of gripping, fast-moving novels. I would suggest to any voracious reader who wants to add some excitement to their lives that they buy the entire series, start from the beginning, and then start over once done. I see plenty of good reviews of Up Country here, with good descriptions. As for the less positive reviews, I don't know what book they read!
Rating: 
Summary: FIVE HUNDRED PAGES TOO LONG
Review: A friend recommended this book, as I was thinking of traveling to Vietnam, and at first, I was ready for a leisurely stroll through the country, found the detail interesting, the plot tolerable, though the protagonist didn't do much for me. I finally decided I needed to read THE GENERAL DAUGHTER'S first, to maybe warm me up, but no. Never happened. I found him even more unlikable there. Worse yet, the "banter" between the characters seems forced and sexist and occasionally racist, and the guy (forget his name already) doesn't possess so much as an ounce of sexual appeal. Nothing. To me, UP COUNTRY was about two hundred pages of action and drama stretched into a Clancy-sized thriller. Much promise, little pay-off. Doubt I'll be back for more.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The first few chapters of this book will really hook you, but then it goes downhill fast. I had a hard time finishing this story. This is definitely not one of Demille's better works.
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