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Summary: Gong Ho
Review: A travelogue review of the war in Vietnam, with an unbelievable premise and a prima donna "wise guy" narrator.Not up to DeMille country.
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Summary: So what if it's a travelogue? Absorbing and unique...
Review: Retired military investigator Paul Brenner is confronted with a trip back to Vietnam in this DeMille mystery and thriller. A letter written by a Vietnamese soldier during the battle of Hue in '68 has been discovered and it details the grisly murder of an American Lieutenant by another American officer. His former boss asks him to go investigate - to see if the author is still alive - and to 'resolve the situation'.Knowing he hasn't been given all of the details, but smart enough to fill in many of the blanks, Brenner is more than willing to engage in a cathartic trip back to the venues that so dramatically altered his life during his first two tours of duty. DeMille does a wonderful job describing the modern landscape of Vietnam, where the divide between south and north still exists and the bitter after-effects of war are still tasted on a daily basis. Saigon, Hue, Dien Bin Phu, Hanoi and the countryside are all described in rich detail. Those who criticize this book as a travelogue are missing the point. Where else can one experience - almost firsthand - today's Vietnam viewed through the eyes of a returning veteran? The details of the story are taut and compelling (even hough I would agree many of the elements are a tad predicatable). It may be a combination mystery and travelogue, but even with its minor shortcomings, DeMille's talents shine through, enlightening, engaging - sometimes startling - and completely absorbing.
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Summary: UP COUNTRY
Review: U nlike Demille's previous books, this one's not so much a thriller
P aul Brenner returns to Vietnam where he must identify a killer. C hances of success seem slim, his contact's in Saigon
O nly hope, it seems to him, is to move his focus on.
U p he heads, travelling north, remembering details of the war,
N ever out of danger, he's being followed by the law.
T o Dien Bien Phu and further, he needs to end this case,
R eally, it's the journey that's intriguing and the plot takes second place.
Y es, this is truly an epic story told by a talented author.
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Summary: Same old Plot in a New Setting
Review: The only real star in this story is Viet Nam. The country, the history, the people, the corruption and secret police provide an interesting background for what is otherwise a familar formula. The hero, a retired military crime investigator, is called back for " just one more case". Never heard this before have you ? When will retired policeman, detectives, soldiers, etc in novels learn that coming back for " just one more case " is a bad idea ? He is assigned a 30 year old murder case involving two US Army officers and a NVA witness. He suspects that there is more to it and that he is not being told the entire story. REALLY ? That is a HUGE surprise ! Our hero is some kind of detective, eh ?
Along the way he links up with a mysterious American business woman. She is, of course, totally hot and the sex is mind blowing. He suspects that there is more to her than meets the eye and that she is not telling him the entire story. WHAT ? Could that be possible ? I am stunned.
The plot is standard stuff as the two of them work their way from Saigon ( HCM City ) to Hanoi. With each step, they get a little more of the truth. Along the way, they visit battlefields starting near Saigon, then on to the Hue area and ending with Dien Bien Phu and Hanoi. This allows for a little commentary on each of the battles and facilitates flashbacks by the hero as he recalls his days " in the bush, fighting Charlie". If you know little of the Viet Nam War, these commentary and flashbacks may be intersting. If you already have some knowledge, these bits are tedious.
The most ludicrous of the flashbacks involves a scene in which the hero, armed with an M16, comes across an NVA soldier armed only with a machete. Our hero drops his M16 and gets out his folding shovel so that he and the NVA soldier can fight it out hand to hand, machete versus shovel. After the duel, the hero discovers that the NVA soldier had a loaded weapon that he also chose not to use. The only part missing from the story was the part where one of them says, " This town aint big enough for the both of us, sheriff". Where is John Wayne when you need him ?
The plot is helped along by Col Mang, the wily old secret policeman who is determined to catch the two spies. His character takes the place of the Gestapo / KGB agent found in most spy novels. Col Mang has all the best scenes and is portayed both believably and with some depth.
The book is spotty. It starts off well but then slows down and kind of wanders to a conclusion. The writing slips into the highly implausible near the end. The hero and his companion, both of Western stature, pass unchalleneged through rural northern Viet Nam on a 750cc motorcycyle. Their clever disguise was a colored scarf and leather jacket like that worn by the diminuative indigenous mountain tribes of northern Viet Nam. Only a Viet version of Scooby Do would have been able to detect their true identity.
The book could have been great. Demille's use of Viet Nam as a setting was a new and clever adaptation of a old formula. The first 100 pages are gripping. Demille then felt obliged to take us on a tour of Viet Nam and a review of the war. The story drags out too long and goes on about things that are not that interesting.
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Summary: Gripping & real!
Review: A name carved into the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC., is of an American army lieutenant whose death is shrouded in mystery. Paul Brenner, a Vietnam vet long since retired from the CID, is called to investigate this 30 year old murder. I found UP COUNTRY a very difficult read. Not because of the writing but because of the subject matter, it is absolutely compelling! Though I have never been to Vietnam, Nelson DeMille set me down in the comfort of my own recliner & took me there. If a reader wishes to get an understanding of those times, UP COUNTRY will give it to you, fiction notwithstanding!
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Summary: It stays with you
Review: I finished this book yesterday. It left me in tears. I have read several of DeMille's book. This one left me feeling soooo sad. For me it was not like the Lion's Game, or Spencerville, or the Gold Coast. Its a book that made me feel like DeMille let me share a significant part of his life. This book is so vivid, so real, you feel like you are there on the Mission. You feel like you were there in 1968 and 1972. This book is not a page turner in the traditional sense. It has subtle draw. I felt grateful by the end of this book to know so much about him. The reader comes to understand he had to write this book. Up Country makes a DeMille fan appreciate just how talented an author he is. The detail is magnificent. Each detail, and I mean minute detail, in my opinion, is the sheer beauty of it. It has been a full day since I finished Up Country, I miss Paul and Susan so much. I've decided to re-read Plum Island because I think there maybe things there that I didnot see before.
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Summary: A Blockbuster, especially if you're a Vietnam Vet
Review: Nelson DeMille has done impeccable research for this book. His mention of the 1st Cavalry Division and actions of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment on Highway 13 bring back memories. The story is fascinating, Paul Brenner is the cool, smart alec we all would like to be. This page turner will keep you up nights. If not reading it, just bringing back the realities of the Vietnam War. You can't go wrong if you like DeMille, served in Vietnam, or have an interest in learning about the war, the people and the country.
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Summary: Unusual Plot, Unusual Setting, Good Story
Review: By passing the 'you only find it in the movies' romantic entanglements of the protagonists, the story was good and enjoyable to listen to. Kept my interest throughout. I had been touted off the unabridged version as being tediously long in parts, and that probably was good advice, as this was just enough, and I didn't need a travelog. Worth reading.
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Summary: Travel but little Travail
Review: Don't read this book if you've picked it up for the mystery or adventure. Murder is just the excuse for this travel guide and Vietnam Vet's mental catharsis. While Demille maintains his prowess for description, the book is not a murder mystery and the action is more mental than physical.
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Summary: Spectacular fiction mixed with accurate Vietnam history
Review: This is a spell binding story in Mr. DeMille's best tradition.
The backdrop is Vietnam past and present, where the author served in the First Air Cavalry during the difficult year of 1968. I served in the Marine Corps at the exact same time and in most of the locations identified by Mr. DeMille. His recollections of that period were absolutely riveting for me. However, he weaves that history into a contemporary thriller with many twists and turns.
Absolutely could not put this down.
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