Night Work

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Summary: [e-mail]
Review: As I said in my review of Take Back The Night. I wish I had, had this one to read first. Again I say Dennis make the words in his books sing. I really enjoyed this book. Having been a member A LRRP/RANGER unit 68 - 69 I feel that this is an authentic story of how things were in these units. Cpt Hollister I feel was an insperation to his men. I thought That Dennis had an outstanding way of telling this story. No BS just as it happened. Roadrunner6 Out

Rating:
Summary: For the story behind the action
Review: Denis Foley is a professional writer these days, and it shows in the vivid mental images his writing evokes, the clarity and depth of detail he pours out onto the page, and smell of jungle mold and mildew that seems to rise from the pages of this book. Although this is a work of fiction, much of it aligns with his own life history as written in "Special Men."

Foley's works are not for those who want The Formula Viet Nam book (I fired my belt-fed Stoner from the hip, killed a battalion of suicide VC, then went and had some beer). He includes not just spectacular battle stories, but also some detail on the processes and procedures of inserting a LRP team, calling in air and artillery support, getting a medevac, and the planning and logistics that go into the whole operation. It isn't just "fly out, kill the bad guys, fly back, have some more beer."

Foley's battle sequences are particularly striking in their analysis of what a platoon leader must understand and decide with no time, little information, and a lot of people trying to kill him, and worse, his men.

His contrast between the mission-focused jungle-fighter Maj. Sangean, and the REMF staff-rat Maj. Fowler may seem too stark, too bald-faced, but my understanding is that the truth was sometimes worse. Always too many Fowlers, and not enough Sangeans, in the military or the civilian world. Wonks over workers, but that can be remedied, as Capt. Hollister shows in a severe showdown with the insufferable Maj. Fowler.

This is not just a fictional documentary of events, but the story behind what makes them happen. And his story of the shoeshine boy rings true - I bet he did get two boots shined!

Rating:
Summary: The better book of the series.
Review: I have read a few of this authors books, largely because I found "Night Work" to be an exceptionally well written Vietnam Novel. The pace of the book is quick, accenting battles and other important incidents. If you like war stories, specifically "grunts", this book should be on your TO READ list!