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A Rumor of War

by Philip Caputo

A Rumor of War Cover

ISBN13: 9780805046953
ISBN10: 080504695x
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The classic Vietnam memoir, as relevant today as it was almost thirty years ago. In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenent Philip J. Caputo landed at Da Nang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history’s ugliest wars, he returned home—physically whole but emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism forever gone.

A Rumor of War is more than one soldier’s story. Upon its publication in 1977, it shattered America’s indifference to the fate of the men sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. In the years since then, it has become not only a basic text on the Vietnam War but also a renowned classic in the literature of wars throughout history and, as Caputo explains, of “the things men do in war and the things war does to men.”

“A singular and marvelous work.” —The New York Times

 

Review:

"This is news that goes beyond what the journalists brought us, news from the heart of darkness. It was long overdue." Newsweek

Synopsis:

The classic Vietnam memoir, as relevant today as it was almost thirty years ago. In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenent Philip J. Caputo landed at Da Nang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home--physically whole but emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism forever gone.

"A Rumor of War" is more than one soldier's story. Upon its publication in 1977, it shattered America's indifference to the fate of the men sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. In the years since then, it has become not only a basic text on the Vietnam War but also a renowned classic in the literature of wars throughout history and, as Caputo explains, of "the things men do in war and the things war does to men."

"A singular and marvelous work." --"The New York Times"

The classic Vietnam memoir, as relevant today as it was almost thirty years ago. In March of 1965, Marine Lieutenent Philip J. Caputo landed at Da Nang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. Sixteen months later, having served on the line in one of modern history's ugliest wars, he returned home--physically whole but emotionally wasted, his youthful idealism forever gone.

"A Rumor of War" is more than one soldier's story. Upon its publication in 1977, it shattered America's indifference to the fate of the men sent to fight in the jungles of Vietnam. In the years since then, it has become not only a basic text on the Vietnam War but also a renowned classic in the literature of wars throughout history and, as Caputo explains, of "the things men do in war and the things war does to men."

"A singular and marvelous work." --"The New York Times"


What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
crowyhead, July 2, 2008 (view all comments by crowyhead)
This is a magnificent memoir of one man's tour of duty in Vietnam. Caputo was part of the first ground combat unit committed to fight in Vietnam, and thus his memoir begins with youthful idealism and the idea that Vietnam would be a "splendid little war" that would be over quickly. Caputo lost his innocence along with the rest of the nation over the course of his sixteen month tour of duty, and the book is a stunning look at how war can change and age a young man. It also highlights the painful contradictions that every soldier experienced daily. One of the most evocative images for me was Caputo's story of seeing a young soldier angrily set fire to a hut in a village suspected to be populated with VC sympathizers. Seconds later, that same Marine turned around, raced into the same burning hut, and rescued a civilian. Caputo's point seems to be that some soldiers are good men, and some are not, but most often they are a mix of the two. It's not an apology for the war, nor is it an antiwar polemic; instead, it is one man's story.
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sgf5, January 14, 2008 (view all comments by sgf5)
It amazes me that this was published only two years after the war ended, 30 years ago, and it is just as contemporary as if it was written yesterday. Not that I'm an expert, but this has to be one of the best war memoirs ever written. In 2050, it will still be relevant. More than just a recount of being a soldier in the Vietnam War, it made me feel it like I was there, and then, feel along with the narrator, the author, the emotional, mental, and moral anguish that fighting on the front lines of a war induces.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780805046953
Author:
Caputo, Philip
Publisher:
Henry Holt & Company
Location:
New York :
Subject:
Biography
Subject:
Historical - U.S.
Subject:
United states
Subject:
Military
Subject:
Military - Vietnam War
Subject:
Soldiers
Subject:
Soldiers -- United States -- Biography.
Subject:
General History
Subject:
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Edition Number:
1st Owl Book ed.
Edition Description:
Lst
Publication Date:
November 1996
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
356
Dimensions:
8.24x5.60x1.05 in. .80 lbs.

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