Cheap Fields of Fire (Book) (JAMES WEBB) Price

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Customer Reviews of Fields of Fire

Hopeless heroism
I bought this book because it was recommended by Tom Wolfe in 'Hooking up' as 'In my opinion the finest of the Vietnam novels'. I have not read many Vietnam novels, but I agree that this is a very good one. Looking through the eyes of several different players, you get an insight in some of the viewpoints of the insanity called war. Snake, who got his Marine tattoo before boot camp, born to fight, never fitting in, until this war came along and gave him friends to die for. Hodges, who raised himself as a Marine, modelling himself after his dead father. Bagger, father of a little baby, scared of [messing] up, overwhelmed by the calamities of adulthood. Goodrich, a shameful coward, spending more time battling his conscience, than his enemies. All are heroes, but not the easy 'save some lives and get a medal' kind, but more of a stubborn, helpless, accepting gritty kind with an aura of uselessness around it. Maybe heroes isn't even the right word. Human. With all the fears and cravings and feelings of hope and friendship we come with. James Webb gave some of those who died their face back and I am grateful for it.

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One of the Very Best Vietnam Books
This is an amazing work when you consider it's Webb's first book. The writing is so compelling you may feel like you've been dropped into a rice paddy with Webb's/Hodges' platoon.

In Robert Timberg's book, The Nightingale's Song, Webb is a featured character. He describes Webb's experiences from the Naval Academy through his stint as Secretary of the Navy. The real people who were main characters in Fields of Fire are discussed. He also tells the amazing story of how Webb read Hemingway at the urging of a law school classmate and decided he could write like that. I'm sure glad he did. All of his books are among the best I've read.

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Dire Fields indeed!
Having been through the thick of it, and survived I reluctantly read "yet another Nam book" this one hit me. What a great piece of writing! I lent it to a friend, who was also in country and he never gave it back. So I picked up another copy for the shelf. I still read it from time to time. Whew! Took me back. I could feel the sweat dripping and the searing heat and cool flights at altitude back to base. I even tasted the red grit again. Alright I'll quit trying to pump it up... just read it. Highly recommended if you weren't there... it will take you there.