War memoir recommendations, please.

[ChrisinHove]

but the absolute best, honest and true book to come out of Nam is

Dispatches, Michael Herr

I don't want to put too fine a point on it, but you do know that Herr has admitted at least two of his characters are fictionalized? Not to say truth can't be found in fiction (probably most often found there, actually), but journalists are supposed to stick to the facts...

I'm actually a little suspicious of war memoirs, as they often turn into self-promotion at the expense of facts, U.S. Grant's excepted. I prefer oral history, expecially in compilations that afford comparisons. Journalist Harry Maurer's Strange Ground: An Oral History of Americans in Vietnam, 1945-1975, and historian Christian Appy's Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides are worthy compilations.

Not sure if such things are what Chris seeks, but I mention them at least for you.

That’s disappointing. I was impressed by Dispatches when I read it.

I must admit I find the Generals type of memoirs & biographies to be less interesting as the ones I have read seem to be used for justification, assassination, or just plain old hero worship. The politics never helps, either.

Thinking about it a little, maybe I’m looking for the voices of the men I knew, but never asked.

[wrdwrght]

Thinking about it a little, maybe I’m looking for the voices of the men I knew, but never asked.

Thought that might be the case.

Small-unit experiences are where war’s horror will be lived, and where the comraderie that makes thIs horror somehow liveable will be found. That’s pretty fetching stuff.

[Doc Dan]

The Anabasis is the true story written by the guy who did it. Xenophon, a pupil of Socrates, let an army of Greeks to help Cyrus in Persia. However, Cyrus was defeated and all those captured were being executed by Artaxerxes. Instead of surrender, Xenophon organized and fought a rear guard action and brought all of his men home from Persia to Greece through hostile territory being pursued by the enemy army. It is pretty fascinating reading.

[Filoso-]

A few books from the EOD branch...
- The long walk by Brian Castner.
- Eight lives down by Chris Hunter.
- Bomb hunters by Sean Rayment.
The first two are set in Irak and the third one in Afghanistan.

[ChrisinHove]

Chickenhawk - Robert Mason. Vietnam Huey pilot
Legionnaire - Simon Murray. Englishman’s experiences in the French Foreign Legion in the 1960s
Fireforce- Chris Cocks. Rhodesian Light Infantry trooper during Zimbabwe’s battle for independence
Contact - AFN Clark. Young officer in Northern Ireland in the 70s

Fire force - excellent recommendation, thank you. I have seen some of the Rhodesian war strange armoured vehicles at shows and recall a Rhodesian family coming to my school in the U.K. in the 70’s, fleeing the terror. All the more interesting for being about a forgotten war for a forgotten country.

I had read the first two already, and will certainly get round to the NI account, although it’s a little close to home.

[Beach Cricket]

Great suggestions, thanks. I've ordered two-above for August reading.

[Stuart Ackerman]

About Face by David Hackworth is prob the best book on human conflict ever written.

I have some correspondance between the Colonel and myself somewhwere.
Salut!

[PSquared]

... I have seen some of the Rhodesian war strange armoured vehicles at shows and recall a Rhodesian family coming to my school in the U.K. in the 70’s, fleeing the terror. All the more interesting for being about a forgotten war for a forgotten country.

There are a few good books on the Rhodesian conflict. Not strictly memoirs, Peter Stiff wrote some good books on, amongst others, the Selous Scouts (best known as pseudo operators). His novel, The Rain Goddess, whilst a novel, was supposedly a very good description of the conflict.

If you want forgotten conflicts try Zulu Zulu Golf by Arn Durant. 6 years in the SWA Police Counterinsurgency Unit better (infamously) known as Koevoet. I had dealings twice with Koevoet during my national service ... very, very scary people, more so, in my opinion, than South Africa's Recces or 32 Battalion.

[ChrisinHove]

... I have seen some of the Rhodesian war strange armoured vehicles at shows and recall a Rhodesian family coming to my school in the U.K. in the 70’s, fleeing the terror. All the more interesting for being about a forgotten war for a forgotten country.

There are a few good books on the Rhodesian conflict. Not strictly memoirs, Peter Stiff wrote some good books on, amongst others, the Selous Scouts (best known as pseudo operators). His novel, The Rain Goddess, whilst a novel, was supposedly a very good description of the conflict.

If you want forgotten conflicts try Zulu Zulu Golf by Arn Durant. 6 years in the SWA Police Counterinsurgency Unit better (infamously) known as Koevoet. I had dealings twice with Koevoet during my national service ... very, very scary people, more so, in my opinion, than South Africa's Recces or 32 Battalion.

Thank you! As Wrdwight wrote above, novels aren’t necessarily untruthful. I particularly enjoyed Mantales’ Matterhorn but I must leave it to others to judge it’s accuracy.