Platoon Leader
by James R. McDonough
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Book Summary Information
Author: James R. McDonoughEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-06-01
ISBN: 0891416064
Number of pages: 208
Publisher: Presidio Press
Book Reviews of Platoon Leader
Book Review: A ground-level view of war in Vietnam
Summary: 5 Stars
Many accounts of our war in Vietnam have been penned, including a number of first-person accounts. But anyone who would like to know exactly how it was to be on the ground with an infantry platoon, as viewed through the perspective of a freshly-minted West Point lieutenant, this is your book. McDonough's platoon is stuck in an area of pacification, in I Corps, infested by Viet Cong and their sympathizers; it is also late in the war, the summer of 1970, and one of the enemies that McDonough has to fight is that of the morale of his men. While the prose style is direct and unadorned, the piling on of the day-by-day platoon operations, the descriptions of the terrain and the people, and, most importantly, McDonough's handling of the varied soldiers who pass through his platoon gives this book a feeling of "being there" far exceeding what a more polished prose style could bring. To prospective authors who would like to find out how the ground war was fought, this book is a must. One comes away with a better appreciation of not only this ugly war, but also a new admiration for those, officers and enlisted personnel, who held our war-weary forces together.
Summary of Platoon Leader
A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.'"Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. . . . Rather than present a potpourri of combat yarns. . . McDonough has focused a seasoned storyteller?s eye on the details, people, and incidents that best communicate a visceral feel of command under fire. . . . For the author?s honesty and literary craftsmanship, Platoon Leader seems destined to be read for a long time by second lieutenants trying to prepare for the future, veterans trying to remember the past, and civilians trying to understand what the profession of arms is all about.??Army Times
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