From Publishers Weekly
To "recon by fire" is to let loose aggressively on suspected enemy
positions. In this stylized Vietnam War memoir, McDonald (Blue Truth) lets
loose with bursts of memories in the form of many short chapters, each
of which deals with some aspect of the author's war experiences. McDonald
went to Vietnam as a brand-new artillery second lieutenant in January 1968.
He arrived after the Tet offensive and served for 11 months as a forward
observer, moving throughout the Central Highlands in support of several
American and South Vietnamese infantry units, including the 173rd Airborne
Brigade, the Fourth Infantry Division and Green Beret teams. He worked
in a three-man team and saw more than his share of action before leaving
Vietnam on a medevac helicopter, the victim of a severe case of malaria.
At his best, McDonald convincingly evokes the feel of the war from his
ground-level perspective and his witnessing of much death and destruction.
He describes the worst of it in an intense, in-your-face manner, sometimes
using reconstructed dialogue and his imagination although McDonald says
that everything in the book "is real." Other stories are told more straightforwardly.
McDonald has bitterly harsh things to say about Robert McNamara, Jane Fonda,
war correspondents and combat photographers. He staunchly defends his fellow
troops, calling them "regular young guys trying to do the best they could
under ill-defined and difficult circumstances, trying not to shame themselves,
and trying to get home where they belonged." Most vets would agree.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
An Artillery Forward Observer in Vietnam was responsible for directing
large amounts of firepower over considerable distances to provide immediate
support to infantry units under enemy attack. The junior officer charged
with this duty had to oversee a number of artillery and air support functions
while simultaneously operating as a combat leader in a ground unit. Reflecting
on his service, McDonald (Under Contract: The True Account of a Cop Hired
To Kill) speaks volumes about the stress ... read more
Book Description
Into the Green is Cherokee Paul McDonald's stark and stirring account
of his three years as an Artillery Forward Observer in Vietnam. Born out
of memories and emotions, and the weight of conscience, it is an eloquent
meditation on what it means to be a soldier.
McDonald tells his story "in the voice of memory; as a writer looking back." He wanted to capture the immediacy of war moment by moment-the tastes, the textures, the colors, smells, and emotions that have stayed with him forever. In a series of interlocking episodes he describes the daily grind of military life and the terror and brutality of active combat. He talks about the men who were his comrades and friends, and nights spent in the impenetrable darkness of steaming jungles beneath a triple canopy of green in the central highlands of Vietnam.
An indelible portrait of a soldier and of the physical and emotional
destruction that is the legacy of all wars, Into the Green is a haunting
chronicle of a place and a time that will never fade from memory.
See all editorial reviews...
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Spotlight Reviews
Into the Green: A Reconnaissance by Fire, October 17, 2001
Reviewer: Gregory Moss (see more about me) from Diamond Bar,
CA United States
Cherokee Paul McDonald reached his hand into my gut with this incredible
book. I was hesitant to buy it since the publisher is not known for publishing
military history. And the cover art and design doesn't bespeak the contents
of your typical Vietnam War memoir, as I'm used to seeing with publishers
such as Ivy and Presidio. Was this another guilt-ridden confession of dark
deeds committed during wartime? A Philip Caputo clone? Another "Suicide
Charlie?" Future script material for Oliver Stone? Something the college
pukes of the 60's could read and feel good about? Shame on me for waiting
so long to get into it.
As I slipped into the green with McDonald, I found this memoir to be one of the most compelling Vietnam War books I've ever read, and I've read more than a few. Stange to say, it's not a page turner, unless you're turning back to re-read the vignette you've just finished. When you finish most of these stories, you don't immediately jump to the next. At least I didn't. I found myself sitting there semi-stunned, ruminating over what I had just been hit over the head with, savoring the imagery, turning back to sift through the author's finely wrought prose again.
The writing style and diction are superb. Reading this collection of stories is like being inserted into the green itself. You smell the smells, hear the sounds, see the sights. But beware! It can break your heart. I am not ashamed of the tears that flowed after having finished the final chapter. Man, it blew me away. I love how McDonald confronts the war journalist. In my view they were all rotten bastards. I love how he uncovers the vile self-righteousness of the anti-war maggots, like opening the lid of a trashcan to let the sun shine on a bevy of writhing fly larvae. I love how he rebukes the lying and duplicitous Wunderkind, MacNamara, a man who can never wash the blood from his hands no matter how many books he writes.
Buy this book and descend into the green with Cherokee Paul McDonald.
It's a beautiful, hard-hitting read.
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if you don't think you like books about war, think again, July
9, 2001
Reviewer: meg from NY
This is a great book because it takes a different approach from most
war memoirs. Instead of giving a day-by-day recount of events, McDonald
shares his experiences through short snapshots of episodes which are more
easily digested than long winded narratives. He also includes simple and
poignant details that allow the reader small insights into the emotional
turbulence that affected everyone involved in Vietnam in a different way.
If you don't think you like reading about war, try Into the Green. I think
its humanity will appeal to most people, and it helped me gain a better
understanding of a very misunderstood time in America's history.
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Hmmm?, July 5, 2003
Reviewer: sctty (see more about me) from Santa Clarita, CA United
States
It seems the book was written in haste?. Two instances of this that
easily come to mind are these: On the back flap (as well as in the editorial
reviews here) it states that the author spent three years as an FO in Vietnam.
According to the author (in the book)he spent three years in the Army and
11 months as an FO in Vietnam.
Secondly, In the last story he talks about his friend that was killed in 1969 and reflecting on their youth at the funeral that they were both only 19. But in the beginning of the book he says he joined the service one year out of high school in 1966 and did three years. The numbers don't match.
Things like this along with every poular cliche associated with the Vietnam experience being included in the book lead me to believe that this book is perhaps a non-fiction intertwined with a creatively abstract writers flare.
It leaves you quite unable to take it to heart.
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Into the Green: a rare read, May 21, 2003
Reviewer: Logan from West Des Moines, Ia
Into the Green by Cherokee Paul McDonald is a great book. Into the
Green is filled with action, suspense,and interesting clues as to what
a soldiers life is like. This book is perfect for males like myself who
require some action, and lude humor to keep them tied to a book. Not only
does the book portray an accurate picture of what soldiers experienced
during the Vietnam war,it also does so in a way that will make you feel
as if you were there. McDonald's short, yet deep chapters are filled with
emotions like fear, and anger, which are hard to find by simply reading
a book, but he pulls it off. McDonald uses impressive imagery when describing
the lush jungles of Vietnam. Cherokee Paul McDonald's struggle through
the jungles of Vietnam is a rough awakening to the effect war has on a
soldier. Overall this a very well written, interesting novel which will
keep you hooked the whole way. I highly reccomend this book whether you
are an avid war reader, or have never read a book about war.
Filled with searing images, July 4, 2002
Reviewer: schmerguls (see more about me) from Sioux City, Ia
USA
I think this book deserves to rank with Dispatches, by Michael Herr,
and A Rumor of War, by Philip Caputo, (tho both are mentioned with some
disparagement by the author) in the way of powerful Vietnam memoirs, tho
I still think the greatest Vietnam books I have read are Fortunate Son,
by Lewis B. Puller, Jr., and (the best of all) We Were Soldiers Once...
And Young, by Harold G Moore and Joseph Galloway. The book is episodic,
and thus has no narrative line, which I would have preferred, but the accumulation
of accounts is searing. The account of his return home is horrific, and
no matter what one thinks of the Vietnam War, for him to have had to undergo
what he relates is shocking and extremely anger-inducing, and I wish he
had told us that he did to the persons who encountered him what he must
have felt like doing. A great book.
Into the REAL Green, June 17, 2002
Reviewer: Hank Rist from Dallas, Texas United States
This was one of those books that I read slowly, savoring the content
and the word pictures given to me. As a former Army Aviator, who flew combat
missions in Vietnam in the very same Area of Operations (AO) described,
and in the very same time frame, I felt as though I was living the Vietnam
experience all over again.
This time, I could reflect upon the memories, the vivid and accurate portrayals of combat and daily life of an Army combatant; without the constant cloud of fear that was always there, mostly just pushed into the background. The portrayals of the news media, political tactical decisions and the enemy were right on target.
Extremely well written, exciting, and heart rending when he received
the typical Vietnam veteran homecoming reception. I would recommend this
book to anyone who wants to see what the Vietnam War was really like.
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