“Few writers since Stephen Crane have portrayed men at war with such a ring of steely truth.”—The Houston PostWith a new introduction by the author for the book’s 40th anniversary. They each had their reasons for joining the Marines. They each had their illusions. Goodrich came from Harvard. Snake got the tattoo—“Death Before Dishonor”—before he got the uniform. And Hodges was haunted by the … And Hodges was haunted by the ghosts of family heroes. They were three young men from different worlds, plunged into a white-hot, murderous realm of jungle warfare as it was fought by one Marine platoon in the An Hoa Basin, 1969. They had no way of knowing what awaited them. Nothing could have prepared them for the madness to come. And in the heat and horror of battle they took on new identities, took on each other, and were each reborn in fields of fire.
Fields of Fire is James Webb’s classic novel of the Vietnam War, a novel of poetic power, razor-sharp observation, and agonizing human truths seen through the prism of nonstop combat. Weaving together a cast of vivid characters, Fields of Fire captures the journey of unformed men through a man-made hell—until each man finds his fate.
Praise for Fields of Fire
“A stunner . . . Webb gives us an extraordinary range of acutely observed people, not one a stereotype, and as many different ways of looking at that miserable war.”—Newsweek
“A novel of such fullness and impact, one is tempted to compare it to Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead.”—The Oregonian
“Webb’s book has the unmistakable sound of truth acquired the hard way. His men hate the war; it is a lethal fact cut adrift from personal sense. Yet they understand that its profound insanity, its blood and oblivion, have in some way made them fall in love with battle and with each other.”—Time
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Probably the best fiction ever written about the Vietnam War.
If it wasn’t listed as a novel, I would have thought it was non-fiction. Well written with terrific inserts of backstory so that you get to know who they were before they went into the “Fields of Fire.” Made me care about the “grunts” even though I didn’t think they should have been there.
Best book I have read in years, could not put it down!
Gave me a new picture of what Vietnam War was like
Well done, by someone who’s been there.
Paints an unfortunately accurate picture of that conflict at the grunt level especially of the randomness of fortune/misfortune.
As a Marine who served in Vietnam this book took me back to those days. Characters were so real, I knew them all, under different names but so very real. In fact I’ve read the book many times and will read it again. I thank the author for the trip back, would have been honored to have him as a platoon leader. Semper Fi !!!!!
Very good book
I read the book back in the 80’s. I thought it was a great book then. I bought it again and reread it and liked it even more the second time.
One of the classics to come out of the Vietnam War. I read it many years ago while at the Military Academy and took its lessons to heart.
A timeless story of men at war.
Read it if you dare
I am a Viet Nam Vet. So this book was very realistic to me.
I had heard about this book for years and am a big fan of historical fiction, but never got around to reading it. It is not action packed…but rather is a character study, not of the soldiers depicted, but of the Vietnam war itself. Outside of “The Things They Carried” there is not a more moving depiction of what the regular combat ‘grunt’ went through during this war and when they came home. Highly recommended.
Webb is an artist with the human emotion of combat and Fields of Fire is his masterpiece.
An unvarnished look at the Vietnam war as it was fought in the bush by those bound by bonds with each other more than the abstraction of the war’s stated goals.
An excellent and balanced reflection on that war and it’s meaning.
Best book on the Vietnam War from someone who was there.
It was interesting to read this book again after so many years. With decades of perspective on the Vietnam War, Webb’s troops retain their real-life feel. I was at once taken back in time to the original setting and able to reflect on how much of the G.I.’s experience we misunderstood and ignored at the time. For anyone who lived through those years or anyone wanting an honest viewpoint, this is a must-read.
Fields Of Fire is considered by many to be THE best novel to come out of the Vietnam conflict. This vet agrees.
Pretty much realistic
I really appreciated this book… I didn’t experience Vietnam myself, but thought the author captured the feeling. Excellent character development, story line was believable, you end up caring about the guys and have to put some thought into what that particular war meant to real people at that particular time.