Intense, powerful, and compelling, Matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead and James Jones’s The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are … Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever.Â
Written by a highly decorated Marine veteran over the course of thirty years, Matterhorn is a spellbinding and unforgettable novel that brings to life an entire world—both its horrors and its thrills—and seems destined to become a classic of combat literature.
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There are few truly great war novels. Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, Anton Meier’s Once An Eagle, and Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny all come to mind—novels that explore themes of leadership (or lack thereof), comradery, sacrifice, and, ultimately, the futility of war. To these great …
Outstanding read, worth the time and money
A fantastic biographical anti-war novel, and one of the few “big” books (aka large marketing budget) that truly lives up to its reputation. Written by a fellow Oregonian. Bravo!
Riviting action and drama.
The author is a friend from long ago school days. I know what it must have taken him to write it.
I fought in Vietnam with the Marines and I know guys that fought with the author. Nuff said .
Illustrates the tragic irony of our times; gritty and informative
A tough, ground level, account of a small slice of the Vietnam War. Ultimately very sad that so many gave so much for…….not very much
I thought that it stunk.
Extremely well written historical “fiction ” about a very controversial topic
A tragic tale of war that is keeping me enthralled. My husband is a retired Army LTC who was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and this book sounds very authentic based on the things he has told me. Reading of the horrid experiences these characters had, characters who are so fragilly young brings tears to my eyes. Age has a way of changing obe’s …
The best war book I have ever read.The author told it like it really happened.
You can almost feel the despair as our marines fight to establish, and then abandon a base, only to be sent back to retake it after losing about half of their buddies. Grim, realistic, yet respectful of the humanity of our warriors.
Most books in the vein of “I was there” are usually rather flat in content as they can only discuss what the author saw (albeit, a notable exception to this is “All The Things They Carried”). And, while the author can tell us what he did/saw maybe of some interest, it can also leave a number of unanswered questions which, in turn, usually makes …
Best book I have read on Nam and jives with my personal experiences as a marine LT during my time in I Corp 1967-68.
It’s one of my top 10 favorite books. All my friends have read it and loved it.
Great depiction of the unpredictability of war, particularly Vietnam. Very realistic depictions of combat.
Unearthed truth’s behind fighting wars.
Best book about Vietnam and fighting ever written. A must for those actually interested in truth about war
Awesome read. SO well written. Many characters, don’t give up, you will get to know them. I felt like I was there with them, hovering above, watching it all. Couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. This is definitely a book I’ll read again. Those poor men. My heart weeps for them.