Good first hand account of life as special forces in Vietnam. would have given 5 stars but I could do without the vulgar language.
âEyes Behind The Linesâ is the sequel to the book âEyes Of The Eagleâ. The two books together tell the story of the tour of duty in Vietnam of Gary Linderer, a member of a LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) unit.
While I found the first book (Eyes Of The Eagle) to be a bit lackluster, I felt âEyes Behind The Linesâ was a much more exciting and emotional story. The book begins with the authors return to his unit after being wounded in battle and an incident at a USO show. Upon being cleared for duty, the book picks up quickly with many more missions and more heart pounding moments. One of my favorite parts of the book was a mission involving the crew rescue of two downed helicopter pilots. The tension in the air during that mission was greater than any Hollywood movie. What I also liked in this book was a human element that I did not think was present in the first book. During this book, the author shows he is human. As he becomes short, his emotions begin to show in the book. He begins to seem to tire of his life as a soldier. A premonition of his own death makes the author feel like he is beginning to lose his edge. Finally, in an eerie twist related to the author's premonition, the author is hurt once again in quite an unexpected fashion.
This is one of the better Vietnam memoirs I have read. This book is much better than the first book in this series. The author is an exceptionally talented writer and tells the story as if you were sitting next to him in the back yard on a warm summer evening, beer in hand with steaks burning on the grill. Reading this book, I almost felt as if I were talking to a friend. I highly recommend this book; however, you really need to read âEyes Of The Eagleâ first. Some of the events in this book are explained in the first book.
If one reads the reviews of the author's books, you will quickly come to find out some people question the author's credibility, claims, and actions. I was not even alive when Vietnam ended so I can not comment on how realistic the writings of this book are. However, my recommendation is to read the author's books first and then read the debate on his credibility later. I do not wish to take sides on the debate, but I find it curious that one of the people trying to discredit this author is an author of Vietnam memoirs himself.
If you read this book with an open mind, I think you will enjoy it.
While I found the first book (Eyes Of The Eagle) to be a bit lackluster, I felt âEyes Behind The Linesâ was a much more exciting and emotional story. The book begins with the authors return to his unit after being wounded in battle and an incident at a USO show. Upon being cleared for duty, the book picks up quickly with many more missions and more heart pounding moments. One of my favorite parts of the book was a mission involving the crew rescue of two downed helicopter pilots. The tension in the air during that mission was greater than any Hollywood movie. What I also liked in this book was a human element that I did not think was present in the first book. During this book, the author shows he is human. As he becomes short, his emotions begin to show in the book. He begins to seem to tire of his life as a soldier. A premonition of his own death makes the author feel like he is beginning to lose his edge. Finally, in an eerie twist related to the author's premonition, the author is hurt once again in quite an unexpected fashion.
This is one of the better Vietnam memoirs I have read. This book is much better than the first book in this series. The author is an exceptionally talented writer and tells the story as if you were sitting next to him in the back yard on a warm summer evening, beer in hand with steaks burning on the grill. Reading this book, I almost felt as if I were talking to a friend. I highly recommend this book; however, you really need to read âEyes Of The Eagleâ first. Some of the events in this book are explained in the first book.
If one reads the reviews of the author's books, you will quickly come to find out some people question the author's credibility, claims, and actions. I was not even alive when Vietnam ended so I can not comment on how realistic the writings of this book are. However, my recommendation is to read the author's books first and then read the debate on his credibility later. I do not wish to take sides on the debate, but I find it curious that one of the people trying to discredit this author is an author of Vietnam memoirs himself.
If you read this book with an open mind, I think you will enjoy it.
Great first hand accounts about life way behind enemy lines in Vietnam!
L Company Rangers in Vietnam in 1969
