Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat | 
| Author: James R. Mcdonough
Publisher: Presidio Press
List Price: $7.99
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Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 70024
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 256
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0891418008
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9780891418009
ASIN: 0891418008
Publication Date: February 4, 2003
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Product Description
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
A gripping Vietman narrative November 4, 2004
Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat," by James R. McDonough, chronicles the author's experiences as an officer in the Vietnam War from 1970-71. His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of Truong Lam.
This is a fascinating, well-written account. McDonough fills his narrative with vivid details that really made his story come alive in my mind. He doesn't flinch at describing the goriest and most horrific images of war. There are also moments of irony and bitter humor. Also noteworthy is the informative material about tactics used in Vietnam. And the author humanizes the story by touching on such "down-and-dirty" issues as the latrine his platoon used.
McDonough's story is populated with a compelling cast of characters. Particularly intriguing is his exploration of relationships among the various groups he encountered in the war zone--U.S. enlisted men, his fellow Army officers, Vietnamese military allies, enemy forces, and the many civilians caught up in the conflict.
While rich in scenes of combat, "Platoon Leader" goes beyond being just an action-packed war yarn. The book explores the ethics and morals of war. McDonough deals directly with the danger a soldier faces in becoming dehumanized by the brutality of war. He vividly portrays the struggle of a leader to remain wise and humane, yet also tough and resolute, under the most trying of circumstances. This book is both a profound meditation on wartime leadership and a powerful work of American literature.
A very different kind of war story. January 15, 2004
Ryan Jones (Cos Cob, CT United States)
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
Lieutenant Colonel James McDonough has written a truly different memoir of his experiences in Vietnam. I believe that this is because McDonough is a different type of leader and individual. His account of his personal experience in Vietnam is not glorified or gory, it is a more emotional recollection of the things that he did, good and bad, while serving as platoon leader in Vietnam. This book is a must for young military officers as well as those considering military service. There is no bravado in this book, because there is nothing fantastic about killing another man, or trying to help civilians who have been needlessly attacked. The book has a very real quality to it, which I found at different times both unsettling and moving. McDonough is not a killer, he is a soldier and an officer. While he may often silently question the purpose of the things he did or was ordered to do in Vietnam, he never hesitated in carrying out his responsibilities as platoon leader. Although he may have been afraid, he was still responsible for 25 other men who were even more afraid than he was. Overall, one of the best memoirs I have ever read.
Haunting and Compelling June 20, 1999
Greg Moss (jumboyang@netsol.net) (Diamond Bar, CA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I can't forget the characters in this book: Killigan, Nail, Donne, McDonough himself, and all the others. The prose is sparse but muscular. The author's passion for integrity in leadership and for his troops drips from the pages like tears shed at the Wall in Washington, D.C. The center piece of this unforgettable tale is the tragic truth that America would never know what good and honest and selfless men served their country in the Nam. I will use this book in my high-school English classes to teach new generations about the war, about the men who served, and about the strength of character that once existed in America and that made this country great. My favorite line occurs toward the end when Lt. McDonough, attempting to save the life of one of his troops, writes "I would not let him die. I would rip the world off its axis first." It's a powerful read and one you will not easily forget.
 An Example of the Indirect Approach December 11, 2001
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
After graduating from West Point in 1969, he chose the Infantry and volunteered for Vietnam. This book tells of his experience as a lieutenant in a combat zone, a fortified camp that protected a Vietnamese village. It is about the experience of one platoon leader in combat.The camp was surrounded by booby traps and an enemy hidden in daytime. They were able to repel assaults, but took their share of losses. The landing zone for helicopters was outside the perimeter; it was their sole link to headquarters, and their supply line. Their stay there came to an end when their enemy shelled the neighboring village, causing many casualties. The villagers began moving away, negating the need for their camp. They were moved away to a new area. I think the enemy got a new leader, one who read B.H. Liddell Hart's book "Strategy" and used the "indirect approach" to eliminate the camp.
Candid and riveting memoir July 3, 2003
R. J. Marsella (California)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Lt. McDonough writes of his experiences in Viet Nam in such straight forward language with little embellishment and an honest and humble attitude. This is one of the best written depictions of combat I've ever read. His experiences commanding a platoon in the heart of VC country surpass anything that has been portrayed by Hollywood in terms of the difficulty of the mission and the horror of day to day survival in a combat situation. This is one gritty and tough account of day to day life in the Viet Nam war that should be widely read. Ranks right up there with Philp Caputo ,Michael Herr, Tim O'Brien and Tobias Wolff as a contribution to the definitive written record of grunt life in the war.
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