It's hard to read of young marines becoming so inured to war and to the Vietnamese they were nominally sent to assist that they would strip a dead girl naked just to see her pussy.
But that too is how it was, and Webb includes it all. It is almost unbelievably intense; one fire fight after another, dead comrades left and right; but that too is how it was, and Webb captures it all. Webb succumbs to preachiness in one final chapter, when the college boy Goodrich comes home This book. It's like The Call of the Wild, a book that should be in every young man's library. It's the seminal novel of the Vietnam war.
Shame on me for putting the experience off for so many years, and yes, "experience" is the word I meant to use. Fields of Fire is to be experienced, not merely read. Aug 03, Fred rated it really liked it Shelves: historical. Apr 02, Josh rated it really liked it. Feb 10, rains rated it it was ok. It has some bits of less-than-good writing that expose Webb's self-aware tinkering as a writer in the background, especially in the characters' backstories and the chapters that take place Stateside, but the in-country, combat, and "boonies" parts, like the book itself generally, are much better: exciting, engaging, dramatic, often funny.
Excluding the somewhat forgettable and therefore unnecessary prologue, "Fields of Fire" starts with looooong backstories of two of the central characters — Snake and Lt. But then the story really gets going once it moves to Vietnam, where it begins with a combat scene — the "Where's Baby Cakes?
What follows is the story of a squad in a Marine platoon in Vietnam, and it is pure Vietnam stock: casualties and new arrivals, artillery barrages and ambushes, tracers in the night, booby traps and the sputtering of AKs, patrols and "sweeps," burning down villages and brutalizing the Vietnamese, the climate and the terrain, rice paddies and elephant grass, lots of marching and digging, brief respites "in the rear," bitching about lifers, getting stoned, "fraggings," racial tensions among the U.
I've always been tempted to craft a story about the Vietnam War that consisted of all the standard images, stereotypes, and the by-now familiar scenes and characters associated with the conflict, but I think Webb's already done it.
It's all here. The characters are drawn boldly and engagingly, even though most reflect something of the stereotypes you'd expect in a pop-culture story about a squad of U. Larry Heinemann's "Close Quarters" is so naturalistic and has characters so unlikable it's impossible to get close to and sympathize with them.
Like existentialism. Suffering without meaning, except in the suffering instead. Vietnam, of course, could not offer a similar significant timeline, so the plot of "Fields of Fire" is instead limited to the typical thirteen months of a Marine's tour - specifically the tours of some of the central characters - and the march mostly consists of the unit's rotating in and out of the same barren areas to carry out minor patrols and ambushes that never add up to any kind of decisive victory, each man's war ending the moment his tour ends, either because he's done the time, or because he's been seriously wounded or killed; this comparison, I think, illustrates neatly the fundamental difference in experience of the U.
Department of Defense said no. Tom Hanks, are you reading this? About the different perspectives thing: some characters receive more prime time than others, but the narrative switches quite freely from one man's view to another's. Many are provided with chapters detailing their backgrounds. There's also Dan, a Vietnamese peasant-turned Viet Cong-turned deserter to the Marines, in equal measure worthy of pity and condemnation.
His appearance is a very rare instance in U. If that someone wanted a straightforward, experience-based, highly readable work about the U.
Nov 08, Barry Medlin rated it it was amazing. James Webb knows the landscape and he puts you on the ground and in the fight!!
Never too proud to go for the cheap joke, I'll start by saying this is the best book so far by anyone who has formed a US Presidential campaign exploratory committee.
But it is — seriously — an extremely good novel. It should probably be forced on all of those who seem to rise up once a generation of so for the purpose of needlessly sending somebody else's children into harm's way while they sit safely at home. It's damn unpleasant to read — just like war was, and is, damn unpleasant to li Never too proud to go for the cheap joke, I'll start by saying this is the best book so far by anyone who has formed a US Presidential campaign exploratory committee.
It's damn unpleasant to read — just like war was, and is, damn unpleasant to live through. It's obviously a war novel, but its politics — like Webb's — are difficult to fit into the traditional categories. Given the traditional alternatives today, I guess that's a compliment. There are the standard villains of the US conservative viewpoint: The spoiled, rude, hypocritical campus trust-fund radicals, for example. Standard conservative heroes are on display too: As a Yankee, the seemingly-unavoidable worship of Robert E.
Lee here put into the mouth and head of the character who is the closest thing to the author's stand-in always makes me want to grind my teeth, however Webb's style is powerful enough to make such obvious wrong-headedness believable and sympathetic, if not actually reasonable. But Webb is also savvy enough to know that there are also villains to be found with patriotism on their lips, and this type of character makes an appearance, as well as the paperpushers, careerists, leaders from the rear, and uniformed pocket-liners who inevitably evidence themselves just far away enough from the field of battle.
It seems unlikely that anyone who can write as clearly and plainly as Webb will be able to endure the insanity-inducting process of a presidential campaign, especially pitted against the entrenched interests of the two dynasties who are responsible for the situation we find ourselves in. I just don't think he'll be able to speak for months on end in the platitudes necessary to bring a campaign to a successful conclusion. But I hope that I'm wrong — we should be electing Presidents because they've done something worthwhile like writing this book , instead because their husband, father, or brother was someone who had the job before.
All of this is more about US politics than the book — sorry. It's a good book. Read it. Nov 09, Robert rated it it was amazing. The story is told from many different vantage points, ranks within the military, different races, economic classes, pacifists. By doing this James Webb eliminated most bias ideas so that I could read a balanced book that took no sides. This book takes the horrors of war and shoves them in your face.
It felt like I was in the bush with these men, li "Fields of Fire" a realistic Vietnam war book by James Webb, in the perspective of James Webbs experiences in Vietnam as a foot soldier in the "bush". It felt like I was in the bush with these men, like they became my brothers in arms.
I felt this way because I got to learn about who they were, James Webb pretty much made me bond with these strangers so that I had genuine brotherly feelings for these men. As people died I wanted to be able to help them but I couldn't because I was trapped behind the paper that divides our worlds.
I felt the hate for our enemy and the distrust we had for the villagers that constantly watched our every move when on a patrol. I could only watch and read as my comrades were shot and chewed up by lead. Webb chose an interesting way to tell us about Vietnam. He constantly switches between perspectives, which is really risky in the sense of confusing the reader.
In the beggining I was confused because I thought Webb was talking about one person until I saw that they were doing seperate things. The book does eventually clear up so the beggining being confusing doesn't hurt the story. All in all this book is a great way to see how soldiers endure[d] war. It shows how some people can handle war by calussing and how others can't handle the emotional pressures of war.
I recommend that everyone in high school or above should read this book to get a perspective of what military pesonnel are effected by when deployed. Dec 27, Addy rated it liked it. It gave me high expectations which I do not think were ever fully realized. The novel follows a group of young Marines and details their experiences in Vietnam. The characters were alright; I wished some of them had had more time to narrate their experiences.
The three main narrators seemed like archetypes I had met before in war novels, b "In my opinion, the greatest of the Vietnam novels! The three main narrators seemed like archetypes I had met before in war novels, but some of the side characters touched on for a page or two seemed more interesting to me. Perhaps this issue I had with the characters reveals my biggest issue with this book in its entirety.
I felt like I was reading war novels I had read before, and the themes and ideas presented were not explored in a new and different way. I walked away from this book not hating it, but not impressed with it in any way; and I would have to say, the review on the cover was most misleading.
I would move to have it changed. On the whole, it was a mediocre read. May 24, TheBookWarren rated it really liked it Shelves: world-news-and-or-current-affairs , ancient-modern-history , warfare-germ-warfare-espionage , non-fiction , rcmnd-to-me-by-multiple-sources. This is a powerhouse of a novel, that resonates with future and last generations in equal parts. Oct 22, Anna rated it really liked it Shelves: military-war-peace-security. Confession of a long-time Red Crosser: the Vietnam war always interested me and the music from that era still kicks ass - Jefferson Airplane - I say no more.
This book is by far one of the best books I've read on that subject. It follows a number of soliders based on actual persons, as they say - how and why they decided to join the Marines, but mostly it is about a 6-month period in Vietnam.
It reads like fiction, but it implicitly asks a number of difficult questions: what is "wrong", what i Confession of a long-time Red Crosser: the Vietnam war always interested me and the music from that era still kicks ass - Jefferson Airplane - I say no more.
It reads like fiction, but it implicitly asks a number of difficult questions: what is "wrong", what is "right" and what happens to a person's notion of either during war? Oh, and a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo as well. Nov 09, Alex Ginsberg rated it liked it.
The junior senator from Virginia's brutal look at the Vietnam War. Plenty of war-related depressing brutality, but the real downer is how, in Webb's view, nobody on either side - hawks or doves - really cared about the guys who had to serve, or understood them. It was a polarizing moment in American history, but what Webb reminds us is that many of the men who fought the war wound up unable to relate to either side of the great cultural divide.
Serving in combat, Webb seems to be telling us, ren The junior senator from Virginia's brutal look at the Vietnam War. Serving in combat, Webb seems to be telling us, renders one unable to relate to anything else or to interact with or understand ordinary people back home. Oct 05, Cameron rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction , history. This book is a good example of how good fiction is based on fact. In this case, Webb's experiences in Nam. He doesn't shy away from the naughty bits either - I recall he caught some criticism for describing some underage prostitution but hey, props to him for keepin' it real, especially since he was a politician when he was writing it.
Jan 24, Pat Dugan rated it it was amazing. This is how it really was and I know, because I was there with the author. Jan 23, Bob Mayer rated it it was amazing. 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. Jan 08, B. Reed rated it really liked it. Fields of Fire is a realistic novel about a platoon of grunts infantry and their experiences in the bush.
Set in the fields of Vietnam outside Da Nang , you will meet some interesting characters US marines. I liked the way the book ended with the confrontation between two Harvard men, one who fought in the war and one who ran to Canada. You can disagree with the politics of the war but I think it would be unwise to judge young men who fought the war. They answered the call, they did not run. The writer, Jim Webb, also answered the call.
He was there as an infantry officer a leader of young men and knows of what he writes. Aug 16, Terri rated it did not like it Shelves: american-military-and-foreign-polic , modern-war , own , vietnam-war. Couldn't finish it. I am surprised at all the terrific reviews. I felt the writing skill to be sorely lacking. View all 9 comments. Fields of Fire is one of my favorite books. Aug 17, Sarah rated it it was amazing Shelves: adult , war , american-history.
This is a book I read and reread when I was in high school. I'm finally tossing out my old nasty paperback copy, but I wanted to make sure I marked it here as read and awesome. Feb 25, Whiskey added it. It is the year , and young men are becoming soldiers for different reasons. The Vietnam War was something hard to understand for most people. The men who fought in the war were either drafted or they signed up on their own accord. Snake, Hodges, and Senator are the three main characters of the story.
There are several other characters throughout the story that they each encounter in one way or another. Before enlisting in the service, Senator lived with his mother and father and attended Harv It is the year , and young men are becoming soldiers for different reasons. Before enlisting in the service, Senator lived with his mother and father and attended Harvard. His father is a lawyer and his mother is a homemaker.
When the draft swept through and took the young men to war, his friends found ways to dodge the draft, whether it was fleeing to Canada or taking pills to fail the draft physical.
They all found ways, but Senator did not. He faced his future head on and took it like a man. He had no idea what he would be facing in Vietnam. His parents were very proud of him. Snake enlisted in the service on his own accord. He lived with his mother and stepfather in a bad part of town. His life was never simple.
He went from job to job after quitting high school and never knew what his future held for him. He was always fighting and getting into drugs.
The one thing he was always good at was fighting. His mother told him that one day his temper would get him into trouble. One day he walked into a tattoo parlor and got another tattoo. His most recent tattoo had the words, "Death Before Dishonor". Right after getting the tattoo, he walked straight into the recruitment office and signed up for the Marines.
He went to boot camp shortly after enlisting and was a big success. This was partly due to his rough upbringing and lack of showing emotion. The other men looked up to him for guidance. He thought he had finally found the career meant for him.
Hodges's reasons for enlisting were largely due to his ancestors, who had fought in every battle and war that came along. His father had died in a war before he was born and his mother kept his memories tucked away in a locker. The locker was kept in the barn outside of the house and Hodges learned early on how to crack it open and rummage through his father's memories.
Hodges mother remarried and had two more children, but Hodges was the last of his line. His grandmother his father's mother lived nearby and he visited her every Sunday. They would sit and talk about the wars of yesterday and how brave his father was.
She talked about all of the Hodges before him and how they also fought in battles for the betterment of America. This made him proud and also reminded him of what was in his blood. Read Online Download. Great book, Fields of Fire pdf is enough to raise the goose bumps alone. Add a review Your Rating: Your Comment:. Hot Second Chances by T. Webb by T. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. Read more from the Study Guide.
Browse all BookRags Study Guides. Copyrights Fields of Fire from BookRags. All rights reserved. Toggle navigation. Sign Up. Sign In. Get Fields of Fire from Amazon. View the Study Pack. View the Lesson Plans. Order our Fields of Fire Study Guide. Plot Summary. Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter Free Quiz.
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