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Captain Harding #1
Captain Harding's Six-Day War
Assigned to baby-sit a loose-cannon colonel at remote Wheelus Air Base, Libya, handsome, hard-charging Captain Joe Harding spends his off-duty time bedding an enlisted medic and a muscular major, then begins a nurturing friendship with the American ambassador's teenage son. The boy swiftly develops a crush on the man, feelings that Joe, a Southern gent with a strong moral sense, feels he cannot acknowledge or return. Joe’s further adventures and misadventures during the course of the novel involve a clerk's murder, a flight-surgeon's drug abuse, a fist-fight in the officers' club bar, a straight roommate whose taste for leather gets him in trouble, the combat death of Joe's former lover, and participation in an all-male orgy witnessed by two very married but somewhat confused fighter jocks.
In the run-up to the 1967 war, a mob attacks the embassy in nearby Tripoli and the deranged colonel sets out to attack an Arab warship. To bring the pilots and their airplanes safely home – and keep the United States out of the war – Joe has two either come out to his closest, straightest buddies or know himself to be a coward, a failure and a traitor to everything that he holds dear.
In the run-up to the 1967 war, a mob attacks the embassy in nearby Tripoli and the deranged colonel sets out to attack an Arab warship. To bring the pilots and their airplanes safely home – and keep the United States out of the war – Joe has two either come out to his closest, straightest buddies or know himself to be a coward, a failure and a traitor to everything that he holds dear.
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First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 30, 2012
There’s something very engaging about Mackle’s writing. I couldn’t imagine that I’d be at all interested in this book–military realism set during a period I know absolutely nothing about–but damn! Mackle (who wooed and won me with his marvellous “It Takes Two“) had me gripped within a chapter of Captain Harding’s Six Day War and I was found myself enjoying reading about life on a military base and all its incestuous hothouse intrigue. Damn you, Elliott Mackle!
Imagine those wonderful 1950′s movies in black and white set in and around army bases. Films starring a youthful Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson and the like dressed in sharp light khaki and white shirts. Well, now add in a very likeable and not-at-all unhappy in his homosexual skin gay man who’s cautious and careful but up for action. Mix in a great supporting cast of friends (male and female) a couple of friends-with-benefits and a beautiful and dangerously young 17 year youth who calls to Harding like a candle does a moth. Shake vigorously with all the stresses that soldiers encounter in a tentative peace that could kick itself off at any time (although the Vietnam War is raging elsewhere) and you have a cocktail which proves to be a hugely gripping read.
Mackle was a soldier himself and draws on much of his own experiences and he delivers real gravitas and truth with this book. The claustrophobic village atmosphere of the base is like a powder keg and it becomes more and more pressurized when everything starts to hot up both militarily and personally for Harding.
Harding is a great character. He has a lot of heart but he’s a man, with very human foibles. He knows the drill when it comes to gaydar and setting up gay encounters. A couple of trusted buddies suits him fine. A NCO, Duane, who is often off base doing medical medicy duties (as you can see my military knowledge is so vast), and Hal–a major who only needs a bit of light “relief” but still can be depended on to watch Harding’s (and consequently his own) back when necessary.
Things start to go to pieces when Harding realises he’s falling for the too-young son of a local diplomat, and the young man professes his crush right back. He knows he’s not in love with Duane, although Duane has fallen in love with him and is desperate for that feeling to be returned. Harding finds himself torn in a dozen different ways, and as life often does, it lands him in a big mess with everything blowing up in his face–literally and figuratively in this case–all at once. A rash decision, fuelled by frustration and drink at a male-only party in town, and Harding’s world threatens to blow itself apart.
Don’t go thinking this is just about gay men getting it on–or not–because it’s far more than that, it’s also a well-researched, well-written story about a dangerous crisis in our near-history and it does a good job, I could easily see this as a film, it would even work well as a stage play, because of the claustrophobic nature of the setting. The characters are varied, entirely three-dimensional and range from every type you’d expect, and some you would not. There’s no open-sky dogfights on the page, just a man trying his best to stop his own world going to hell, the only fire fights that go on are him fire-fighting crises as they occur. It was nail-biting stuff, and towards the end of the book, in the thick of the action, I was holding my breath, alternating with a need to shut the book in case it all went horribly wrong.
The writing is crisp and mature. Not a word wasted or skipped. No extraneous passages; it’s as neat as a career soldier’s bunk space, everything in its place. If I have the smallest of quibbles about the language, it’s that to a complete layperson, such as myself, I was able to pick up some of the jargon that I’d learned from war films, such as NCO and AWOL–but many of the other acronyms were entirely beyond me, such as TDY, BOQ, TAC, OSI and others so I had to guess the gist of what they were saying. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have had a small glossary in for the uninitiated, and for those who are reading in bed and don’t want to get up, go downstairs and look up the words on the computer.
But that’s a very minor quibble, and not even worth chipping off half a point for. This is a proper gay book which strides the chasm of romance and litererachoor beautifully. It will appeal both to those who want a story with gay characters off doing stuff, and those who want Harding to have a satisfactory ending. I’m not spoiling it for you but my eyes were moist, that’s all I’m sayin’.
There are parts of the book that aren’t at all PC. This is 1967 and equal rights (hollow laugh) are still a way off. There are derogatory comments regarding skin colour, race, sexuality and much more. But this is realism, if you can’t handle people talking in a way that they used–still do–speak then go and read something else.
Mackle is probably one of my favourite writers in the genre, and if this spurs him on to write more of the same I’m going to be in the queue with my money clutched in my hand.
Do not miss this book, even if, like me, you don’t think that the setting would interest you. It will.`
Imagine those wonderful 1950′s movies in black and white set in and around army bases. Films starring a youthful Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson and the like dressed in sharp light khaki and white shirts. Well, now add in a very likeable and not-at-all unhappy in his homosexual skin gay man who’s cautious and careful but up for action. Mix in a great supporting cast of friends (male and female) a couple of friends-with-benefits and a beautiful and dangerously young 17 year youth who calls to Harding like a candle does a moth. Shake vigorously with all the stresses that soldiers encounter in a tentative peace that could kick itself off at any time (although the Vietnam War is raging elsewhere) and you have a cocktail which proves to be a hugely gripping read.
Mackle was a soldier himself and draws on much of his own experiences and he delivers real gravitas and truth with this book. The claustrophobic village atmosphere of the base is like a powder keg and it becomes more and more pressurized when everything starts to hot up both militarily and personally for Harding.
Harding is a great character. He has a lot of heart but he’s a man, with very human foibles. He knows the drill when it comes to gaydar and setting up gay encounters. A couple of trusted buddies suits him fine. A NCO, Duane, who is often off base doing medical medicy duties (as you can see my military knowledge is so vast), and Hal–a major who only needs a bit of light “relief” but still can be depended on to watch Harding’s (and consequently his own) back when necessary.
Things start to go to pieces when Harding realises he’s falling for the too-young son of a local diplomat, and the young man professes his crush right back. He knows he’s not in love with Duane, although Duane has fallen in love with him and is desperate for that feeling to be returned. Harding finds himself torn in a dozen different ways, and as life often does, it lands him in a big mess with everything blowing up in his face–literally and figuratively in this case–all at once. A rash decision, fuelled by frustration and drink at a male-only party in town, and Harding’s world threatens to blow itself apart.
Don’t go thinking this is just about gay men getting it on–or not–because it’s far more than that, it’s also a well-researched, well-written story about a dangerous crisis in our near-history and it does a good job, I could easily see this as a film, it would even work well as a stage play, because of the claustrophobic nature of the setting. The characters are varied, entirely three-dimensional and range from every type you’d expect, and some you would not. There’s no open-sky dogfights on the page, just a man trying his best to stop his own world going to hell, the only fire fights that go on are him fire-fighting crises as they occur. It was nail-biting stuff, and towards the end of the book, in the thick of the action, I was holding my breath, alternating with a need to shut the book in case it all went horribly wrong.
The writing is crisp and mature. Not a word wasted or skipped. No extraneous passages; it’s as neat as a career soldier’s bunk space, everything in its place. If I have the smallest of quibbles about the language, it’s that to a complete layperson, such as myself, I was able to pick up some of the jargon that I’d learned from war films, such as NCO and AWOL–but many of the other acronyms were entirely beyond me, such as TDY, BOQ, TAC, OSI and others so I had to guess the gist of what they were saying. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have had a small glossary in for the uninitiated, and for those who are reading in bed and don’t want to get up, go downstairs and look up the words on the computer.
But that’s a very minor quibble, and not even worth chipping off half a point for. This is a proper gay book which strides the chasm of romance and litererachoor beautifully. It will appeal both to those who want a story with gay characters off doing stuff, and those who want Harding to have a satisfactory ending. I’m not spoiling it for you but my eyes were moist, that’s all I’m sayin’.
There are parts of the book that aren’t at all PC. This is 1967 and equal rights (hollow laugh) are still a way off. There are derogatory comments regarding skin colour, race, sexuality and much more. But this is realism, if you can’t handle people talking in a way that they used–still do–speak then go and read something else.
Mackle is probably one of my favourite writers in the genre, and if this spurs him on to write more of the same I’m going to be in the queue with my money clutched in my hand.
Do not miss this book, even if, like me, you don’t think that the setting would interest you. It will.`
April 8, 2020
(Errata: previous review posted here was for the second book in the series Captain Harding and his Men- much apologies!!) And the original review posted way back in 2010 or thereabouts on the now-defunct website AfterElton is alas lost to time.
I have discovered I did save some of my thoughts on Captain Joe Harding (taken from a discussion with another Goodreads reader instead):
"I can see why you was not as enamoured with it . I did like the minutiae of day to day procedurals and red tape …. possibly my administrative background and work made it more conducive to my sensibilities and interest.
As you said – the author veered more towards realism than romance in the telling of Joe Harding’s tale and I really didn’t mind it as that. In so far as Joe’s character development is concerned – this is what I get through my reading:
• he learns to distinguish more between the difference between love and sex – I think he ‘gets’ what love means from being loved – through Kim’s, Duane’s and Crane’s eyes.
• he discovers (and subsequently values) care and friendship that come his way from unexpected places – no-nonsense army superiors, people of colour, straight-laced religious flatmates.
• he knows he’s capable of making monumental errors of judgement – his attempts to stand up for justice and his vendettas against powerful corrupt superiors can have unintended victims as fallout (e.g. Duane and Merlene), his careless drinking sexual escapades has far-reaching consequences not just for himself but also on others – and he discovers forgiveness from these same folk.
• he’s far less ‘superior’ in his personal moral belief standards (and hopefully less selfish) – Duane shows him the humanity of caring for fellow human beings as well how to be more ‘generous’ in spirit.
• he may be willing to let his heart and guard down ... after realising his tendency / pattern to blow hot and cold with potential lovers (i.e. leading them on and then backing away big time).
• I think he sees the awful tragedy of what happens to closeted men with highly internalised homophobia (e.g. the suicides) which I think will inform his advice, counsel and mentoring of younger gay/bi men coming into the forces under his eventual command.
• he gives up some control over his relationships – love cannot be scheduled, organised, categorised, set aside as previously done … I get a sense he let’s go a little more with Crane – rather than running away and hiding behind red-tape, he seems more open to seeing ‘what may happen’ in the next year or two.
Like you I was hoping against hope he would end up with someone relationally but I was glad he didn’t sell himself as well as others short by just going with the flow and ‘accepting’ a relationship not based on mutual love just because it made things easier under the military regime."
I can however add (from distant recollected reading of this book) that my favorite character is Duane and how I wished the author had given more plot time to him, not just in this book, but the subsequent volumes as well. But no - alas.
Definitely a 5 plus star read and worthy of a re-read (note to myself).
I have discovered I did save some of my thoughts on Captain Joe Harding (taken from a discussion with another Goodreads reader instead):
"I can see why you was not as enamoured with it . I did like the minutiae of day to day procedurals and red tape …. possibly my administrative background and work made it more conducive to my sensibilities and interest.
As you said – the author veered more towards realism than romance in the telling of Joe Harding’s tale and I really didn’t mind it as that. In so far as Joe’s character development is concerned – this is what I get through my reading:
• he learns to distinguish more between the difference between love and sex – I think he ‘gets’ what love means from being loved – through Kim’s, Duane’s and Crane’s eyes.
• he discovers (and subsequently values) care and friendship that come his way from unexpected places – no-nonsense army superiors, people of colour, straight-laced religious flatmates.
• he knows he’s capable of making monumental errors of judgement – his attempts to stand up for justice and his vendettas against powerful corrupt superiors can have unintended victims as fallout (e.g. Duane and Merlene), his careless drinking sexual escapades has far-reaching consequences not just for himself but also on others – and he discovers forgiveness from these same folk.
• he’s far less ‘superior’ in his personal moral belief standards (and hopefully less selfish) – Duane shows him the humanity of caring for fellow human beings as well how to be more ‘generous’ in spirit.
• he may be willing to let his heart and guard down ... after realising his tendency / pattern to blow hot and cold with potential lovers (i.e. leading them on and then backing away big time).
• I think he sees the awful tragedy of what happens to closeted men with highly internalised homophobia (e.g. the suicides) which I think will inform his advice, counsel and mentoring of younger gay/bi men coming into the forces under his eventual command.
• he gives up some control over his relationships – love cannot be scheduled, organised, categorised, set aside as previously done … I get a sense he let’s go a little more with Crane – rather than running away and hiding behind red-tape, he seems more open to seeing ‘what may happen’ in the next year or two.
Like you I was hoping against hope he would end up with someone relationally but I was glad he didn’t sell himself as well as others short by just going with the flow and ‘accepting’ a relationship not based on mutual love just because it made things easier under the military regime."
I can however add (from distant recollected reading of this book) that my favorite character is Duane and how I wished the author had given more plot time to him, not just in this book, but the subsequent volumes as well. But no - alas.
Definitely a 5 plus star read and worthy of a re-read (note to myself).
February 24, 2012
Well, I liked the writing, but the story started to lose me. Perhaps it's too real, in the sense that a lot of things can happen at once. But with all the military acronyms and the many different characters, each with his or her own separate conflict, I had a hard time following. I started to lose interest which made me even more lost, just wanting to finish it. At first, I thought it would be a bit of a mystery--forensics on a military base, perhaps--but that didn't pan out. It wasn't a romance, either. Seemed more like a gay man trying to maneuver his way through the military back in the 60's...with no strings attached.
January 26, 2025
This reads as very autobiographical. It's so specific, so exact, so fascinating in its rendering of a particular time and place. Beautifully done; I suppose I'd call it romantic suspense, although there was precious little romance possible for a gay man back then, certainly not in the military. About as scary as a closet could get.
October 25, 2011
In 1967, Captain Harding is working his way up the promotion ladder within the U.S. Air Force. He’s a go-getter with a head on his shoulders and a talent for fixing problems. He is also gay.
The story begins with Captain Harding arriving at his new assignment, the post of executive officer for Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya. It’s a bit of a disappointment for Harding, who knows that he needs a tour in Viet Nam on his record before his next promotion will be approved. His mood takes a nosedive when he realizes his real assignment is baby-sitting the base wing commander, a loose-cannon named Colonel Adger. Harding is stuck taking care of administrative details while Adger constantly flies off to play golf with the bigwigs.
Captain Harding is on base for less than a week before he is bedding an enlisted medic and a rather studly major. Harding makes it clear that he likes to play the field, and is not the type of man to fall in love and be monogamous. And play the field he does, including going to a private party that turns into an all male orgy where he is the center of everyone’s attentions.
During his sexual adventures, he also strikes up a friendship with the American ambassador’s sixteen-year-old son. The two form an instant crush on each other, and Harding must wrestle with the ethical aspects of forming a relationship with a minor. The more his strong moral sense fights the idea, the deeper he falls for this lovely, precocious kid.
While dealing with a series of misadventures—including the murder of a gay serviceman, a flight-surgeon’s drug abuse, the death of his former lover in Viet Nam, and trying to protect a woman accused of being a lesbian because she refused to have sex with her superior officers—Harding must constantly protect himself from being exposed as a gay man. Three officers suspect him, and they attempt to out him at every turn.
In the run-up to Israel’s Six-Day War, a mob attacks the embassy in Tripoli, which takes Harding’s boss, Colonel Adger, over the edge and into madness. He steals a fighter jet and sets out to attack an Arab warship in order to force America into the war. To bring the colonel back safely and keep America out of the war, Harding must out himself while talking the colonel back to base. But can he do that? Can he throw his career away in order to save a man he loathes?
This is a rather compelling book that I have mixed feelings about. It is extremely well written, perfectly structured, and moves at a fast, exciting pace. Mackle captures a brusque voice that suits this military setting perfectly. There is conflict at every turn, and also tender moments.
Yet, I more than once felt I was being set up for something that the story failed to deliver. For instance: the opening pages describe the brutal murder of a young airman who was suspected of being gay. This seemed the perfect hook for a murder mystery, right? But then the story moves on and nothing else is said about the murder until the last twenty pages. I found it rather strange that a book that starts in such a way, simply drops that topic. There is no mention of an investigation, the resolution, nothing.
Then Harding’s last commanding officer, which Harding had some sort of sexual three-way relationship with, sends Harding a note threatening to expose the Captain. However, after the note, it also was dropped and nothing was done to deliver on the promise.
Lastly, the setting itself promised something grand, the Middle East leading up to the Six-Day War. I expected a rather smart, political thriller. Yet, the story focused on Harding’s sexual exploits and his efforts to keep them secret, along with his realization of deeper feelings for that special someone. I felt a bit disappointed that there were only a dozen or so pages that really delved into the war tensions.
Still, this is a compelling read. It is a very sexy story of finding love in the most unusual of places, and also a tale of battling bigotry to save yourself. The author does a brilliant job of defining the protagonists/antagonists. This is definitely a them-verses-us type story, and no matter how little or how much the reader likes Harding’s character, s/he cannot help but pull for him all the way to the last page.
The ending is a bit open ended, and very satisfying. Military buffs will especially appreciate this story, but it is a book that can be appreciated by all readers.
The story begins with Captain Harding arriving at his new assignment, the post of executive officer for Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya. It’s a bit of a disappointment for Harding, who knows that he needs a tour in Viet Nam on his record before his next promotion will be approved. His mood takes a nosedive when he realizes his real assignment is baby-sitting the base wing commander, a loose-cannon named Colonel Adger. Harding is stuck taking care of administrative details while Adger constantly flies off to play golf with the bigwigs.
Captain Harding is on base for less than a week before he is bedding an enlisted medic and a rather studly major. Harding makes it clear that he likes to play the field, and is not the type of man to fall in love and be monogamous. And play the field he does, including going to a private party that turns into an all male orgy where he is the center of everyone’s attentions.
During his sexual adventures, he also strikes up a friendship with the American ambassador’s sixteen-year-old son. The two form an instant crush on each other, and Harding must wrestle with the ethical aspects of forming a relationship with a minor. The more his strong moral sense fights the idea, the deeper he falls for this lovely, precocious kid.
While dealing with a series of misadventures—including the murder of a gay serviceman, a flight-surgeon’s drug abuse, the death of his former lover in Viet Nam, and trying to protect a woman accused of being a lesbian because she refused to have sex with her superior officers—Harding must constantly protect himself from being exposed as a gay man. Three officers suspect him, and they attempt to out him at every turn.
In the run-up to Israel’s Six-Day War, a mob attacks the embassy in Tripoli, which takes Harding’s boss, Colonel Adger, over the edge and into madness. He steals a fighter jet and sets out to attack an Arab warship in order to force America into the war. To bring the colonel back safely and keep America out of the war, Harding must out himself while talking the colonel back to base. But can he do that? Can he throw his career away in order to save a man he loathes?
This is a rather compelling book that I have mixed feelings about. It is extremely well written, perfectly structured, and moves at a fast, exciting pace. Mackle captures a brusque voice that suits this military setting perfectly. There is conflict at every turn, and also tender moments.
Yet, I more than once felt I was being set up for something that the story failed to deliver. For instance: the opening pages describe the brutal murder of a young airman who was suspected of being gay. This seemed the perfect hook for a murder mystery, right? But then the story moves on and nothing else is said about the murder until the last twenty pages. I found it rather strange that a book that starts in such a way, simply drops that topic. There is no mention of an investigation, the resolution, nothing.
Then Harding’s last commanding officer, which Harding had some sort of sexual three-way relationship with, sends Harding a note threatening to expose the Captain. However, after the note, it also was dropped and nothing was done to deliver on the promise.
Lastly, the setting itself promised something grand, the Middle East leading up to the Six-Day War. I expected a rather smart, political thriller. Yet, the story focused on Harding’s sexual exploits and his efforts to keep them secret, along with his realization of deeper feelings for that special someone. I felt a bit disappointed that there were only a dozen or so pages that really delved into the war tensions.
Still, this is a compelling read. It is a very sexy story of finding love in the most unusual of places, and also a tale of battling bigotry to save yourself. The author does a brilliant job of defining the protagonists/antagonists. This is definitely a them-verses-us type story, and no matter how little or how much the reader likes Harding’s character, s/he cannot help but pull for him all the way to the last page.
The ending is a bit open ended, and very satisfying. Military buffs will especially appreciate this story, but it is a book that can be appreciated by all readers.
August 25, 2012
Loved this. Written by someone who lived in the time frame, reads like an autobiography. Highly recommended. Erastes wrote an incredible review.
September 19, 2017
Elliott Mackle’s war experiences show through in every line of “Captain Harding’s Six Day War,” and it’s this verisimilitude that makes the book believable and credible. The characters are complex, his dialogue natural, and his asides are insightful. You’ll enjoy not only this but subsequent entries in the Captain Harding series. Lock and load and dig in.
September 29, 2011
4.5/5.0
Hah! I really enjoyed this book. The writer pulled me in to the story from page one. I meant to skim it to read later and ended up reading it in one sitting. It's all about Captain Joe Harding's escapades at the Wheelus Military Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. Set in the 1960's right before the Six Day War in the Middle East. That Joe is something else! "He's got balls." He's in the military, gay, and deep in the closet -- he has to be in order to keep his career intact and himself out of the brig. Remember these are the 1960's so it's worse than let's say.... last year! He transferred in as a crazy Colonel's right hand man and administrator with the idea of being discreet and maintaining a low personal profile. But that's just not Joe!
In a short period of time Joe's having under cover affairs with two different men, making goo goo eyes at the American Ambassador's young son, and getting himself and a friend in trouble at an all-men party turned orgy. Joe's not very subtle, even though he really tries. In the meantime he's making friends and enemies. As both he and his friends become embroiled and get caught in the middle of military politics, often due to deep-set prejudices (related to race, sexual orientation and gender), Joe becomes bolder in his attempts to save himself and his friends from disaster, and wages his own Six Day War at Wheelus. Of course as in all wars, expect victory, defeat, some wounded and casualties.
This is a fast paced story, full of excellent military details. I loved Joe's story, from the sexual escapades and attempts at self-deception that affected his personal life, to the manipulative machinations that he and friends used to achieve their ends (complete their mission) at the military base. The secondary characters are wonderful in this story too (both friends and foes). Disbelief must be suspended a couple of times before the end, and those pesky military acronyms get to be a bit much at times, however, this was a great read with a surprisingly sweet ending. This is my first read by Elliott Mackle and I really enjoyed the writing style. I’ll follow up by reading It Takes Two.
Hah! I really enjoyed this book. The writer pulled me in to the story from page one. I meant to skim it to read later and ended up reading it in one sitting. It's all about Captain Joe Harding's escapades at the Wheelus Military Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. Set in the 1960's right before the Six Day War in the Middle East. That Joe is something else! "He's got balls." He's in the military, gay, and deep in the closet -- he has to be in order to keep his career intact and himself out of the brig. Remember these are the 1960's so it's worse than let's say.... last year! He transferred in as a crazy Colonel's right hand man and administrator with the idea of being discreet and maintaining a low personal profile. But that's just not Joe!
In a short period of time Joe's having under cover affairs with two different men, making goo goo eyes at the American Ambassador's young son, and getting himself and a friend in trouble at an all-men party turned orgy. Joe's not very subtle, even though he really tries. In the meantime he's making friends and enemies. As both he and his friends become embroiled and get caught in the middle of military politics, often due to deep-set prejudices (related to race, sexual orientation and gender), Joe becomes bolder in his attempts to save himself and his friends from disaster, and wages his own Six Day War at Wheelus. Of course as in all wars, expect victory, defeat, some wounded and casualties.
This is a fast paced story, full of excellent military details. I loved Joe's story, from the sexual escapades and attempts at self-deception that affected his personal life, to the manipulative machinations that he and friends used to achieve their ends (complete their mission) at the military base. The secondary characters are wonderful in this story too (both friends and foes). Disbelief must be suspended a couple of times before the end, and those pesky military acronyms get to be a bit much at times, however, this was a great read with a surprisingly sweet ending. This is my first read by Elliott Mackle and I really enjoyed the writing style. I’ll follow up by reading It Takes Two.
January 16, 2013
This is the first book I've read by Author Elliott Mackle. I'm impressed! Right from the beginning he has drawn me into what I think is a great story. The story takes place at Wheelus AFB near Tripoli. A young airman is found dead off-base, his body naked and ravished by predatory birds. Captain Joe Harding, newly arrived for duty as the Wing Commander's Executive Aide, has his first assignment of settling the affairs of this young man who had been sexually assaulted and left to die. There are strong beliefs that the airman had been gay and thus the reason for his attack. For Captain Harding, he is just hoping that no one finds out about his own history of being gay. This novel is set during the Vietnam War when President Johnson was in office. It depicts the fear of many to be discovered when being gay was not tolerated in the military. It also deals with the games one has to play in order to survive. Author Elliott Mackle reveals cover-ups and deceptions of those who want to appear perfect, but yet fail to live up to honesty and their high ranks. This story is a novel, but there are many facts he brings out that are true. A very absorbing, revealing story. I look forward to reading more stories from this very talented author.
July 12, 2015
I enjoyed this novel. At first I thought it was going to be about solving the mystery of the brutal killing of a young airman. This was true for part of the novel, but it was mostly about the difficulty and danger involved in being a gay man during that time period (late 1960's). I think there was probably even more hatred of homosexuals in the armed forces than existed within the general public at that time, probably because soldiers were considered to be "he-men" and of course homosexuality was considered to be a perversion and could get a gay soldier thrown into prison.
This novel was thoroughly engaging from the beginning. The characters were certainly very interesting. I thought the character of Joe Harding, who seemed to be a pretty intelligent main character sometimes seemed a bit foolhardy and impulsive when it came to meeting his own sexual needs. To me, this seemed out of character for Captain Harding.
Overall, it was a very good book and I will most likely read the other novel in the series.
This novel was thoroughly engaging from the beginning. The characters were certainly very interesting. I thought the character of Joe Harding, who seemed to be a pretty intelligent main character sometimes seemed a bit foolhardy and impulsive when it came to meeting his own sexual needs. To me, this seemed out of character for Captain Harding.
Overall, it was a very good book and I will most likely read the other novel in the series.
September 18, 2013
From its splendid "pulp fiction"-style cover (UK has a good but less apt one) to the "to be continued yet satisfactory ending" Joe Harding's war is an involved, page-turning, character-involving, realistic masterpiece. Don't expect full-on hard-core sex, yet there is an erotic charge to this story that many books never achieve. Since so many have already rated it highly I think, like another reviewer, I'll leave it to Erastes to do the convincing, and to quote him: "The writing is crisp and mature. Not a word wasted or skipped. No extraneous passages; it’s as neat as a career soldier’s bunk space, everything in its place."
I shall be reading the sequels, Captain Harding and his Men and Welcome Home, Captain Harding.
I shall be reading the sequels, Captain Harding and his Men and Welcome Home, Captain Harding.
December 19, 2011
Fascinating setting at a USAF base in Tripoli, Lybia in 1966, while the US war in Viet Nam was ongoing, which creates the main appeal of this novel. I found the tone grim, and it reads more like a memoir than a novel, but has a convincing sense of place and time. Captain Harding makes an unlikable narrator, who is supposed to be an ace at his job, but seems prone to foolish, self-destructive and callous behavior. The novel is anxiety-inducing from beginning to end, as Harding makes one inexplicably risky decision or statement after another. I kept waiting for the doom he seemed to be courting to fall on him.
Maybe I was disappointed because this is so different in tone and style from Mackle's "It Takes Two," which I enjoyed very much.
Maybe I was disappointed because this is so different in tone and style from Mackle's "It Takes Two," which I enjoyed very much.
February 7, 2017
There is an awful lot packed into this first Captain Harding offering, but the author handles it well and it does make me want to continue with the series. The only real complaint revolves around the murder which opens the novel. The reader may believe that this is going to be a murder mystery, but that plot element gets shoved to the side very quickly and is resolved almost as an after thought.
July 31, 2012
I went in thinking that this was a gay romance novel. Was I in for a surprise. Just reading the first page should have warned me off.
This is a very well written novel telling a very realistic story about life in the Air Force in the late sixties. It's not that this book isn't all about gay folks - it is. It's just not the usual HEA.
This is a very well written novel telling a very realistic story about life in the Air Force in the late sixties. It's not that this book isn't all about gay folks - it is. It's just not the usual HEA.
March 9, 2013
Here's a fascinating account of what it's like to be gay in the military. While my edition did not feature the campy vintage cover art of the edition listed here, the novel nevertheless blends humor, romance and action. Be sure to also read the sequel, 'Captain Harding and his Men.'
If you liked 'The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up' and 'Wingmen,' be sure to check out Mackle's work.
If you liked 'The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up' and 'Wingmen,' be sure to check out Mackle's work.
mission-aborted
January 10, 2012I may return to this one day but right now, it's not quite the type of story I enjoy. Even though there's supposed to be a romance (maybe even an HEA), the style is more gay lit and I'm not in the mood for that right now.
November 8, 2012
3.5 stars
Entertaining story despite the fact that it's not a true romance. I liked the cast of characters and the plot was interesting which surprised me as the time period and military war stories aren't really my thing. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
Entertaining story despite the fact that it's not a true romance. I liked the cast of characters and the plot was interesting which surprised me as the time period and military war stories aren't really my thing. Looking forward to reading the sequel.
July 8, 2012
Initially I couldn't decide whether this was a four or five star for me, but my reaction to the surprise that there is a sequel to this, told me that it must be a five. I have to read more about these characters!
February 6, 2013
６０年代、空軍、舞台はリビアという設定なので、好みの別れるところではありますが、（あと英語も現代物のようにツルツルとは読めないし）これはヒットでした！２巻もあるのですよ、うれしいことに。
けっこうオモテになる主人公ではありますが、経験を積んでいるだけに大人な面もあって、流されてしまえばよさそうなものをググッと我慢したり、自分が不利になるかもしれないことを承知の上で、恩を受けた相手には最善を尽くそうとするあたり、好感のもてる人物像です。２巻では幸せに浸る瞬間がやってくるのかなあ。。。
けっこうオモテになる主人公ではありますが、経験を積んでいるだけに大人な面もあって、流されてしまえばよさそうなものをググッと我慢したり、自分が不利になるかもしれないことを承知の上で、恩を受けた相手には最善を尽くそうとするあたり、好感のもてる人物像です。２巻では幸せに浸る瞬間がやってくるのかなあ。。。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2012
I enjoyed it. Three and a half stars. It was different and I learnt rather more than I expected about army life. I liked the mix of politics, shenanigans, sex and friendship. I liked Harding as a narrator - flawed and realistic. I'd definitely read another - I want to know what Harding does next.
August 9, 2011
Very enjoyable read. My only complaint is the deus ex machina solution of all MC's problems.
June 22, 2014
A well told story that held my interest. The setting for the story was unique and was laid out well. I enjoyed the book, however, the ending felt a bit rushed and was too contrived.
Four Stars!
Four Stars!
November 16, 2014
Great read.....recommended A +
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