For the Sake of All Living Things

by John M. Del Vecchio

Told though the lives of a Cambodian family ripped apart by 10 years of bloody struggle and the American advisor whose fate becomes intertwined with theirs, For the Sake of All Living Things is a gritty, uncompromising portrayal of one of the most brutal conflicts of modern times. Includes maps.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, War, Military Fiction

842 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1990

About the author

John M. Del Vecchio graduated from Lafeyette College in 1969. He was drafted and sent to Vietnam in 1970, where he served as combat correspondent in the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). In 1971 he was awarded a Bronze Star for Heroism in Ground Combat. He is author of The 13th Valley, Darkness Falls, Carry Me Home, For the Sake of All Living Things, and other works.

Reviews

[Doubledf99.99]

I've had this book on my bookshelf for years, and after watching, The Killing Fields a few weeks ago it was high time to read this novel. This is is a powerful but yet a brutal and scary read about the rise of a killing machine, when politics, propaganda, indoctrination and a nationalistic fervor go horribly wrong putting a nation on the path to genocide. The novel covers a family from a small farming village and the different paths each family member undertook to survive. The maps are good they cover the battles mentioned in the book and the journeys of the family members.

[victor harris]

A very powerful book that shows the circumstances that led to the to takeover by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia/Kampuchea. Although fiction, it has the verisimilitude of reality as it covers the village recruitment and training of the killers in the Pol Pot regime that would terrorize Cambodia in the mid-70s. This is an excellent supplement to the film - " The Killing Fields."

[O2grace]

I wept.

[Macbheath]

A well written and engrossing book, otherwise I wouldn't have finished it as it was so disturbing. Although a fictional account, it provides context to a time and place which has been over-shadowed by events in Vietnam. It is a story that needed telling. I read it shortly after it came out in paperback and recently bought another copy to re-read but I haven't found the courage yet as I know sadness awaits. Be brave and read it and weep if you must. The Killing Fields is also great, but did not have the gut wrenching effect. Close though.

[Teresa Horner]

This book changed my life, and made me cry and feel a surge of emotions of appreciation for human life so much. I felt anguish, and actual physical, mental and emotional torture that the characters endured. War is certainly hell; and sometimes there are guides that somehow soothe the slow steps, and somehow enables death to be a sweet world of peace.

[Dark Star]

Extremely engaging book about Cambodia during the Vietnam War, and after. The killing fields and horrendous butchering of human lives. It was one of the saddest books I've ever read. Written by a US soldier/advisor during the Vietnam War and is real and gritty. I sweated, I cried, and at times I just had to get my thoughts together to continue. The characters are unforgettable.

[Bonnie]

It took me an entire summer to read this book. I had to keep putting it down to take a break from reading because I was not able to deal with the enormity of the brutality of which humans are capable.

[David]

Another one to read

[Terry Cornell]

It took a long time to get through this. The historical part, about Cambodia and the killing fields during the late 1970s was informative and somewhat explained what happened. The fiction part, although I'm sure pretty accurate, was some of the most miserable, horrific writing I have ever read. I had to finish it to find out what happened to the characters. I don't know who I would recommend this to. Frightening in that I see some correlation to the group think of the far left these days in the US to the communist cadres fighting among themselves in Cambodia.

[Melodie Wendel-Cook]

"There is something much worse than war and that is unopposed genocide."


For me personally it was going to be a three; but he has lots of research and observation (it started dragging at halfway point) so would give a 4 for content. His final thoughts chapter bumped it up to 4 without explaining: his words are still relevant in 2026 when talking about mental world as the people's war zone.

[Jim]

Long and bizarre, but deeply engaging. I found the ethical question of an American author writing Cambdodian experiences continually distracting. However, the product is compelling, even if a little long.

[Carl Kerstann]

One of the most heartbreaking books I've ever read. The true story of the fall of Cambodia and the "killing fields" years. This book will open your eyes to what happens during a genocide when the world just turns it's back and pretends it isn't happening.

[Deborah W]

A huge, heavily detailed book.....I got a third of the way through but had to return it to the library when my holds ran out. I plan to check it out again and finish it, but not for awhile. Very gritty, a lot of the stuff is hard to read, but I will want to know how it all ends.

[Sotaing]

Cambodia under communist control regime

[Rick Book]

A novel that traces the rise of the Khmer Rouge and its grisly genocide in Cambodia. The most powerful and disturbing book I've ever read.

[Thom Dunn]

A lengthy novel about Pol Pot's infamous regime and the "killing fields" of Cambodia.