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Peace Is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O'Brien
The first literary biography of Tim O'Brien, the preeminent American writer of Vietnam War and one of the best writers of his generation, with never-before-seen materials and interviews.
"Vietnam made me a writer." —Tim O'Brien
Featuring over one hundred interviews with family, friends, peers, and others—not to mention Tim O'Brien himself—Peace is a Shy Thing provides a nearly day-by-day, gripping account of O'Brien's thirteen months as an infantryman in Vietnam and gives equal diligence to reconstructing O'Brien's writing process.
Alex Vernon's comprehensive research uncovered countless gems about O'Brien's life and the journey that made him into a literary icon, including an unpublished short story about O'Brien from his college girlfriend, documentation of his comical involvement with the Washington Post's coverage of Watergate, and a 1989 attic exchange between American and Vietnamese writers on the eve of the publication of O'Brien's most beloved book, The Things They Carried, years before the two countries normalized relations.
Peace is a Shy Thing is as much a history of the era as it is a story of O'Brien's life, from his small-town midwestern midcentury childhood, to winning the National Book Award and his status as literary elder statesman. A story which Vernon, a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War and a literary scholar trained by officers and professors of the Vietnam era, is uniquely suited to cover.
"Vietnam made me a writer." —Tim O'Brien
Featuring over one hundred interviews with family, friends, peers, and others—not to mention Tim O'Brien himself—Peace is a Shy Thing provides a nearly day-by-day, gripping account of O'Brien's thirteen months as an infantryman in Vietnam and gives equal diligence to reconstructing O'Brien's writing process.
Alex Vernon's comprehensive research uncovered countless gems about O'Brien's life and the journey that made him into a literary icon, including an unpublished short story about O'Brien from his college girlfriend, documentation of his comical involvement with the Washington Post's coverage of Watergate, and a 1989 attic exchange between American and Vietnamese writers on the eve of the publication of O'Brien's most beloved book, The Things They Carried, years before the two countries normalized relations.
Peace is a Shy Thing is as much a history of the era as it is a story of O'Brien's life, from his small-town midwestern midcentury childhood, to winning the National Book Award and his status as literary elder statesman. A story which Vernon, a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War and a literary scholar trained by officers and professors of the Vietnam era, is uniquely suited to cover.
560 pages, Hardcover
Published May 27, 2025
82 people are currently reading
4308 people want to read
About the author
Alex Vernon
15 books22 followersFrom Prairie Village, Kansas, Alex Vernon graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (the only literature major in his class of over a thousand), served in combat as a tank platoon leader in the Persian Gulf War, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The recipient of an Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Book Award and a National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship, he is the M.E. & Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of English at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 30, 2025
Thank you to the publishers for an early copy of PEACE IS A SHY THING, a literary biography of the American writer Tim O’Brien, which releases May 27th.
PEACE IS A SHY THING is a solid and interesting read that sheds light on Tim O’Brien’s life, inspirations, and literary process. I especially appreciated the in-depth look at O’Brien’s time in Việt Nam.
The war scenes can be intense and challenging to read, but they are invaluable in illuminating O’Brien’s experience, disillusionment, and the influences in his fiction. I’m still chewing over O’Brien’s thoughts on complicity and morality, they are just as vitally relevant to today as they were in the 1960s…
O’Brien’s entire life story and literary career is covered with sensitivity and detail, but I felt the author missed many chances to push deeper. As the epilogue attests, the author is a personal friend of O’Brien and I think this friendship colors the whole book, for better or worse. I would’ve appreciated a biography that interrogated O’Brien more fully.
PEACE IS A SHY THING was definitely an interesting and at times revealing read, but I’m still waiting for a definitive biography that doesn’t pull its punches.
Trigger/content warnings:
PEACE IS A SHY THING is a solid and interesting read that sheds light on Tim O’Brien’s life, inspirations, and literary process. I especially appreciated the in-depth look at O’Brien’s time in Việt Nam.
The war scenes can be intense and challenging to read, but they are invaluable in illuminating O’Brien’s experience, disillusionment, and the influences in his fiction. I’m still chewing over O’Brien’s thoughts on complicity and morality, they are just as vitally relevant to today as they were in the 1960s…
O’Brien’s entire life story and literary career is covered with sensitivity and detail, but I felt the author missed many chances to push deeper. As the epilogue attests, the author is a personal friend of O’Brien and I think this friendship colors the whole book, for better or worse. I would’ve appreciated a biography that interrogated O’Brien more fully.
PEACE IS A SHY THING was definitely an interesting and at times revealing read, but I’m still waiting for a definitive biography that doesn’t pull its punches.
Trigger/content warnings:
September 25, 2025
Peace Is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O’Brien (2025) by Alex Vernon is described by Kirkus Review as “A well-considered work of literary biography of a writer ranked among Hemingway and Crane as a chronicler of combat.” This assessment certainly holds true throughout Vernon’s exploration of O’Brien’s life and legacy.
My interest in Tim O’Brien began when I first read his acclaimed work, The Things They Carried, a poignant depiction of soldiers’ experiences during the Vietnam War. O’Brien’s firsthand combat experience vividly informed his portrayal of the conflict and the complexities of returning home to a country that was, at best, ambivalent about its veterans. Seeking to understand more about the man behind these powerful stories, I turned to Vernon’s biography.
Delving into Peace Is a Shy Thing proved to be rewarding. Vernon’s meticulous research and robust narrative shed light not only on O’Brien’s literary accomplishments but also on the emotional threads that shaped both his life and his writing.
One reoccurring ‘new awareness’ that resonated deeply was Vernon’s analysis of how O’Brien’s rooted sense of anxiety and rage—directed at both his country and himself—became the basis for his distinctive style. Vernon points out how O’Brien’s prose often moves between humor and suffering, reflecting a persistent tension rooted in his wartime experiences and personal conflicts.
For instance, Vernon points out that: “O’Brien is affable, warm, loyal and funny,’ but he ‘can be prickly to the point of being a prick.” Vernon also understands that his subject’s “good humor stands on a foundation of anxiety and rage,” a lasting fury “towards the magnanimous nation and the polite hometown that sent him to a repugnant war. Toward himself for letting them send him, the great moral failure of his life.”
Vernon’s biography provides insights into O’Brien’s emotional complexity. This honest portrayal enhanced my understanding of the motivations and vulnerabilities that inform O’Brien’s work.
Although I have only read The Things They Carried, Vernon’s biography introduced me to several of O’Brien’s other notable books—such as Northern Lights, Going After Cacciato, In the Lake of the Woods, and If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Send Me Home—further illustrating the breadth of his literary career and the recurring themes of conflict, memory, and personal reckoning.
Peace Is a Shy Thing is a thorough, detailed, and revealing biography that provides a profound look into both Tim O’Brien’s life and his creative process. Vernon’s analysis deepened my appreciation for O’Brien’s emotional complexity and the way his experiences shaped his writing style and themes. If you want to take a deep dive into Tim O’Brien, the writer and the person, I am betting you will find Peace Is a Shy Thing to be a satisfying read. I sure did!
My interest in Tim O’Brien began when I first read his acclaimed work, The Things They Carried, a poignant depiction of soldiers’ experiences during the Vietnam War. O’Brien’s firsthand combat experience vividly informed his portrayal of the conflict and the complexities of returning home to a country that was, at best, ambivalent about its veterans. Seeking to understand more about the man behind these powerful stories, I turned to Vernon’s biography.
Delving into Peace Is a Shy Thing proved to be rewarding. Vernon’s meticulous research and robust narrative shed light not only on O’Brien’s literary accomplishments but also on the emotional threads that shaped both his life and his writing.
One reoccurring ‘new awareness’ that resonated deeply was Vernon’s analysis of how O’Brien’s rooted sense of anxiety and rage—directed at both his country and himself—became the basis for his distinctive style. Vernon points out how O’Brien’s prose often moves between humor and suffering, reflecting a persistent tension rooted in his wartime experiences and personal conflicts.
For instance, Vernon points out that: “O’Brien is affable, warm, loyal and funny,’ but he ‘can be prickly to the point of being a prick.” Vernon also understands that his subject’s “good humor stands on a foundation of anxiety and rage,” a lasting fury “towards the magnanimous nation and the polite hometown that sent him to a repugnant war. Toward himself for letting them send him, the great moral failure of his life.”
Vernon’s biography provides insights into O’Brien’s emotional complexity. This honest portrayal enhanced my understanding of the motivations and vulnerabilities that inform O’Brien’s work.
Although I have only read The Things They Carried, Vernon’s biography introduced me to several of O’Brien’s other notable books—such as Northern Lights, Going After Cacciato, In the Lake of the Woods, and If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Send Me Home—further illustrating the breadth of his literary career and the recurring themes of conflict, memory, and personal reckoning.
Peace Is a Shy Thing is a thorough, detailed, and revealing biography that provides a profound look into both Tim O’Brien’s life and his creative process. Vernon’s analysis deepened my appreciation for O’Brien’s emotional complexity and the way his experiences shaped his writing style and themes. If you want to take a deep dive into Tim O’Brien, the writer and the person, I am betting you will find Peace Is a Shy Thing to be a satisfying read. I sure did!
April 11, 2025
Peace is a Shy Thing is a biography of writer, Tim O'Brien. Although a well-known and very respected writer, of the Vietnam War era, I had never read any of his works. This biography is very thorough, although sometimes dry in places. It definitely has made me want to read some of O'Brien's work, and I think current readers of his will really enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
November 20, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Vernon, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 6, 2025
I have read many of O’Brien’s books. I have been moved by his honesty in writing about war and the tragedy of it all. The effect one year has on one’s life is truly astounding when that one year was a year mired in war. Therefore I found Peace Is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O’Brien has too much art and not enough life. I often got bogged down in the analysis of O’Brien’s writings and longed for more insight into his life. It took me sometime to get through the book due to baseball, life and I’m a slow reader. Worth the effort however.
August 8, 2025
I have taught O'Brien's The Things They Carried for years and it's a book I will always consider one of the finest and most heartbreaking books I've ever read. Learning more about its author was the best way to end my time teaching the novel.
September 30, 2025
Not quite a biography, not quite literary criticism, not quite hagiography. As a veteran, I love his The Things They Carried, but haven’t read any of his other books. After reading this book, it seems to me that all of his books are a mix of fiction and non-fiction and all of them are essentially telling the same stories about his combat tour in Vietnam over and over again.
October 18, 2025
This was a great read. Part biography, part how a book is written, and part a history of the Vietnam war, I enjoyed it immensely. Made me put some of O'Brien's books back on my reading list.
September 7, 2025
I just read this biogaphy and was disappointed having read several of O'Brien's books. As other reviews have noted, this is long on art and short on the substance of O'Brien's life. It is almost comical how Vernon reveals O'Brien's first extramarital affair, a double life he lead for some nine years. It reads like a footnote rather than something that should have been plumbed for more insight.
Vernon assumes that anyone reading this will 1) have read all of O'Brien's work, and 2), love him as an author, foibles and all. That's the challenge of biography that falls into hagiogaphy. While Vernon is entitled to his POV on O'Brien's writing styles and influences, his editor would have done the reader better by cutting back some of the psychology and giving us a little more about the times in which O'Brien was writing. There's very little on how well his books performed sales-wise, aside from awards won and critical acclaim in the MSM. And all of the references to short stories published in magazines and how they contributed to his books gets a little dense and reads more fan-boy than critic. That's to be expected given Vernon's own background writing military history and nonfiction, as well as being an admirer of O'Brien.
Other interesting facts get lost in the narrative. The author talks about O'Brien's sister's cancer, but you never really know unitl later that she survived. He mentions O'Brien's agent, Lynn Nesbit, but later references he represented himself. This may all seem like publishing industy insiderism, but his changing of agents and publishers should have been explored as an extension of O'Brien's prickly nature. Magazine editors who love his work are quoted; what about the pieces that were rejected, and why? These would add valuable insight into an author's state of mind.
An example of an obvious overlook: there is no list of his published works. That's a huge oversight for anyone doing a biography. Yes, yes, we can all Google the titles, but O'Brien's works were subsequently published by others, so a full accounting of his book titles and published magazine articles would have served the reader well.
All in all, an interesting read, but the reader should do a lot of front-end reading of O'Brien's work to fully understand this biography.
Vernon assumes that anyone reading this will 1) have read all of O'Brien's work, and 2), love him as an author, foibles and all. That's the challenge of biography that falls into hagiogaphy. While Vernon is entitled to his POV on O'Brien's writing styles and influences, his editor would have done the reader better by cutting back some of the psychology and giving us a little more about the times in which O'Brien was writing. There's very little on how well his books performed sales-wise, aside from awards won and critical acclaim in the MSM. And all of the references to short stories published in magazines and how they contributed to his books gets a little dense and reads more fan-boy than critic. That's to be expected given Vernon's own background writing military history and nonfiction, as well as being an admirer of O'Brien.
Other interesting facts get lost in the narrative. The author talks about O'Brien's sister's cancer, but you never really know unitl later that she survived. He mentions O'Brien's agent, Lynn Nesbit, but later references he represented himself. This may all seem like publishing industy insiderism, but his changing of agents and publishers should have been explored as an extension of O'Brien's prickly nature. Magazine editors who love his work are quoted; what about the pieces that were rejected, and why? These would add valuable insight into an author's state of mind.
An example of an obvious overlook: there is no list of his published works. That's a huge oversight for anyone doing a biography. Yes, yes, we can all Google the titles, but O'Brien's works were subsequently published by others, so a full accounting of his book titles and published magazine articles would have served the reader well.
All in all, an interesting read, but the reader should do a lot of front-end reading of O'Brien's work to fully understand this biography.
August 13, 2025
I was so happy to see this book about Tim O’Brien - I loved The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato 30 years ago and though I cannot recall details, I carry the feeling and essence with me to this day. I enjoyed reading about O’Brien’s life. I look forward to re-reading both and reading more/all of his work.
I struggled with this biography because I found it to be too long and poorly edited. There were times when I found it almost incoherent (chapter 18) and I nearly gave it up. I could not keep track of names - fictional/non-fictional (maybe that was the point? To channel the magical realism of O’Brien?).
The chapters on the Vietnam War were hard to follow but I suspect that that was what being there felt like to a great degree. What was the point? Was there any progress in a forward direction?
I struggled with this biography because I found it to be too long and poorly edited. There were times when I found it almost incoherent (chapter 18) and I nearly gave it up. I could not keep track of names - fictional/non-fictional (maybe that was the point? To channel the magical realism of O’Brien?).
The chapters on the Vietnam War were hard to follow but I suspect that that was what being there felt like to a great degree. What was the point? Was there any progress in a forward direction?
June 20, 2025
Excellent biography of an excellent writer (and human being).
Not merely the story of an iconic figure of my (“boomer” and ‘Nam vet) generation. Not just a timeline of an its subject’s well-lived life. But, it’s a wonderful evocation of the artist’s struggle to provide audiences entertainment and instruction, further sapiens’ understanding of its place in the cosmos, coming to grips with existence, how books get published….
Biographer never lets reader down re: what’s going on in the universe vis a vis O’Brien’s world.
Personally, Mr. O’Brien’s labors elicited in my mind many many, too many, resonate moments. (“Papa,” Albert Camus, etc. would be proud.)
Not merely the story of an iconic figure of my (“boomer” and ‘Nam vet) generation. Not just a timeline of an its subject’s well-lived life. But, it’s a wonderful evocation of the artist’s struggle to provide audiences entertainment and instruction, further sapiens’ understanding of its place in the cosmos, coming to grips with existence, how books get published….
Biographer never lets reader down re: what’s going on in the universe vis a vis O’Brien’s world.
Personally, Mr. O’Brien’s labors elicited in my mind many many, too many, resonate moments. (“Papa,” Albert Camus, etc. would be proud.)
February 11, 2025
If you are looking for a very in depth biography of Tim O’Brien then this is your book. Such an insightful book with a ton of insights into his writings and such. Overall the book read almost like an academic biography, not a bad thing at all. Very well written and would definitely recommend!
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2025
I went into this having only read The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato, but I wish I had read all of Tim O'Brien's works before reading the biography for further context. Just the same, I thoroughly enjoyed it. O'Brien's approach to telling the story of the Vietnam War plays havoc with time and reality -- a kind of endless fever dream -- and Vernon grounds O'Brien's experiences in the war with a clear timeline. He makes sense of what was a senseless experience for the famous writer. But there is more to it than just his war-time experiences -- the book covers an entire life. The research, the cross-referencing of lived experiences, letters, and published (and unpublished) literary works had to have been a daunting task as this biography came together, but I appreciated all of it.
It takes courage to write an honest, in-depth biography of a great writer who deals in the currency of the written word. Especially such a meticulous one as O'Brien, who is still alive and probably has no qualms about voicing his criticism of your work. But there's not much to criticize. This is a great book.
It takes courage to write an honest, in-depth biography of a great writer who deals in the currency of the written word. Especially such a meticulous one as O'Brien, who is still alive and probably has no qualms about voicing his criticism of your work. But there's not much to criticize. This is a great book.
March 14, 2025
“Peace Is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O'Brien,” by Alex Vernon (ASIN: B0DCHKZ1BJ), Publication date 27 May 2025, earns three stars.
Clearly this work represents a prodigious effort, filled with historical details, reminiscences, and contextual detail. However, the author was not of Ernest Hemingway’s or Stephen Crane’s level, as was hopefully advertised. Before reading it, and based on that advertising alone, I had great hopes for the biography, but I was ultimately dissatisfied with the telling. On one hand, I laud the research effort needed and admire the persistence necessary to craft the narrative. Like most lives examined, O’Brien’s life complicated, but also quite interesting. However, the story seemed to be presented more as a stream of consciousness, which I do not find appealing either conversationally or in writing. That affected the chronology and narrative flow of the story of O’Brien’s life and broader work. The good news is this book stimulated me to read Tim O’Brien’s own words…and I do look forward to that.
Sincere thanks to the author and St. Martin's Press for granting the reader the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
Clearly this work represents a prodigious effort, filled with historical details, reminiscences, and contextual detail. However, the author was not of Ernest Hemingway’s or Stephen Crane’s level, as was hopefully advertised. Before reading it, and based on that advertising alone, I had great hopes for the biography, but I was ultimately dissatisfied with the telling. On one hand, I laud the research effort needed and admire the persistence necessary to craft the narrative. Like most lives examined, O’Brien’s life complicated, but also quite interesting. However, the story seemed to be presented more as a stream of consciousness, which I do not find appealing either conversationally or in writing. That affected the chronology and narrative flow of the story of O’Brien’s life and broader work. The good news is this book stimulated me to read Tim O’Brien’s own words…and I do look forward to that.
Sincere thanks to the author and St. Martin's Press for granting the reader the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
May 18, 2025
This book is full of historical insights, recollections, and historical context. This is a wonderful book that has an abundance of information about Tim O'Brien's writings and how they came to be.
If you are looking for an in-depth story of Tim O'Brien, this is the book for you.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
If you are looking for an in-depth story of Tim O'Brien, this is the book for you.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
June 10, 2025
I won this in a goodreads giveaway and this is an honest review
I had actually never heard of Tim O’Brien (a little before my time), so I was interested to learn about him. I thought the book was very thorough and I appreciate the respectful approach of the author in sharing Tim’s life and experiences. It was intense in some parts and dry in others, so it took me a while to get through this one. But, I leaned something new and might go check out some of Tim’s work as a result
I had actually never heard of Tim O’Brien (a little before my time), so I was interested to learn about him. I thought the book was very thorough and I appreciate the respectful approach of the author in sharing Tim’s life and experiences. It was intense in some parts and dry in others, so it took me a while to get through this one. But, I leaned something new and might go check out some of Tim’s work as a result
July 2, 2025
There is a lot of information in this book and if you are looking to know everything you could ever want to know about author Tim O'Brien then this is the book for you.
I had some trouble with Vernon's writing style, but that is a personal preference rather than a dig at the extraordinarily research and fully conceptualized work that Vernon created.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.
I had some trouble with Vernon's writing style, but that is a personal preference rather than a dig at the extraordinarily research and fully conceptualized work that Vernon created.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.
July 7, 2025
Een geweldige biografie van een groot schrijver. Ik heb niet alles van O'Brien gelezen, maar vond zijn 2 boeken over Vietnam bijzonder goed. In deze biografie vind je weer veel terug over de Vietnamoorlog en de naeffecten voor veel mensen, zowel in de VS als in Vietnam.
Het boek is boeiend geschreven, het is duidelijk dat de schrijver een vriend van Tim O"Brien is of wordt. Het is zo uitgebreid, dat het mij doet denken aan een dissertatie, maar dat doet niet af aan de leesbaarheid.
Het boek is boeiend geschreven, het is duidelijk dat de schrijver een vriend van Tim O"Brien is of wordt. Het is zo uitgebreid, dat het mij doet denken aan een dissertatie, maar dat doet niet af aan de leesbaarheid.
July 29, 2025
This book is very well researched and written down to the smallest detail. Fans of Tim O'Brien will enjoy it. As someone who did not know who Tim O'Brien was, it was still an interesting read. The graphic injuries and deaths in Vietnam were difficult to read about, but writing honestly about war requires that.
August 11, 2025
The best thing about this book is the title. Alex Vernon’s deep friendship with Tim O’Brien complicates the narrative which intermingles real life with O’Brien’s fiction, not always effectively. The negative is brushed over—2 sentences on cocaine and not a lot more on the failure of his first marriage. What is clear is the lasting impact of Viet Nam.
January 8, 2026
Whew… this is a book written for writers. Most detailed book I have rerun many years. I have read hundreds of books on Vietnam, and this book introduced me to many more I have yet to read. A tough but rewarding read.
March 24, 2025
4.5 stars
June 7, 2025
I suspect this will be the definitive (exhaustive) biography of Tim O'Brien for quite some time. Well written, well read.
September 1, 2025
Interesting but could have been half as long.
October 5, 2025
I think a pretty awesome writer - great? A complicated guy and maybe not the nicest. Certainly makes me want to read more
November 11, 2025
A look at how O'Brien became a writer.
December 10, 2025
Big fan of Tim O'Brien! Enjoyed learning about who he is and his life story.
April 18, 2025
I received this ARC book from Goodreads Giveaway on 3/20/2025.
November 12, 2025
Compelling biography of the writer Tim O'Brien.
I listened to the audio version.
Highly recommend.
I listened to the audio version.
Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews