M

by John Sack

An infantry company goes to Vietnam.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, Journalism

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Jewish-American journalist, considered to be the founder of literary journalism.

He was a war correspondent in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Yugoslavia.

His book Eye for an eye about war crimes against the German population of the by Poland annexed part of East Germany has caused an uproar because Sack pointed out the crimes against humanity committed by jews.

Sack was accused of holocaust denial and anti-semitism by various fellow jews and jewish political organisations.

Reviews

[Fred Grogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

M is M Company of the First Infantry Training Brigade from Fort Dix, New Jersey.
Early fiction/documentary telling of an introductory Vietnam experience. Sack was a combat soldier in Korea, later a journalist covering Mike company training in the cold wilds of New Jersey, headed for the jungles of Vietnam.
Written about real people and real situations. New experiences for all, training for a war that had not been fought yet. The story is a collection of moments that contain odd vignettes with some being quite surreal. Charlie surrounding your fire base, flashing dozens of tiny pen type flashlights at your sentries on night watch. Stuff like that.
A look at a war that was not yet known. A Vietnam war story that is not among of a number of retold tales.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book. What I liked? How the author treats the battalion as a whole. Dont want to spoil things but you’ll see. I did not like the juvenile, I guess a way to put it, way of descriptions. Probly better for a younger reader. Teens and twenties. I’m 58 and appreciate alot of different styles. I can see this book having its place. Maybe in a school classroom setting. History or literature class with discussion.

[Amy Schmelzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for Booktube at War. Nonfiction isn’t my thing. War isn’t my thing. But M was an interesting read. Sack’s writing style is different but I liked its quirks. I imagine that Demirgian was pretty mentally unstable when he made it back home.

[Al Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the new journalism set.

[Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book in the Library, it was an interesting look at the induction process, basic training, and placement prevalent during the Vietnam War; purportedly based entirely upon the many aspects of real soldiers J.Sack was "embedded" with before embedding was SOP.

After having read the more encompassing Matterhorn earlier this year, I would suggest this novel to others as a passable prequel to the narrative one reads in Matterhorn, which also rings authentic in many ways.

I would consider this a lucky find on my part...

[Eric Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vying for the title of the best Vietnam War book ever - he followed one company through their tour of duty and wrote a book that nails down the absurdity and awfulness of the war and all wars.

[Bradford W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad sentence structure. Verbose in describing things.