Targets: A Vietnam War Novel

by Don McQuinn

“Targets has the smell of cordite and fear on its pages. I read it in one sitting and lost a night’s sleep over it. The novel is that good." -Walter F. Murphy, author of The Vicar of Christ From retired Marine Don McQuinn comes Targets. A Vietnam War novel unlike any other, this story will take you inside the counter-intelligence efforts in Saigon and give you a rare glimpse at the iconic conflict. Landing in Saigon in 1969, Marine Major Charles Taylor is faced with a city ravaged by decades of war. Its streets and alleyways teem with refugees, soldiers, and corruption. Soon after arrival, Taylor is recruited into a secretive counter-intelligence operation. His covert pursuit of a Viet Cong collaborator thrusts him deep into the dangerous underbelly of Saigon. He must quickly learn more about the tangled web of the Vietnam War than he ever thought possible. His survival depends on it.

Can Taylor find his target and leave a mark on this impossible war without sacrificing his honor - or his life?

Available in print and ebook for the first time since its original publication, Targets has been heralded as one of the best novels of the Vietnam War. The story will give you an intimate look at the lives and struggles of those involved, American and Vietnamese alike. Read Targets Today

Genres: War, Amazon, Military Fiction

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2017

About the author

Don McQuinn is an American best-selling author and retired U.S. Marine. He was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, and lived in several places before moving to Texas. Don graduated from Galena Park HS, and after a year of military school in Minnesota he won a USNROTC scholarship to the University of Washington.

After graduating with a BA in English, Don served twenty years in the Marines. He served the first half of his career as an infantry officer and the second half as an intelligence officer, including tours in Korea and Vietnam. He retired as a Major in 1971 and started his new career as an author not long after.

His books have won major awards and been on bestseller lists, and he's written in genres that range from science fiction to contemporary literary fiction. He lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his three grown sons.

Reviews

[Lenora Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legalities first: I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been enjoying McQuinn's novels for several years. Mostly, I read his space operas and fantasies, recently I've discovered some of his war novels. Oh, what a discovery I have made!

Targets follows Charles Taylor, MAJ, USMC during a year's tour of duty in Saigon during the Vietnam war. This is not a story of shoot –'em up bang bang out in the jungle type of episodes. No, this is a much more thoughtful, and thereby fear inducing, of life and love in war-torn Saigon. There are the guys who just want to survive and get home, the guys who want to make a positive difference, and the ones who want to stab a few of the others in the back. And through it all are the Vietnamese who just want the war to end and everybody to go back home.

This is not the first story of that war I've read, but it is the first story of that war I've read where the Vietnamese play a major, and positive, supporting role. While this is not a novel of battles in the rice paddies or jungles, there is enough violence in the city—assassinations and attempted assassinations, back alley beat-downs, and kidnappings—to keep anyone's adrenaline flowing smoothly.

McQuinn also shows the world that a good yarn can be twisted without peppering it with profanities. The yarn is stronger, the twist tighter, and the woven story superb!

If you like a well-written novel, read Targets.
If you like a good story, read Targets.
If you want to know what war is about, read Targets.

[bill massey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vietnamese the

You spent time in Vietnam or knew someone who was there. I am ashamed for our American people who treated our veterans so terribly wrong when they got home. Reading your book was one of the best I have read in quite a while.

[Charles Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many books have been written about the Vietnam War; memoirs from the men and women who experienced the blood and dirt of the war, fictional accounts of the grunts in the boonies, and allegorical novels of things that never were. As a veteran of that conflict, I’ve read most of them, impressed by some, troubled by many, and entertained by a few, but never before have I read a novel about Vietnam that affected me so profoundly as Targets by Don McQuinn.
Marine Major Charles Taylor, a Korean War veteran, about to end his service after being denied promotion to lieutenant colonel, is starting his second tour in Vietnam. Burned out and disaffected, he’s not looking forward to spending his year as a paper-pusher in the headquarters in Saigon, but as a good marine, he goes where he’s ordered. When the gruff, but enigmatic Colonel Winters offers him a job with his top-secret, off-the-books unit, Taylor is not impressed at first, but then decides, ‘what the hell!’ and accepts the assignment. The research unit’s mission is to conduct counterintelligence operations to neutralize or eliminate the enemy—regardless of which side they’re on.
Very quickly, Taylor finds himself mired in intrigue, deceit, and betrayal—and, at the same time, he finds love, only to have it snatched away. He’s forced to decide just how far he’s willing to go, and whether he can do his job and still retain his honor.
Though fictional, this book tells the story of Vietnam in a way that few before it have been able to accomplish. The reader is taken into the minds and hearts of the people on both side of the battle lines, but more importantly, those who inhabit the middle ground, and those who fight in the shadows, where success is not rewarded with medals and adulations, and failure is met only with contempt.
If you think you understand the war, after reading this book, you’ll realize that you didn’t know jack. This one will keep you up at night, long after you stop reading.

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I know somewhere, there’s a good story lurking in the four hundred and twenty-five pages. Sadly, I never found it.

My biggest complaint is the unending description of every character’s movement, facial expression and detail of how they said what they said. Grass growing or paint drying isn’t this painful to watch. For me, it clogged up the story line.

I’m a meat and potatoes guy, and this definitely missed the mark for me.

If you’re a reader who relishes and thrives on minutia, you will not be disappointed.

[WILLIAM WILSON · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I felt a little lost. Maybe if I had actually gone there it would have been better understood. As it stands, I was totally confused. The characters were very confusing, especially with the names of the Vietnamese being used, and then with the different military titles used, sometimes the names, sometimes the rank, made it hard to keep track of who was who. Were there good guys and bad guys? I think so I'm just not sure where thedifference begins and where it ends. There is a story there. It just has yet to be told

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did, and read about a third of the way through before giving up. I almost always finish a book, even if it's mediocre, so the fact that I quit this one says something. Reading this book felt like I imagine slogging through the rice paddies of Vietnam would feel. The author's use of language was sometimes interesting and at other times mind numbing. I cannot recommend this book.

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

To sum it up-LONG WINDED. There was way too much talking and rehashing the hash and way too little action. The title had me chomping at the bit to get started on it only to be bitterly disappointed. I slogged through it and will admit there were some emotional moments, hence the generous 3 star rating, but overall, it was downright boring.

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters, good plat but way too long! This book dragged where it should not have done so! Any Nam vet reading it will think as I think, that this book could have been presented 9n 1/2 the space/time with the same information passed on. It was good but just too much info was set forth that was unnecessary to the story.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lost war, a better novel

I started thinking about halfway through, that the story would end like the earl. Was surprising that the end instead was a tribute to those patriots who contributed to those who cares

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old fashioned special forces.

Taylor spent his final year of service in a special unit in Vietnam where outwardly they pushed paper but in reality they tried to bring in the worst of the oppressors.

[Masina Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infiltration Fighters

This is a very good novel about infiltration from both sides during the Vietnam War. It has intense graphic action throughout. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading war novels.

[M.J.D.BURKE · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different slant from the norm

Not what I was expecting but nevertheless a decent read. It does well to transport you to a different era and supplies a few anti heroes from the norm giving a different slant from the standard Vietnam wham, bam all out action good v bad.

[Dave Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

A good historical novel with gritty action that does not involve battle between forces, just individuals. Great character development in that you feel the angst and frustration of what is happening around them with the inability to effect it.

[Steve Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written by an author who was there and "did that"

McQuinn's true life experiences bring an undeniable sense of realism to his writing. His plot is well crafted and draws you in to the storyline. I had trouble putting this book down!

[Warren Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unusual sides of the war.

Enjoyed reading. The book had unusual events that kept you on edge wondering, "what next". I enjoyed the insight into what was going on around the war.

[Gary Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit reading it. It never picked up.

[Peggy Pancherz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Storyline continues to grow and develop. Characters are realistic and get better and better. Read all of the books in order to really enjoy.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Found it hard to follow and to me not interesting.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#

[John Treanor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into it. Had trouble with the characters and who was who, and the story just never really grabbed me. Did not finish, only made it about 1/4 or less of the way.

[daisy riddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real thriller!

An intricately told tale of the Vietnam war, the hopes, fears and frustrations are all there. I had a job to put the book down, totally gripping!

[Alan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't actually manage to complete it

[Chris Page · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did get to the end but was a struggle, just wasnt engaging

[John Roach, · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable. Thoroughly enjoyed it

[Byron Edgington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we have a novel that was clearly written by an author who's been there; done that. Targets is the story of a Marine Major passed over for promotion, exiled to Saigon as a desk jockey, then recruited into one of those top secret, 'if I told you I'd have to kill you' units. McQuinn is the real deal. His subtle, almost exhausting layout of detail, character, plot, and geography make this a definitive counter-insurgency tale. No spoilers, but avid readers of Vietnam fare will follow this intricate, dark-alley cloak and dagger story with interest, because it's written to reflect the subtly mysterious scenes, and noir ambiance that describe the Asian mind and character during that inexplicable and enigmatic war. That Taylor, Winter, and Harker are able to interpret that setting, and to successfully operate within its confines, is tribute to soldiers who actually did learn the Vietnamese character in those trying times and solved the Rubik's Cube of Vietnam.
Four stars only because the interaction between Taylor and Ly seemed a bit too simple and predictable. Also, there was a notable lack of cursing in the book. I spent a year in Vietnam flying helicopters, and around the bar at night, well... Political correctness was not the order of the day.
But the writing is powerful, and deliberate. Overhead fans are 'whispering and snickering.' Americans 'replace justice with legality.' 'Nobody joins the Corps who doesn't have something to prove.' The book references some of the quintessential characters from the Vietnam war: The 'white mice' of Saigon, Major Denby, the typical REMF, Winter the hard charging career man, Barline the ambulance chasing, left-leaning journalist out to further his career, and the duplicitous Binh, a stock figure in the shadowy, double-agented underworld of 1969 Saigon.
Targets has it all. If you want a war thriller, and a damn good read with historical relevance, McQuinn's 'Targets' is you book.
Byron Edgington author of A Vietnam Anthem. A Vietnam Anthem: What The War Gave Me