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The Delta
Maj. Sam Brooks, forbidden to fly fighters by his nemesis Col. Jack Jones, earns the Silver Star flying reconnaissance flights and subsequently becomes involved in a dangerous ground mission with the Green Berets. By the author of Cadillac Flight.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 9, 2018
A man has got to sleep and that’s basically the only reason you can put away this book.. it’s that good.
Enjoyed it very very much. Start to finish!
Enjoyed it very very much. Start to finish!
February 11, 2023
Given how contentious the Vietnam War became in the United States, it is not surprising that the period before the Gulf of Tonkin event is generally lost to history. The famous and largely fictitious attack on a US navy ship in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964 was used to inject over 500,000 US troops into the country.
However, before that, the war was generally between the indigenous Vietcong and the army of South Vietnam. There were less than 20,000 American personnel in South Vietnam before 1964, most of which were in nebulous advisory roles. The timeframe of this novel is during that time.
Major Sam Brooks is a former fighter pilot that was found in a sexual compromising position with the wife of a Colonel. That Colonel is a vindictive man, acting behind the scenes to deny Brooks promotions, the lack of which will mean that he will be discharged from the air force.
In an attempt to salvage his career, Brooks agrees to become a forward air controller (FAC). He will be flying a very slow prop plane over the combat regions, directing air attacks from jet fighters and the injection of combat teams via helicopters. Despite a lack of experience, Brooks proves to be very good at this dangerous job, winning significant commendations.
While the combat scenes are exciting and entertaining, in my opinion the best part is the proper setting of the context of the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam at that time. Harrison clearly understands the situation, repeatedly stating how most of the peasantry had no love for the government of South Vietnam or the Vietcong. They simply wanted to be left alone to plant and harvest their crops.
The regular bickering between officers of South Vietnam, the constant threats of military coups and countercoups and how sometimes they would bomb each other is mentioned. Amid the environment of chaos and corruption among the South Vietnamese leaders, the cynicism of the American military officers is darkly refreshing. The Americans were supposedly there to save South Vietnam, yet their greatest enemies were often the cynical, unreliable South Vietnamese.
The American involvement in Vietnam was doomed from the start. One side of the combat equation fought to unite their country, and the other side fought for personal gain. While most of the people simply wanted to be left alone to live their lives in peace. While this is about winning accolades in war, the explanation of the background makes this much more than a war novel.
However, before that, the war was generally between the indigenous Vietcong and the army of South Vietnam. There were less than 20,000 American personnel in South Vietnam before 1964, most of which were in nebulous advisory roles. The timeframe of this novel is during that time.
Major Sam Brooks is a former fighter pilot that was found in a sexual compromising position with the wife of a Colonel. That Colonel is a vindictive man, acting behind the scenes to deny Brooks promotions, the lack of which will mean that he will be discharged from the air force.
In an attempt to salvage his career, Brooks agrees to become a forward air controller (FAC). He will be flying a very slow prop plane over the combat regions, directing air attacks from jet fighters and the injection of combat teams via helicopters. Despite a lack of experience, Brooks proves to be very good at this dangerous job, winning significant commendations.
While the combat scenes are exciting and entertaining, in my opinion the best part is the proper setting of the context of the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam at that time. Harrison clearly understands the situation, repeatedly stating how most of the peasantry had no love for the government of South Vietnam or the Vietcong. They simply wanted to be left alone to plant and harvest their crops.
The regular bickering between officers of South Vietnam, the constant threats of military coups and countercoups and how sometimes they would bomb each other is mentioned. Amid the environment of chaos and corruption among the South Vietnamese leaders, the cynicism of the American military officers is darkly refreshing. The Americans were supposedly there to save South Vietnam, yet their greatest enemies were often the cynical, unreliable South Vietnamese.
The American involvement in Vietnam was doomed from the start. One side of the combat equation fought to unite their country, and the other side fought for personal gain. While most of the people simply wanted to be left alone to live their lives in peace. While this is about winning accolades in war, the explanation of the background makes this much more than a war novel.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews