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Terug naar Saigon
Brandon Condley, een Amerikaanse ex-marinier, is belast met het opsporen van soldaten die sinds de Vietnam-oorlog worden vermist. Vijfentwintig jaar na dienst verdwijning komt hij voormalig infanterist Theodore Deville op het spoor, die niet alleen deserteerde, maar ook zijn strijdmakkers in een hinderlaag van de Vietcong lokte. Wanneer blijkt dat Deville nog springlevend is en bovendien actief in de georganiseerde misdaad, zet Condley een grimmige achtervolging in - van Vietnam naar Australië, van Rusland naar Thailand en ten slotte weer terug naar de broeierige straten van Saigon. Een genadeloze jacht die hem meesleurt in een maalstroom van intriges en geweld waar heden en verleden samenvloeien...
Once in a great while there comes a novel of such emotional impact and acute insight that it forever changes the way a reader sees a nation or an era. Writing with an unerring sense of suspense and of history experienced firsthand, James Webb takes us on a myth-shattering cultural odyssey deep into the heart of contemporary Vietnam, with a riveting thriller that tells a love story — love for those who perished, for family and friends, and between a soldier and the land where he had always been ready to die.
Brandon Condley survived five years of combat as a U.S. Marine only to lose the woman he loved to an enemy assassin. Now he is back in Vietnam, working to recover the remains of unknown American soldiers. On a routine mission, Condley finds a body that doesn’t match its dog tags — a body that propels him into a vortex of violence and intrigue where past and present become one.
As the mystery of the dead man unravels, a link is revealed to two well-known killers: “Salt and Pepper,” a pair of treasonous Americans who led a deadly Viet Cong ambush against Condley’s own men. Galvanized by a fresh trail to these long-lost deserters, Condley has finally found a purpose: Under the auspices of his government job, he is going to hunt down the traitors. On his own, he is going to kill them.
Condley’s hunt cannot be kept secret from his former enemies, or his friends. And in the shadows that linger from Vietnam’s long season of darkness and terror, he has no way of knowing which side is more dangerous.
Surrounding him is an unforgettable cast of characters: Dzung, Condley’s closest friend, a South Vietnamese war hero who might have led his country if his side had won the war, now reduced to driving a cyclo as his family starves in Saigon’s District Four. Colonel Pham, a battle-hardened Viet Cong soldier who lost three children to American bombs. Manh, a cutthroat Interior Ministry official who blackmails Dzung into a mission of murder. The Russian soldier Anatolie Petrushinsky, who left his soul in Vietnam as his empire collapsed around him. And the beautiful Van, Colonel Pham’s daughter, who spurns the scars of war as she pursues her dreams of freedom.
As Condley stalks his elusive prey across old battlefields and throughout Eurasia, returning always to the brooding streets of Saigon, his mission — and the odds of his surviving it — grow more precarious with each step he takes toward the truth.
Lost Soldiers captures the Vietnam of past and present — its beauty and squalor, its politics and people. Propelled by a page-turning mystery, shot through with adventure and intrigue, it irrevocably transforms our view of that haunted land and brings us as complete an understanding as we will ever have of what happened after the war — and why. No writer today is more qualified to take us into that world than James Webb.
From the Hardcover edition.
Once in a great while there comes a novel of such emotional impact and acute insight that it forever changes the way a reader sees a nation or an era. Writing with an unerring sense of suspense and of history experienced firsthand, James Webb takes us on a myth-shattering cultural odyssey deep into the heart of contemporary Vietnam, with a riveting thriller that tells a love story — love for those who perished, for family and friends, and between a soldier and the land where he had always been ready to die.
Brandon Condley survived five years of combat as a U.S. Marine only to lose the woman he loved to an enemy assassin. Now he is back in Vietnam, working to recover the remains of unknown American soldiers. On a routine mission, Condley finds a body that doesn’t match its dog tags — a body that propels him into a vortex of violence and intrigue where past and present become one.
As the mystery of the dead man unravels, a link is revealed to two well-known killers: “Salt and Pepper,” a pair of treasonous Americans who led a deadly Viet Cong ambush against Condley’s own men. Galvanized by a fresh trail to these long-lost deserters, Condley has finally found a purpose: Under the auspices of his government job, he is going to hunt down the traitors. On his own, he is going to kill them.
Condley’s hunt cannot be kept secret from his former enemies, or his friends. And in the shadows that linger from Vietnam’s long season of darkness and terror, he has no way of knowing which side is more dangerous.
Surrounding him is an unforgettable cast of characters: Dzung, Condley’s closest friend, a South Vietnamese war hero who might have led his country if his side had won the war, now reduced to driving a cyclo as his family starves in Saigon’s District Four. Colonel Pham, a battle-hardened Viet Cong soldier who lost three children to American bombs. Manh, a cutthroat Interior Ministry official who blackmails Dzung into a mission of murder. The Russian soldier Anatolie Petrushinsky, who left his soul in Vietnam as his empire collapsed around him. And the beautiful Van, Colonel Pham’s daughter, who spurns the scars of war as she pursues her dreams of freedom.
As Condley stalks his elusive prey across old battlefields and throughout Eurasia, returning always to the brooding streets of Saigon, his mission — and the odds of his surviving it — grow more precarious with each step he takes toward the truth.
Lost Soldiers captures the Vietnam of past and present — its beauty and squalor, its politics and people. Propelled by a page-turning mystery, shot through with adventure and intrigue, it irrevocably transforms our view of that haunted land and brings us as complete an understanding as we will ever have of what happened after the war — and why. No writer today is more qualified to take us into that world than James Webb.
From the Hardcover edition.
351 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
119 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
James Webb
97 books127 followersJames Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States Senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and is a decorated Marine Corps officer.
Outside of working in government, Webb is also an Emmy Award winning journalist, filmmaker, and author of ten books. He taught literature at the United States Naval Academy and was a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As a member of the Democratic Party, Webb announced on November 19, 2014, that he was forming an exploratory committee to evaluate a run for President of the United States in 2016. On July 2, 2015, he announced that he would be joining the race for the Democratic nomination for president, but stepped down from running in the primaries on October 20, 2015, stating that he was "not comfortable" with many political positions from the party's leadership.
In 2020, Webb was named the first distinguished fellow of University of Notre Dame's International Security Center.
Senator Webb is also an author of many books, stating that "I've written for a living all my life, so writing is as much a part of me as working out."
Outside of working in government, Webb is also an Emmy Award winning journalist, filmmaker, and author of ten books. He taught literature at the United States Naval Academy and was a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. As a member of the Democratic Party, Webb announced on November 19, 2014, that he was forming an exploratory committee to evaluate a run for President of the United States in 2016. On July 2, 2015, he announced that he would be joining the race for the Democratic nomination for president, but stepped down from running in the primaries on October 20, 2015, stating that he was "not comfortable" with many political positions from the party's leadership.
In 2020, Webb was named the first distinguished fellow of University of Notre Dame's International Security Center.
Senator Webb is also an author of many books, stating that "I've written for a living all my life, so writing is as much a part of me as working out."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 14, 2017
When I read more than one book by an author I know I'm getting to know the author rather than the characters. I picked this book after reading Webb's Born Fighting, which isn't a novel, but puts forth his premise about the Scotch-Irish culture being the predominate white culture of rural and working class Americans. This book, which is a novel about a veteran of the war in Viet Nam, draws a picture of how that culture influenced our military, and the events of that war. On the surface it's an engaging action story, underneath it's a psychological portrayal, I suspect of Webb himself, and (no doubt he would say) many others.
The physical and social settings in this novel are very well depicted, and gave me a greater understanding and even curiosity about both Viet Nam (especially post-war) and Russia. A lot of the views shown through the characters are relevant in today's political setting and drove home to me again how limited my knowledge of the world is.
The physical and social settings in this novel are very well depicted, and gave me a greater understanding and even curiosity about both Viet Nam (especially post-war) and Russia. A lot of the views shown through the characters are relevant in today's political setting and drove home to me again how limited my knowledge of the world is.
October 25, 2024
Excellent perspective of the aftermath of the Vietnam War through the eyes of soldiers who lived it. Story was both intriguing and emotional.
June 11, 2014
James Webb is not only an excellent writer, he’s an American icon—a Navy Cross-winning Marine, a U.S. Senator, and a Secretary of Defense. His Fields of Fire (1978) is one of the best Viet Nam-era novel/memoirs I’ve read--very powerful! Lost Soldiers, published in 2001, is quite different. It is a novel about the social impact of Viet Nam, as well as a thumping good mystery.
Brandon Condley, five years a U. S. Marine in Viet Nam, has bounced around Asia for thirty years since the war. He is now employed by an agency tasked with recovering the bodies of Americans killed in Viet Nam. He speaks and thinks Vietnamese, and he loves the country. Condley, our tour guide, is sent to a small Viet Nam village to negotiate the release of the remains of a U. S. soldier buried thirty years earlier in a family cemetery. The circumstances are curious: the soldier died on the family’s doorstep on a night when there was no military action in the area. Evidence determines that the body is not the man its dog tags identify; someone killed the man and switched identities. But why?
The solution to this puzzle takes Condley into the far past, ripping open an episode distasteful to both the American and Vietnamese governments. The distrust between the current Viet Nam and American governments, between the Viet Nam governments and both American citizens and former South Vietnamese supporters, makes the navigation treacherous—and very revealing of the aftermath of revolution and war. The American Civil war has still smoldering effects, and the Viet Nam war is no different.
This is a very enticing book; it is well written, imaginative, and educational. Far less about combat and violence than about the effect of the war on modern united Viet Nam, it offers a positive view of Vietnam’s culture and traditions. It’s a bit like mixing James Bond with Fodor’s travel guide. A mystery: why hasn’t this been made into a movie? It’s a perfect script for a complex mystery—even the dialogue fits the movie screen. Anyhow, five stars! And kudos to Senator James Webb.
Brandon Condley, five years a U. S. Marine in Viet Nam, has bounced around Asia for thirty years since the war. He is now employed by an agency tasked with recovering the bodies of Americans killed in Viet Nam. He speaks and thinks Vietnamese, and he loves the country. Condley, our tour guide, is sent to a small Viet Nam village to negotiate the release of the remains of a U. S. soldier buried thirty years earlier in a family cemetery. The circumstances are curious: the soldier died on the family’s doorstep on a night when there was no military action in the area. Evidence determines that the body is not the man its dog tags identify; someone killed the man and switched identities. But why?
The solution to this puzzle takes Condley into the far past, ripping open an episode distasteful to both the American and Vietnamese governments. The distrust between the current Viet Nam and American governments, between the Viet Nam governments and both American citizens and former South Vietnamese supporters, makes the navigation treacherous—and very revealing of the aftermath of revolution and war. The American Civil war has still smoldering effects, and the Viet Nam war is no different.
This is a very enticing book; it is well written, imaginative, and educational. Far less about combat and violence than about the effect of the war on modern united Viet Nam, it offers a positive view of Vietnam’s culture and traditions. It’s a bit like mixing James Bond with Fodor’s travel guide. A mystery: why hasn’t this been made into a movie? It’s a perfect script for a complex mystery—even the dialogue fits the movie screen. Anyhow, five stars! And kudos to Senator James Webb.
November 23, 2010
Not nearly as good as Fields of Fire but better than Something to Die For. Several times when I had to stop, I wished I could go on reading. The main character, Condley, is interesting and well developed. I enjoyed seeing the presentation of Vietnam after the war, but it has probably changed even more in the years since the book was written in 2001. Not sure why the archaic Sai Gon is used when it became Ho Chi Minh City in 1975. A definate anticommunist bias, not surprising given the history of the author. Webb did not explore why Salt and Pepper might have changed sides in the midst of the war.
January 30, 2017
The is a story of a Vietnam Vet Brandon Condley who is an expat living in Vietnam. He normally drifts through day, rather aimless. However, he is asked to assist an anthropologist who is attempting to aid in identifying US vet remains. Trouble comes up when they discover the wrong dogtags found on another soldier's remains. This is a story of government coverups and mystery. But it is also a wonderful description of the Vietnam and Banghok. Those that have visited Vietnam before, whether as a tourist or military service, might enjoy this book.
July 28, 2019
This could be a pretty great movie starring Gerard Butler or the nearest equivalent.
September 8, 2020
A Must Read
James Webb showed great skill in describing what life was (and in many ways, still is) like in Vietnam. He is so good in painting a picture of the scenes, street life, and interactions in that complex country. Luckily, he was not in a great hurry in moving the story forward, spending much time focusing on the interactions that define the country. Brandon Condlin, the main character, is trying to identify a man who deserted the U.S. military and murdered two of his fellow soldiers during the conflict in the 1960s. He hoped he’d find that man alive so he could have payback. It didn’t quite work out that way.
James Webb showed great skill in describing what life was (and in many ways, still is) like in Vietnam. He is so good in painting a picture of the scenes, street life, and interactions in that complex country. Luckily, he was not in a great hurry in moving the story forward, spending much time focusing on the interactions that define the country. Brandon Condlin, the main character, is trying to identify a man who deserted the U.S. military and murdered two of his fellow soldiers during the conflict in the 1960s. He hoped he’d find that man alive so he could have payback. It didn’t quite work out that way.
February 10, 2018
War Continues in the Mind After the War Is Over
This was a very good read for me. The story is of an ex marine who decides to live in Vietnam long after the war was lost. He also lost his true love to the brutality of war. He storyline weaves in and out from person to person, town to town, country to country,back to the war and revenge, yet comes back to his love of this country.
This was a very good read for me. The story is of an ex marine who decides to live in Vietnam long after the war was lost. He also lost his true love to the brutality of war. He storyline weaves in and out from person to person, town to town, country to country,back to the war and revenge, yet comes back to his love of this country.
March 1, 2018
As a veteran of this era I knew men that returned from Vietnam angry, disillusioned and disappointed in how the politicians ran the war at the cost of young lives. This story picked up where those homecoming left off. I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional account of a little payback. The characters are great and mimic many of the men that couldn't shake the lure of the orient and stayed behind.
March 2, 2018
This book was an amazing trip to a country where I spent a year off the coast a Point Yankee. My two younger brothers went in-Country one a Marine point and the other a Commander of a Swift Boat. They are my heroes.
The writing was tight and interesting and the authors’ love of the country is obvious. Well done James Webb as an author and a patriot.
The writing was tight and interesting and the authors’ love of the country is obvious. Well done James Webb as an author and a patriot.
October 26, 2016
I love to read historical fiction and decided to give this untraditional historical fiction a go. I loved it!!! This book kept me reading. The characters were engrossing and real to me. Give it a try. It's an easy reading style!!
February 10, 2023
Very disappointing
Hard to believe this was written by James Webb, author of fields of fire and other authentic novels. The action was unrealistic, the characters simple, and the plot thrown together.
Hard to believe this was written by James Webb, author of fields of fire and other authentic novels. The action was unrealistic, the characters simple, and the plot thrown together.
September 13, 2023
The usual american take about the Vietnam war, with a main character that is clearly a self-insert of the author. Nicely written, would be better without the constant and weird sexualization of the modest ao dai dress though.
September 3, 2024
Webb displays a deep cultural understanding of Vietnam and the effects of the Vietnam War and its veterans. When this is added to a riveting plot and a main character with layers of complexity written into him, it definitely makes for a moving read.
February 11, 2018
Another great Webb story.
I like this author and follow all his books. This book had some twists and turns making it an enjoyable read.
I like this author and follow all his books. This book had some twists and turns making it an enjoyable read.
January 18, 2018
Lost
This book captures the spirit of the country and the collective friendliness of the people that I once knew a long time ago. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
This book captures the spirit of the country and the collective friendliness of the people that I once knew a long time ago. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
January 20, 2018
Great book
I wish James Webb would stop wasting his time in politics and just write. Typically well written with a surprisingly fresh plot line. You’ll enjoy every page.
I wish James Webb would stop wasting his time in politics and just write. Typically well written with a surprisingly fresh plot line. You’ll enjoy every page.
January 22, 2018
Not my normal read, fantastic!
5 stars because the story and characters grabbed from page one. Picked this up as a 99 cent book. Will be racing more!
5 stars because the story and characters grabbed from page one. Picked this up as a 99 cent book. Will be racing more!
April 26, 2020
Vietnam War vet and other forensic scientist responsible for bringing back and identifying VW remains stumble across a murder mystery 25 years later. Nothing memorable
May 19, 2020
Loved this book. exciting, interesting, a type of historical fiction. Surprises all along.
April 15, 2022
Excellent plot. James Webb grabs you from the start. I couldn't put this book down. You feel as if you are intimately embedded with Vietnam and the people that live there.
November 4, 2024
Well crafted
A very unique and well crafted novel. Starts kind of slow but the great writing keeps you reading to realize a great story.
A very unique and well crafted novel. Starts kind of slow but the great writing keeps you reading to realize a great story.
June 29, 2025
A Must Read
This is my third reading of this book, and it never ceases to move something in me. Odd for fiction, but is it fiction? I suspect not entirely!
This is my third reading of this book, and it never ceases to move something in me. Odd for fiction, but is it fiction? I suspect not entirely!
January 1, 2012
This book by James Webb, the newly-elected senator from Virginia.Brandon Condley's job is to find bones of American soldiers in Vietnam. He works part time in Saigon and part time in Hawaii. One day he comes across the bones of a soldier whose remains he cannot identify because the bones do not match the dog tag. This leads him onto the trail of a pair of Vietnam war deserters who made it a calling to fight for the Vietcong. He finds that one of them is dead, but the other one is still alive. He decides to track him down and kill him.The book is filled with vivid images of Vietnam and interesting detail about how the search and identification of Vietnam war remains is carried out.
May 19, 2013
Webb is a great story teller. I have enjoyed all his books I have read so far, maybe becasue there is so much experience shared. Like the others this is a great yarn, a who dunnit set against the background of post war Vietnam. it is more than that though. He provides some tremendous descriptions of what life was like post war in Saigon, particularly for those on the losing side. I felt tremendous guilt at having been part of the war that eventually abandoned the South Vietnamese to their fate. Guilty and very angry. Webb offers some very poignant observations, there was much common ground here and some moments of very difficult reflection. A great read though.
June 18, 2013
If you enjoy James Webb’s novels - and “Fields of Fire” was terrific - and want to view a modern portrait of Vietnam, this is a great read. A page-turner with mystery, intrigue, history and culture, you won’t need to be a war vet to appreciate Webb’s character development and twisting plot. Although written a few years ago, it’s still timely. It gives you a good idea of where the country has been - it’s still torn between the north and south - and where it is going. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is leaving Hanoi in the dust.
November 9, 2021
Well written and incisive novel that picks, pecks and peers around the corners into the deeper, sometimes darker elements of Vietnamese society and politics, many years after the end of the war. This book often offers such a visual picture of Sai Gon streetlife and the daily existence of the masses that I found myself totally captivated, and that coming from one who has spent extensive time in Asia. Surprising to me that Webb has not found more acclaim. A very solid book and a strong 4 stars! Upon further contemplation - lifted to 5 stars. You FEEL Vietnam in this book.
Read
July 30, 2008This is the novel that Republicans tried to use against Webb when he was running for Congress. Has a short paragraph containing a disturbing sex act. Webb has been to Vietnam a number of times and this "action" novel has some interesting insights into the country. Webb apparently has a great affection for Southeast Asia. Webb isn't an exceptional writer, but good enough for an interesting read.
November 5, 2008
Excellent story about modern day Vietnem. American investigators are notified by the Vietnamese government that remains of a US serviceman have just been uncovered. An invesigator finds that the remains seem to be a long-missing Marine, but there is evidence that the body may not be who it appears to be. This book reminded me of Up Country by Nelson DeVille, except that the characters in Lost Soldiers operate in Vietnam with the permission of Hanoi.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews