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The Airmen #9
The Willful Slaughter of Hope: A Vietnam War Novel
One bullet could start a war or prevent it. His bullet…Granier is CIA. A sniper and the leader of an elite paramilitary team stationed in Saigon. Nothing will stop him from completing his mission - blocking the Viet Minh rebels from overrunning the South. Ambush, sabotage, and assassination are part of his bag of dirty tricks. But anything is allowed as long as they don’t get caught. He has no remorse. Remorse is for others.Before American soldiers landed in South Vietnam, the CIA fought a covert war against the communists. They were committed to stopping communist expansion and reuniting Vietnam under the leadership of the South. They were patriots fighting on behalf of America and the free world. But the more the CIA tried to control the unfolding events and the notorious family of South Vietnam’s President Diem, the more chaos and corruption ensued.Based on historical events and real people, The Willful Slaughter of Hope is the story of the CIA’s early years in Vietnam and Laos. Like all the novels in the Airmen Series, it’s full of action and suspense. It’s a cautionary tale of missed opportunities, tragic betrayal, and incredible courage.“A historical novel that reads like a modern political thriller, full of exciting action, larger-than-life characters, and unforgettable events.” — Kirkus Reviews
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2021
110 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
David Lee Corley
51 books46 followersI am a Hollywood screenwriter turned novelist. I am also a nomad.
Four years ago, I sold or gave away just about everything I owned and set myself adrift in the world. I lived out of my backpack and circumnavigated the earth three times. My journey has changed me and I am strangely unafraid. I have no plans to end my quest to see far corners of our planet. I figure life will take care of itself.
It has been a wild ride. I search for great stories and characters as I travel, many of which end up in my novels. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I am still a nomad.
Four years ago, I sold or gave away just about everything I owned and set myself adrift in the world. I lived out of my backpack and circumnavigated the earth three times. My journey has changed me and I am strangely unafraid. I have no plans to end my quest to see far corners of our planet. I figure life will take care of itself.
It has been a wild ride. I search for great stories and characters as I travel, many of which end up in my novels. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I am still a nomad.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 20, 2023
Another great book in the series! Needs new editors though
A good read that mostly keeps one interested. The story is close enough to non-fictional history at the big picture level to be used to educate younger generations about America’s noble motives but poor decisions, lack of adequate oversight of in- country American advisors and overall seemingly complete lack of understanding of the Vietnamese culture, value system , educational levels, history, and the lose-lose situation the population was in due to the Diem regime.
Even though the books are fictional and I find them entertaining, I sometimes find them frustrating and “cringe-worthy” reading at times due the frequently predictable, and seemingly unlikely behavior of the so-called “hero’s” of the book series.
Lastly, the editing has gotten progressively worse and distracting with each book with many, many errors of various types and especially the use of incorrect words in sentences. . It’s almost as if the editors are not native English speakers.
Still worth reading though!
A good read that mostly keeps one interested. The story is close enough to non-fictional history at the big picture level to be used to educate younger generations about America’s noble motives but poor decisions, lack of adequate oversight of in- country American advisors and overall seemingly complete lack of understanding of the Vietnamese culture, value system , educational levels, history, and the lose-lose situation the population was in due to the Diem regime.
Even though the books are fictional and I find them entertaining, I sometimes find them frustrating and “cringe-worthy” reading at times due the frequently predictable, and seemingly unlikely behavior of the so-called “hero’s” of the book series.
Lastly, the editing has gotten progressively worse and distracting with each book with many, many errors of various types and especially the use of incorrect words in sentences. . It’s almost as if the editors are not native English speakers.
Still worth reading though!
April 24, 2021
I’ve become a big fan. If you’ve ever wondered how the Vietnam War began and why, Corley does an outstanding job in this historical fiction series answering those questions. Describing actual events and real people, Corley’s writing is full of twists and turns and suspense that keep you reading until the last page. Was the CIA responsible for the Vietnam War? Before soldiers’ boots hit the ground in Vietnam, the CIA fought a covert war against the North Vietnamese and the Viet Minh in the South. Coercion, sabotage, assassinations, and ambushes were all part of the bag of dirty tricks used by the American paramilitary teams under the direction of the CIA. For those who enjoy military history (historical fiction, not the dry stuff) and Vietnam-era vets, these are great, quick reads.
April 28, 2021
A fascinating look into the early foundational days of what became the Vietnam war
Plenty of action from four sides of the Vietnam conflict, South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese, American and communist insurgents, coupled with the brutality common to many parts of Asia which forced loyalties into unintended directions. Excellent characters, a good sense of jungle warfare, and crisp writing deliver an outstanding sense of the tragic reality of this conflict which took more than 50,000 Americam lives and left a divided civilian population in the United States. Well worth the time.
Plenty of action from four sides of the Vietnam conflict, South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese, American and communist insurgents, coupled with the brutality common to many parts of Asia which forced loyalties into unintended directions. Excellent characters, a good sense of jungle warfare, and crisp writing deliver an outstanding sense of the tragic reality of this conflict which took more than 50,000 Americam lives and left a divided civilian population in the United States. Well worth the time.
September 14, 2023
Airmen series review
I am Viet Nam combat veteran.I also have a love of history.Having been In Country,in 1968\69,I had some knowledge and interest in the Southeast Asia history. I knew about the French involvement in the area and wanted to !earn more.I was a child when the French were having problems in Algeria. I was too young to understand what it was about. The bombing in France,left me confused.Cafe Wars helped explain this to me.I am enjoying all books in the series ,so far, I'm on book 9 &starting 10 soon.
I am Viet Nam combat veteran.I also have a love of history.Having been In Country,in 1968\69,I had some knowledge and interest in the Southeast Asia history. I knew about the French involvement in the area and wanted to !earn more.I was a child when the French were having problems in Algeria. I was too young to understand what it was about. The bombing in France,left me confused.Cafe Wars helped explain this to me.I am enjoying all books in the series ,so far, I'm on book 9 &starting 10 soon.
May 17, 2022
edible words
I got hooked from the very first book. David lee corley’s writing style along with the historical perspective of the storyline is like eating delicious popcorn: you just can’t put it down. There were many moving parts during that era in indochina and mr Corley does a great job of making the complicated understandable.
I got hooked from the very first book. David lee corley’s writing style along with the historical perspective of the storyline is like eating delicious popcorn: you just can’t put it down. There were many moving parts during that era in indochina and mr Corley does a great job of making the complicated understandable.
July 6, 2021
My Review
This was a good historical novel chronically the history of Vietnam during the time when American Advisors were training the Vietnam military prior to American intervention.
This was a good historical novel chronically the history of Vietnam during the time when American Advisors were training the Vietnam military prior to American intervention.
September 21, 2022
Great book and series. Looking for to reading Kennedy's War. If I could make one suggestion, hire a new proofreader/editor. Throughout the series, there are way too many grammar errors. Some punctuation and spelling errors as well. Distracting, but not enough to stop reading this exciting series!
August 24, 2025
I continue to like. These books. The history is fascinating. Too bad we did know this when it still.
Some of the battle scenes were.unnecessary Ily graphic. Saying he fell dead gets the job done with out saying his head was online apart.
Some of the battle scenes were.unnecessary Ily graphic. Saying he fell dead gets the job done with out saying his head was online apart.
October 21, 2025
Enjoyed!!
Another book down in the series. I’m continuing to learn so much. Starting book 10 tonight. Thanks to the author.
Another book down in the series. I’m continuing to learn so much. Starting book 10 tonight. Thanks to the author.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews