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Abandoned: A Novel of the Vietnam War
333 pages, Paperback
Published December 8, 2022
1 person want to read
About the author
Douglas Edwards
12 books31 followersFrom 1999 to 2005 I was director of consumer marketing and brand management for Google. Before that I was online brand manager for the San Jose Mercury News, communications director for KQED FM in San Francisco, an ad agency copywriter, an admission officer for Brown University, and the Novosibirsk correspondent for the public radio program Marketplace. During that last gig, I got involved in a drunken Saturday night brawl at a mafia-owned bar, had dinner at the home of the Novokuznetsk KGB chief and almost died a mile underground in a coal mine. None of that made it into this book however.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 2, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading ABANDONED: A NOVEL OF THE VIETNAM WAR by Douglas Edwards. The incursion into Cambodia was before my time in Vietnam; I arrived just a couple of short months afterwards.
Sgt. Holt was on his 3rd tour in the war, having spent the first two as a platoon sergeant with the 25th Infantry Division. He was drafted by the CIA and assigned to a Green Beret unit in Cambodia. Things were beginning to go sour and trust became an issue with the leaders.
Holt and his team managed to escape and returned to Vietnam. Unfortunately, their exit coincided with the incursion into Cambodia. NVA soldiers were driving deeper into Cambodia and leaving behind tons of supplies during their retreat. The leadership was in turmoil and confusion existed everywhere.
The team is sent deep into Cambodia – ahead of the incursion - by a major to report on enemy movement on a suspected enemy highway. Unfortunately, this major was the only person privy to their mission and he was medevaced to the hospital the following morning. When the Army decided to change radio frequencies, Holt’s team was not in the loop. They were abandoned without communications, food, water, and in the midst of thousands of enemy soldiers.
The story is one of despair, trust, hope and brotherhood. The author does an excellent job in developing the characters and shares his sense of humor in the form of quarreling between two of the team members. At times, I found myself laughing out loud. To survive, these men have to depend upon their training and do things thought to be humanly impossible.
This is an edge of your seat story. It is captivating, engaging, and difficult to put down. Be a witness to what they have to contend with. Will they all survive or give up? Highly recommended for those interested in the Vietnam War and its Warriors.
Sgt. Holt was on his 3rd tour in the war, having spent the first two as a platoon sergeant with the 25th Infantry Division. He was drafted by the CIA and assigned to a Green Beret unit in Cambodia. Things were beginning to go sour and trust became an issue with the leaders.
Holt and his team managed to escape and returned to Vietnam. Unfortunately, their exit coincided with the incursion into Cambodia. NVA soldiers were driving deeper into Cambodia and leaving behind tons of supplies during their retreat. The leadership was in turmoil and confusion existed everywhere.
The team is sent deep into Cambodia – ahead of the incursion - by a major to report on enemy movement on a suspected enemy highway. Unfortunately, this major was the only person privy to their mission and he was medevaced to the hospital the following morning. When the Army decided to change radio frequencies, Holt’s team was not in the loop. They were abandoned without communications, food, water, and in the midst of thousands of enemy soldiers.
The story is one of despair, trust, hope and brotherhood. The author does an excellent job in developing the characters and shares his sense of humor in the form of quarreling between two of the team members. At times, I found myself laughing out loud. To survive, these men have to depend upon their training and do things thought to be humanly impossible.
This is an edge of your seat story. It is captivating, engaging, and difficult to put down. Be a witness to what they have to contend with. Will they all survive or give up? Highly recommended for those interested in the Vietnam War and its Warriors.
Displaying 1 of 1 review