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Dead Center: A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War
WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DEATH BUSINESS, EACH DAWN COULD BE YOUR LAST.Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there--the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at seventeen, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966.As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up bush skills while attached to 3d Force Recon Company, and then joined the grunts. To take advantage of that experience, he formed the Rogues, a five-sniper team that hunted in the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley for VC and NVA. His descriptions of long, tense waits, sudden deadly action, and NVA countersniper ambushes are fascinating.In DEAD CENTER, Kugler demonstrates the importance to a sniper of patience, marksmanship, bush skills, and guts--while underscoring exactly what a country demands of its youth when it sends them to war.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 28, 2023
Raw, vulgar, brash, uncouth - how men act in war. Ed Kugler achieves his objectives to tell the story of the Vietnam war from his and many other young men's perspective. Events are recounted and attitudes shared which are covered up in many other books about war. It isn't glorious, it changes those involved forever, many aren't proud of everything they've done, but they do what they need to to survive and achieve the objectives given. Every young man should read a book like this. Every American civilian leader should as well. When we send our young to war the consequences need to be understood and the objectives need to be crystal clear. How many times do we need to learn this lesson? Our military isn't a political play thing. It's trained to be deadly. That's it's job. If you don't want that type of force to be used, don't use the military.
April 2, 2018
Someone once said "war is hell." Kugler , a former Marine scout-sniper for two years, writes of his hell which was called Vietnam. He exposes the craziness of the people fighting the war and the handicapts of poor leadership. Dead Center exposes the nasty reality of war and should be read by today's youth around the world. Semper Fi Sergeant Kugler.
June 8, 2011
This gave me a new appreciation of what the military and Marines do. This helped me understand what our soldiers' go through during war that we can't fully comprehend unless we have been through it. It allowed me to realize why soldiers when home do not talk about what they have experienced. It gave me a different outlook on Vietnam than the traditional textbook viewpoint. It also gave me a glimpse into how bureaucracy can screw up something so badly.
February 15, 2023
Kug's stories and details were good, but the epilogue alone was terrific. I haven't read many books about the Vietnam war, but this is definitely one that's worth reading.
May 18, 2018
Ed Kugler's DEAD CENTER is a hell of a read from a man who's been there.
Starting from his days growing up in a working class family in Ohio, we see Kugler become a Marine and become blooded in combat in the Dominican Republic. We then see him shift gears and deploy to Vietnam, where he volunteers to become a sniper. From time spent working alongside Force Reconnaissance, to his assignments working with the South Vietnamese, to several hairy patrols in support of the regular infantry, Kugler's prose runs the gamut of the Vietnam experience, capturing both the dangers of combat and a snapshot of the times.
What makes Kugler's story unique is that he's clearly a thinker, something that I can relate to with my deployment to Iraq in 2008-2009. He's not just going through the motions on his patrols, but actually studying the enemy, studying the history of the area, and assessing the chances of winning the war. His bleak assessment of how we would fare in Vietnam is not much different than my own assessment of how we would fare in Iraq. That parallel is striking to me.
Kugler also has scathing words for the politicians that managed the war, blaming them for many of the follies that occurred during that time. That is something else to which I can also relate.
It isn't the best Vietnam memoir ever, but it is definitely very solid and worth the buy and read. Students of history will see the parallels between what went down back then and what is going down in the here and now.
Starting from his days growing up in a working class family in Ohio, we see Kugler become a Marine and become blooded in combat in the Dominican Republic. We then see him shift gears and deploy to Vietnam, where he volunteers to become a sniper. From time spent working alongside Force Reconnaissance, to his assignments working with the South Vietnamese, to several hairy patrols in support of the regular infantry, Kugler's prose runs the gamut of the Vietnam experience, capturing both the dangers of combat and a snapshot of the times.
What makes Kugler's story unique is that he's clearly a thinker, something that I can relate to with my deployment to Iraq in 2008-2009. He's not just going through the motions on his patrols, but actually studying the enemy, studying the history of the area, and assessing the chances of winning the war. His bleak assessment of how we would fare in Vietnam is not much different than my own assessment of how we would fare in Iraq. That parallel is striking to me.
Kugler also has scathing words for the politicians that managed the war, blaming them for many of the follies that occurred during that time. That is something else to which I can also relate.
It isn't the best Vietnam memoir ever, but it is definitely very solid and worth the buy and read. Students of history will see the parallels between what went down back then and what is going down in the here and now.
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August 11, 2019Marine Sniper in Vietnam
One man’s story of serving as a Marine sniper during the early days of America’s involvement in Vietnam. The book begins with his high school years and the decisions which led to his enlistment. He was a screwup as a recruit but later saw brief action in the Dominican Republic.
He volunteered for Vietnam and is trained as a sniper upon his arrival. The book just takes off from there. By the middle of the book, he sounds like the poster child for PTSD. The subsequent chapters devolve into his personal state of madness in the sense that the author constantly is in search of his next adrenaline rush. The Epilogue reveals what happened to him and his team members over time. These men went to Hell in the service of their country and some survived to tell the tale.
One man’s story of serving as a Marine sniper during the early days of America’s involvement in Vietnam. The book begins with his high school years and the decisions which led to his enlistment. He was a screwup as a recruit but later saw brief action in the Dominican Republic.
He volunteered for Vietnam and is trained as a sniper upon his arrival. The book just takes off from there. By the middle of the book, he sounds like the poster child for PTSD. The subsequent chapters devolve into his personal state of madness in the sense that the author constantly is in search of his next adrenaline rush. The Epilogue reveals what happened to him and his team members over time. These men went to Hell in the service of their country and some survived to tell the tale.
July 17, 2019
Ed Kugler learned on the job, better than in a classroom. By working with the Recon people in the early stages of the Vietnam War he was impressed by the tactics and cautions of those warriors and when he was able to develop and work with his own small groups he taught them what he had learned. His success in adult life afterwards showed the same concentration on learning what had to be done before rushing into any situation. Do not misread this as a schoolboy's lark. The killing is real and the partying after a stint in the wilds was for mental relief of tension and outwitting the enemy. He states his case better than any general could do.
May 14, 2025
Ungeschönte Memoiren eines Scharfschützen in Vietnam.
Nine hundred kids from all over the country, arriving to fight a war most of us new nothing about, in a country whose location most of us couldn't have found on a globe....
...i had my M-14 at the ready and my balls in my throat...
Anfangs noch starr vor Angst entwickelt er mit der Zeit eine Adrenalinsucht und begibt sich mit seinem Team auf immer brutalere und waghalsige Patrouillen.
Authentischer Einblick in die Realität des Krieges. Hier wird nix ausgelassen. Tötungen, Napalm, abgeschnittene Körperteile, Sprengfallen usw.
Soviel Wahnsinn, dass ein Leben ohne Krieg für den Protagonisten am Ende kaum noch vorstellbar ist...
Nine hundred kids from all over the country, arriving to fight a war most of us new nothing about, in a country whose location most of us couldn't have found on a globe....
...i had my M-14 at the ready and my balls in my throat...
Anfangs noch starr vor Angst entwickelt er mit der Zeit eine Adrenalinsucht und begibt sich mit seinem Team auf immer brutalere und waghalsige Patrouillen.
Authentischer Einblick in die Realität des Krieges. Hier wird nix ausgelassen. Tötungen, Napalm, abgeschnittene Körperteile, Sprengfallen usw.
Soviel Wahnsinn, dass ein Leben ohne Krieg für den Protagonisten am Ende kaum noch vorstellbar ist...
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September 23, 2019Marine sniper tells his story.
The author has written a great book based on his experiences as a Marine sniper and tells it like it is. He is very forthright and doesn't hold back on anything. He is motivated and proud of his service. It is a great read about another time and place in our history and the author's perspective is such that the politicians continue to send Americans to war based on their own selfish interests. A great book, I highly recommend. Welcome home Marine.
The author has written a great book based on his experiences as a Marine sniper and tells it like it is. He is very forthright and doesn't hold back on anything. He is motivated and proud of his service. It is a great read about another time and place in our history and the author's perspective is such that the politicians continue to send Americans to war based on their own selfish interests. A great book, I highly recommend. Welcome home Marine.
December 23, 2019
DEAD CENTER 5+
Mr. Kugler, oh my gosh, what a story you lived to tell. The years you were in Vietnam I was 18-20 myself and do remember quite a bit. I remember later on the body bag count televised every night. But I really had no idea of all the traumatic things you had to endure to survive. God bless you for fighting for our country. I didn't want your story to end. I absolutely loved this book and would advise anyone interested in Vietnam to read it. It certainly shakes up all your emotions.
Mr. Kugler, oh my gosh, what a story you lived to tell. The years you were in Vietnam I was 18-20 myself and do remember quite a bit. I remember later on the body bag count televised every night. But I really had no idea of all the traumatic things you had to endure to survive. God bless you for fighting for our country. I didn't want your story to end. I absolutely loved this book and would advise anyone interested in Vietnam to read it. It certainly shakes up all your emotions.
February 29, 2020
If you want to get a feel of what it was like to be a combat Marine in Vietnam, read this book. It is down and dirty, it is profane. It is disgusting at times. But it is the real deal.
It returned me to smells and tastes and unbelievable thirst and gut wrenching fear. I felt again the dirt and filth and total exhaustion and eating my meals out of cans for weeks on end. It reminded me of the guilt I feel almost every day that I came home and so many men better than I didn’t.
It allowed me to feel a pride for doing something that I had for so long been denied.
It returned me to smells and tastes and unbelievable thirst and gut wrenching fear. I felt again the dirt and filth and total exhaustion and eating my meals out of cans for weeks on end. It reminded me of the guilt I feel almost every day that I came home and so many men better than I didn’t.
It allowed me to feel a pride for doing something that I had for so long been denied.
May 11, 2020
One of the first military books I ever read and it opened my eyes to a whole genre of books I enjoy today....so I may be a little biased here.
If you are into Vietnam books told from a grunt's perspective, this is your book. The extra bonus of this book are lines which are both descriptive as they are funny...."it was darker than inside an ape's ass at midnight" is just one of the gems the author throws at you.
If you are into Vietnam books told from a grunt's perspective, this is your book. The extra bonus of this book are lines which are both descriptive as they are funny...."it was darker than inside an ape's ass at midnight" is just one of the gems the author throws at you.
September 24, 2017
Ágætis innsýn í líf vandræðaunglings sem gerist sjálfboðaliði í Víetnamstríðinu. Þvælist í gegnum leyniskyttuþjálfun og erfitt líf hermanns. Nokkuð opinskár um drykkju og vandræði sín auk þess hve klúðurslegt herskipulag herdeilda Bandaríkjahers var oft á tíðum. Mjög hrá saga en verður að lesast sem slík.
June 30, 2019
Vietnam memoir of a young Marine who volunteered to become a Scout Sniper and then ran a bunch of missions, led a group (the "Rogues"), and experimented with some novel tactics. Focuses primarily on the people he was with and and actions during Vietnam (rather than technical details or politics), and gives good insight into the character of Marines during the conflict.
August 13, 2019
Excellent memoir
Raw, surprisingly exuberant, action-filled, and utterly honest. Kugler's central motive was to find what he loved doing and could do well, and he found that in the Marine snipers. At times he was creating his own job, writing his own ticket, making the war in his personal way along with a tiny crew of elite snipers. This book is highly recommended.
Raw, surprisingly exuberant, action-filled, and utterly honest. Kugler's central motive was to find what he loved doing and could do well, and he found that in the Marine snipers. At times he was creating his own job, writing his own ticket, making the war in his personal way along with a tiny crew of elite snipers. This book is highly recommended.
November 22, 2020
Gritty, how they worked and thought to survive
Kug had good common sense. This is why he survived. He kept learning and became smarter.He also learned how to think like the NVA which helped him kill a lot of them. That was his job and he did it well. I'm delighted he came home had a wonderful marriage and family and did not let Vietnam destroy his life!
Kug had good common sense. This is why he survived. He kept learning and became smarter.He also learned how to think like the NVA which helped him kill a lot of them. That was his job and he did it well. I'm delighted he came home had a wonderful marriage and family and did not let Vietnam destroy his life!
May 23, 2018
Dumb war
It was a political war ran by egotistical politicians who never got dirty hands except from handling
Dirty money and feeding at the trough kept full by lobbyists. Same crap from today's politicians.
It was a political war ran by egotistical politicians who never got dirty hands except from handling
Dirty money and feeding at the trough kept full by lobbyists. Same crap from today's politicians.
May 30, 2018
Was a very accurate account of my father's trials and tribulations entering ignorantly as a young man into the political games of our Oligarchy US non-patriotic Government.
David M. Ford as "Zulu" in this fascinating harsh reality of the Vietnam "Police Action".
David M. Ford as "Zulu" in this fascinating harsh reality of the Vietnam "Police Action".
May 5, 2019
first hand knowledge of this crazy war and what it was like trying to stay alive in the heat and all the bullshit he had to put up with. A great read and look forward to reading some of his other books too.!!!
October 22, 2019
Great book.
As a retired soldier, two trips to vietnam, a good account of what happened over there. I have been to many of the same !ocations. Best appreciated by those who were there.
As a retired soldier, two trips to vietnam, a good account of what happened over there. I have been to many of the same !ocations. Best appreciated by those who were there.
March 1, 2021
Good personal story by another of our Vietnam heroes.
A really good narrative of the trials and errors foisted upon this newly formed sniper unit. Only the capricious waves of fate determined who lived and who died. Without reason.
A really good narrative of the trials and errors foisted upon this newly formed sniper unit. Only the capricious waves of fate determined who lived and who died. Without reason.
August 5, 2025
Confirms the warrior Gene !
Kug was an ornery kid who had to struggle just like many of us.
Joining the military "Marines" was his way to freedom. Men like him win battles ,just because losing a fight is not acceptable. Thanks.
Kug was an ornery kid who had to struggle just like many of us.
Joining the military "Marines" was his way to freedom. Men like him win battles ,just because losing a fight is not acceptable. Thanks.
December 25, 2017
Very good
Very good read. Thank you for your service and telling how it was. Kept me interested all say through entirely
Very good read. Thank you for your service and telling how it was. Kept me interested all say through entirely
November 5, 2018
He served
This book was written by a person who lived it. Written honestly. Painfully. With the best of motivations. God bless you and your team.
This book was written by a person who lived it. Written honestly. Painfully. With the best of motivations. God bless you and your team.
May 9, 2019
Excellent first person storytelling about Marine snipers in ‘66-68 Vietnam era warfighting.
July 1, 2019
Awasome book!
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February 3, 2020Very interesting
Love the book. I have always had a interest in the Vietnam war and find the veterans storys so different and unique to each individual
Love the book. I have always had a interest in the Vietnam war and find the veterans storys so different and unique to each individual
June 15, 2020
Good book. I would recommend it to any Vietnam war history fan. The book is good but lacking something that would make it great.
March 28, 2022
Great book.
I am glad I read the all the way through. Thank you for insights. I hope someday we will become the people God created us to be. Forgive me my sins.
I am glad I read the all the way through. Thank you for insights. I hope someday we will become the people God created us to be. Forgive me my sins.
June 4, 2022
A well written account of a young Marine sniper and his 2 years in Viet Nam and the effects on his life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews