On My Nightstand - Matterhorn

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

On the back cover:

An incredible publishing story – written over the course of thirty years by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, and widely acclaimed in hardcover – Matterhorn is the timeless story of a young Marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood.  Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition.  When the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the Marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat.  Matterhorn is a visceral and unforgettable novel that transforms the tragedy of Vietnam into a powerful and universal story of courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice.

My thoughts:

I know nothing about the Vietnam war, I don’t even remembering studying it in school, although I am sure we touched on it a bit.  So I found this book a bit complicated at first (but thankfully the glossary at the back helped a lot), but I found it incredibly fascinating.

I read a lot of book set in WWII, and this is the first I have read and learned a little about a much more recent war.

Because this book is written by a Vietnam vet, it feels so honest, as I am reading about the things that happened that today we would think ridiculous and impossible, I am sure those things did happen to Karl and his fellow comrades.

I would recommend this book to everyone, such an eye opener!

My rating: 4 ½ out of 5.