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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Required Reading! Feb 10, 2009
By Richard C. Huggins
"Warriors" is unique and refreshing in its genre. Ed Nielsen obviously knew the right questions to ask and let those that lived through the war relate the truth about the mud, the blood, the frustration, and the lighter moments that accompany even a warrior's experience. This tome makes it clear that all of the warriors who spoke through Ed's book have but one regret: Washington's inexplicable meddling that prevented their sacrifice from ending in victory. In their words you'll feel the heat, smell the mud, and taste the fear that was an everyday part of their existence. There are innumerable non-fiction histories available about the events of the Vietnam war, but none that do a better job of bringing the "grunt's" experience to life. We owe it to these proud men not only to understand the events, but also to understand at a basic level what they lived through and carry with them even to this day. "Warriors" is a must read!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Warriors by Ed Nielsen Dec 12, 2010
By Leonard M. Scruggs
"aka Mike Scruggs"
Warriors
Warriors by Ed Nielsen
I strongly recommend Ed Nielsen's Warriors for anyone who wants a down-to-earth overview of the Vietnam War from the viewpoint of ordinary soldiers, sailors, and airmen. I have read dozens of good books on Vietnam, but none that cover the experiences of ordinary Americans, finding themselves engaged in a war half way round the world, with such breadth and clarity. Nielsen recounts the first and last impressions, experiences, frustrations, and patriotism of nine ordinary men in a compelling narrative that is an important contribution to the history of the Vietnam War, perhaps America's most misunderstood war.
The late Harry G. Summers, Jr., Colonel of Infantry and distinguished faculty member of the Army War College, often called people's attention to the great differences in the accounts of the Vietnam War among academics, the press, and those who actually fought and lived it. Even among the veterans of the war, there are varied views according to when they were there. Guerilla warfare characterized the enemy in the early years of the war, but beginning in 1965 the war became more and more a conventional war. In the latter years of U.S. involvement, multi-division North Vietnamese forces equipped with the latest Soviet and Chinese tanks and long-range artillery surged into South Vietnam, reminiscent of the German Blitzkrieg warfare of World War II.
Veteran views of the war also vary considerably according to whether they were slugging it out in the infantry or artillery, off-loading cargo at Cam Ran Bay, flying off aircraft carriers to hit targets in North Vietnam, dropping 30,000 pound loads of high explosives on railroad marshalling yards near Hanoi, rescuing and treating the wounded, or performing hundreds of other vital combat and combat support roles.
That is why Ed Nielsen's Warriors is so necessary to understand the war and the people who fought and lived it. It is especially useful as a companion volume to more traditional histories of the war that emphasize battles, strategies, and the personalities of its leaders. Nielsen lets the reader see these things through the insight of Army and Marine infantry grunts and NCOs, junior artillery officers, chaplains, battalion surgeons, Navy pilots, radio operators, and the point man of an infantry reconnaissance platoon.
As a Vietnam veteran, myself, I was amazed at how concise and well put were their memories of the frustrations of the "rules of engagement" and the discomforts and stresses of life in the field. Ed Nielsen gives these nine men credit for being exactly what they were and still are--Warriors and patriots worthy or our appreciation and salute. In so doing, he has given a much-needed salute to all Vietnam veterans. This is definately a 5-star book.
Leonard M. Scruggs
Vietnam veteran and author
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Ed Nielsen's "Warriors" May 18, 2010
By Joseph Blair
Ed Nielsen has written a book that speaks to those who fought in the Vietnam War. Being a veteran of that war I easily related to this good book. Ed drew out those interviewed for the book and caught the essence of many different men who lived that war. I highly recommend it to you. Col Joe Blair III US Army Retired
"Warriors" by Ed Nielsen Jun 12, 2011
By John D Waterman
"Warriors" by Ed Nielsen
This is one of those books that immediately draw you into the story. You quickly become involved and want to continue. What is going to happen next to this soldier? Is he about to be hit? Will his buddies survive the next battle?
The author, Ed Nielsen, interviewed nine men who served their country in the armed forces during the Vietnam conflict. These are the individual stories of five enlisted men and four officers, representing war fighters of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Told some 40 years after the actual events, we get to stand alongside these men as they experienced their daily lives in the war zone. We feel it is happening now, and we worry about the violence that is lurking just around the corner, or is suddenly upon us.
This book lets you participate in the war from the point of view of several boots-on-the-ground artillery and infantrymen. We also follow a Navy pilot, a surgeon, a chaplain, and a computer programmer. Whether slogging through the jungle on patrol, or relaxing in the relative security of a base, we feel the heat, hear the gunfire, smell the mud, and see the reality of the Vietnam war.
If you are a veteran of Vietnam, know somebody who was, or have no military experience, you should enjoy this book. Take a glimpse into the lives of those who answered the call-to-arms during a time of war.
As a veteran of the US Air Force during the Vietnam era, I can highly recommend this book for all readers.
Later, John.
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