Editorial Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Soldiers-James-H-Webb/dp/B00006JO28/sr=1-1/qid=1161910755/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6502499-1780061?ie=UTF8&s=booksFrom Publishers Weekly
Webb's cultural and political portrayal of Vietnam 25 years after the war's end is delivered with such bold strokes and magical detail that it really doesn't matter that the plot itself is relegated to the backseat. This is a highly personal and empathetic look at today's Vietnam, a land of misery and inequity, yet one still vibrantly alive. The story follows the experiences of Brandon Condley, an ex-Marine whose job it is to find missing American soldiers, dead or alive. Condley is trying to track down Theodore Deville, an army grunt who not only deserted his unit in 1969 and killed a fellow serviceman, but then joined the ranks of the enemy. Condley is convinced Deville is still alive, operating somewhere in southeast Asia's underground economy. Webb introduces a rich cast of supporting characters as Condley pursues his quarry across Vietnam, Australia, the former Soviet Union and Thailand. Among the most delicately etched is Dzung, a former South Vietnamese officer now relegated, like thousands of others on the losing side, to a menial station in life, one that he and his family have no hope of escaping. Such characters, as well as the highly textured mood and atmosphere that Webb creates, tend to further eclipse the main narrative and shift the focus to the moral consequences and social fallout of the war. This detailed, lovingly drawn portrait of Vietnam reveals a sad, tortured country that has never recovered from the horrifying events of a quarter-century ago. Major print and radio advertising. (Sept. 4)Forecast: Webb (Fields of Fire) is no stranger to the bestseller lists; endorsements from heavy hitters like Sen. John McCain will help put him there once again.
Independent reviews of buyers:
Why I Want To Go Back To Vietnam, March 31, 2004
Reviewer: S. Annand (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
James Webb has written a number of books of varied topics. Unlike some Vietnam veteran authors who seem stuck on Vietnam, Webb can certainly shift gears.
Former Marine Brandon Conley is the protagonist. In a word, Conley reflects what Webb is really like, at least in my humble opinion as one who has met him. I merely mention this as I think this is an important point to consider. Webb is fluent in Vietnamese, just like the character (alter-ego) Conley, he is steeped in the culture of the Vietnamese, and he does indeed offer prayers for deceased former enemies as in the book. In short, he is a complex character.
The understanding of Vietnamese culture is what comes out in the book. Yes the plot takes a back seat, but must we be so picky? Many of the incidents in the book actually took place during Webb's numerous visits to Vietnam. For instance, the North Vietnam driver really did turn to him when the officer left and speak pidgeon English to him, praising America. Webb thought it so great that he wrote that incident into the book. And Webb truly seems struck, as in the book when he offers a proper prayer in front of the family for their deceased family members. Webb describes in meticulous detail how the photos are arranged. The different generations, as exhibited by Colonel Pham and his daughter Van, who wants freedom and modernity, is what is truly happening in Vietnam
Also of interest are the descriptions of the former ARVN soldiers and the social discrimination directed against them. As a form of punishment, no former ARVN soldier is allowed to rise above menial labor. They are all placed in a ghetto in Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City) so they can be watched. Webb shows their plight through an incident that exposes their inability to afford proper health care as well as a proper burial. They are constantly humiliated and reminded that they and their progeny will never rise any further.
Webb also wove his book around the myth of Salt and Pepper. These two, one white and one black, supposedly went to the other side during the war. Their sightings were, to me, like sightings of Elvis and Sasquatsch. I really don't know if they existed, but I certainly heard about them while I was in Vietnam. Most soldiers telling me this actually believed all the stories circulating.
What Webb did was put the Salt and Pepper story into the context of the deserters who simply went to live in Saigon, making a living supposedly selling drugs. This was no lie, as there were estimated to be about 500 such souls at the end of the war. Since they took their weapons with them, the MP's became involved in firefights when they got too close. What became of them is anybody's guess (a great fictional plot device, like in the book).
Going back to Vietnam is a very tricky subject and can evoke a strong reaction from many Vietnam veterans. We all know of the beauty of Vietnam, but Webb know first-hand the ugly side of Vietnam and describes it well. I did not think this book warrented 5 stars, but would have given it 4 and a half if I could.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Ten stars, September 3, 2001
Reviewer: D. C. Carrad "augustabookman" (Augusta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
This is Jim Webb's best book yet by a long chalk and it is wonderful. It has everything: a riveting plot, good dialogue, a steady relentless pace, and, most importantly, superb characterization. A great sin of novels about Asia is that far too often the local characters are cardboard cutouts, mere background scenery agains which the Westerners play out their drama. All of Jim Webb's Asian characters are fully realized and rounded, and subtly differentiated from each other. He is a terrific writer and here he is at the peak of his craft. If you're a Vietnam veteran (as I am) you will find this book particularly poignant. If you're not, you'll gain some insight into why we feel we loved our country more than it loved us back. Semper fi, Jim, and keep on writing.
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Customer Reviews
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This book contains Disturbing Sexual Scenes not appropriate for younger readers, October 26, 2006
Reviewer: Alexandra Polier "Love your neighbour!" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
I must say I was not prepared for the content I read on page 333, which you will find quite inappropriate for younger readers, and possibly prosecutable under federal statutes.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Brought Vietnam back to my mind, June 15, 2005
Reviewer: Loren w Christensen (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews
I loved Lost Soldiers. I haven't read James Webb since Fields of Fire and found that he hasn't lost his magic touch.
I'm a Vietnam vet with service as a military policeman in Saigon from 1969 through 1970. I found Webb's description of the city, its people and their customs to be right on the mark. It even made me want to go back, but I'm sure if I just sit for a while the feeling will pass.
Good story and fantastic descriptions of a country and a city that still has a salient place in this veteran's mind.
Loren W. Christensen, author of Warriors and co-author of On Combat with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Almost perfect, March 13, 2005
Reviewer: Drugstore Cowgirl (High Country WY USA) - See all my reviews
This is a great book on many levels. Just a terrific story. I learned a lot about Vietnamese culture and what has become--sadly-- of the South Vietnamese since the war. Mr. Webb is particularly good at evoking sights and smells and describing personalities. In short, a real storyteller. What I didn't like was Brandon Condley's affair with Van, the daughter of the Colonel. To me she wasn't brave and striving for independence but silly, shallow and their sort of sleazy affair was an intrusion in an otherwise excellent read. But still, a very worthwhile book that I highly recommend. As other reviewers have commented it is far and away superior to Clancy, Griffith or any other writer of this genre.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
AS SAID BEFORE, GOOD, BUT NOT WEBB'S BEST...., October 31, 2004
Reviewer: somebody nobody (neither here nor there) - See all my reviews
..but...the thing about James Webb's Lost Soldiers is that, even if it doesn't pack the same punch as his other novels, it's still better than all of Tom Clancy's banal books combined. Essentially, the story revolves around past events coming back to haunt Marine Viet Nam veteran Brandon Condley in the revelation that American deserters who killed Marines under his command in Vietnam 30 years ago are still alive. Lost Soldiers has all of Webb's usual rich texture in both the book's characters and the settings through which they move, as well as an unpredictability in the sequence of events. And while the plot may have been mislaid somewehere along the way, and the book itself is more Webb's affectionate articulation of his past memories and present experiences in Vientnam than a focused attempt to tell a story, it's still a great read. And although the complaints of many reviews of this book are valid and this is, probably, not his best effort (at least for most other readers) Webb is that rare bird, the one who not only experienced the reality about which he writes, but also, one that can express it in a prose that brings the reader's immagination to life. His characters have a depth and soul that few fictional chacaters do, and their thoughts and feelings emminate off the page like heat from a fire. So, whatever complaints you have about it, for rich texture and a gritty sense of reality, Lost Soldiers is still better than most fiction on the shelves of your local bookstores.
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