Word of Honor

I was in high school as the world judged the actions of Lt. Wm. Calley at the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam. This novel is a portrayal of a different incident - a fictional incident - but is no less provocative & riveting. Why do civilians, politicians, & news media pretend they know what it’s like in war? Only a soldier* knows. We ask them to defend, to protect and to serve. They answer with their life & some give their last breath in service. This book deserves our attention and each reader's soul-searching before supposition of a soldier's experience in service, in war, or on return home. Regardless of your view or opinion of the Vietnam War, regardless of your politics, regardless of your thoughts about the news media, this book is show more an important read. I hope it stays in print for years to come.

*I use the word "soldier" in this review regardless of what branch of the military first comes to mind when one thinks of U.S. Military Service and regardless of gender, etc. show less

I was in high school as the world judged the actions of Lt. Wm. Calley at the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam. This novel is a portrayal of a different incident - a fictional incident - but is no less provocative & riveting. Why do civilians, politicians, & news media pretend they know what it’s like in war? Only a soldier* knows. We ask them to defend, to protect and to serve. They answer with their life & some give their last breath in service. This book deserves our attention and each reader's soul-searching before supposition of a soldier's experience in service, in war, or on return home. Regardless of your view or opinion of the Vietnam War, regardless of your politics, regardless of your thoughts about the news media, this book is show more an important read. I hope it stays in print for years to come.

*I use the word "soldier" in this review regardless of what branch of the military first comes to mind when one thinks of U.S. Military Service and regardless of gender, etc. show less

Finished. Totally excellent.

I'm about half way through and I have to say I suspect this may be the best DeMille I have read. I believe that DeMille was an infantry Lt. in Vietnam and it shows. I've read a lot of Vietnam books and I think this one captures the impact on the soldiers and the internal conflicts many of them suffered as well or better than any of the others. The scene where Tyson "confronts" the author of the book that reveals the details of the massacre is a classic. The inner turmoil of both men is apparent. I'll never look at Calley and My Lai in quite the same way again. DeMille novelistically raises many important issues with regard to war crimes and the assignment of blame.

UPDATE: The issue of command culpability has show more intrigued me for years and is certainly of paramount importance given our history with the Nuremberg trials, Vietnam, and now Iraq. It was our moral position at Nuremberg that the higher command had to be accountable for their orders and actions. We went after the top guys. We executed top commanders even though, in many cases, they were totally unaware of the specific actions of those under their command. (Check out who got the axe for Abu Ghraib.) Japan was castigated for failures to follow the Geneva Convention even though they were not signatories. (The Emperor had indicated , however, they no longer needed to be bound by the Hague Convention in the treatment of Chinese prisoners.) Similarly, Bush's AG wrote an opinion with the concurrence of Cheney that the Geneva Convention did not apply in the case of the the prisoners at Gitmo. I'm not arguing the validity of these decisions (although you can guess where I stand, those idiots) but given our positions at Nuremberg and public posturing we need to be very careful.

Of course, it's the winner of every war who writes history and makes the rules. We need to be mindful of how those rules may be applied in the future as we may not always be the winner and we may not always be innocent, regardless of how we may view our own actions. show less

I love me some deMille, I think anyone who reads my reviews knows that. This one was good, really kept you guessing and wanting to keep reading to find out what happens. There are some odd relationships between the characters, including Tyson and his wife. But even that couldn't ruin it. It also did get a little wordy, especially around the subject of military law, but I guess you have to get it right, right? All in all, another winner from deMille.

The plot itself was incredibly interesting with the Vietnam war backdrop against a modern family in Long Island. In addition, a military courtroom drama is an uncommon trait in modern fiction. Vietnam has been cathartic for many Americans. Unlike World War II, where good and evil seem clear.

I've read nearly all of NdM's books and I think this his best. I'm sure he put a great deal of autobiography into this: read the book, then NdM's bio on wikipedia. I'd bet Tyson's recollection of receiving the VN Cross of Gallantry is exactly Mr. DeMille's own from when he himself received that award. If you were there, this book will remind you of much. If you weren't there, NdM does better than most at telling you something of what it was like. Tyson / DeMille saw much - and came home, and became private citizens with memories but civilian lives to live. This is not a pessimistic book.

The central issue is responsibility. The Army's view - a commander is personally responsible for all that his men do or don't do - may sound harsh to show more some, but to others (including me) it seems necessary. The book's presentation of the Army I think shows the Army as it aims to be. The Army is made of imperfect people like any other institution, but I hope it generally will act as the book describes. Nelson deMille, long-ago Lieutenant in a war that did not finish well, never lost his trust in it. show less

I was a little girl during the Vietnam War, so my knowledge of it is limited. Word of Honor gave me enough insights into this time that I have researched the War and learned more about it. I found this book to be absolutely gripping. DeMille has done his research and provided details of the war that I hadn't known.

Ben Tyson was out of the Army and living a life when he was suddenly called back into duty. He quickly learns that his reenlistment is because he's going to be court marshalled and tried for an invasion that he lead 20 years prior where numerous patients in a hospital were massacred. Forced to recollect and then investigate what really happened, Tyson finds that he must defend himself or he'll be sent to prison.

This story is show more tight, and I found myself wanting to know what came next. My opinon of the characters in the book twisted and turned as many times as the story did.

I loved this book. show less