Strategy & Weapons of War, War Narratives, U.S. Armed Forces - Biography, United States History - 20th Century - Wars & Conflict, Vietnam War/French Indo-Chinese War, United States Armed Forces, Armed Forces History

Platoon Leader

Name: Platoon Leader
Author: James R. McDonough
ISBN: 9780739313176

by James R. McDonough

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Overview

A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.'

"Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. . . . Rather than present a potpourri of combat yarns. . . McDonough has focused a seasoned storyteller’s eye on the details, people, and incidents that best communicate a visceral feel of command under fire. . . . For the author’s honesty and literary craftsmanship, Platoon Leader seems destined to be read for a long time by second lieutenants trying to prepare for the future, veterans trying to remember the past, and civilians trying to understand what the profession of arms is all about.”–Army Times

About the Author, James R. McDonough

Col. James McDonough, USA (Ret.), graduated from West Point and served in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader in the legendary 173rd Airborne Brigade. A military theorist who has helped shape the post-Cold War army's thinking, he is also the author of The Defense of Hill 781 and The Limits of Glory. Now retired from active duty, McDonough lives with his family in Tallahassee, Florida

About the Reader

Joel Rooks has starred on Broadway in The Tenth Man, The Sisters Rosensweig, and Taller Than a Dwarf. His film and television credits include Grizzly Adams, Law and Order, and As the World Turns.