Name: when we walked above the clouds
Price: 25.85 EUR
Availability: InStock
Author: Barnes, H. Lee
ISBN: 9780803264809

Type

Physical Book

Author

H. Lee Barnes

Publisher

University of Nebraska Press

Language

English

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

21.6 x 14.1 x 1.8 cm

Weight

0.39 kg.

ISBN

0803264801

ISBN13

9780803264809

Synopsis "when we walked above the clouds"

There is the mythology of the Green Berets, of their clandestine, special operations as celebrated in story and song. And then there is the reality of one soldier's experience, the day-to-day loss and drudgery of a Green Beret such as H. Lee Barnes, whose story conveys the daily grind and quiet desperation behind polished-for-public-consumption accounts of military heroics. In When We Walked Above the Clouds, Barnes tells what it was like to be a Green Beret, first in the Dominican Republic during the civil war of 1965, and then at A-107, Tra Bong, Vietnam. There, he eventually came to serve as the advisor to a Combat Recon Platoon, which consisted chiefly of Montagnard irregulars. Though "nothing extraordinary," as Barnes saw it, his months of simply doing what the mission demanded make for sobering reading: the mundane business of killing rats, cleaning guns, and building bunkers renders the intensity of patrols and attacks all the more harrowing. More than anything, Barnes's story is one of loss--of morale lost to alcoholism, teammates lost to friendly fire, missions aborted, and missions endlessly and futilely repeated. As the story advances, so does the attrition--teammates transferred, innocence cast off, confidence in leadership whittled away. And yet, against this dark background, Barnes still manages to honor the quiet professionals whose service, overshadowed by the outsized story of Vietnam, nonetheless carried the day.H. Lee Barnes is a professor of English at the College of Southern Nevada. He is the author of several collections of short stories, including Minimal Damage, and a novel, The Lucky.

Customers reviews

Have you read this book? Login to add your review.

More customer reviews

0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)
0% (0)

Questions and Answers about the Book

Do you have a question about the book? Login to be able to add your own question.

Opinions about Bookdelivery

More customer reviews

when we walked above the clouds - Barnes, H. Lee

Synopsis "when we walked above the clouds"

Customers reviews

Frequently Asked Questions about the Book

Is the book original?

In what language is the book written?

What is the format of this book?

Questions and Answers about the Book

Opinions about Bookdelivery