Crux

by Richard Aellen

Book Overview

His name was carved in the black marble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He'd been reported lost in a helicopter shot down by the Vietcong. Only he hadn't been in that helicopter when it crashed. And... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1556111355
• ISBN13: 9781556111358
• Release Date: October 1989
• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Hits Keep Comming

Another great book by this author. If this is your first but them all because you will really be pleased. They are just what I am looking for. Interesting and inventive stories and really grab your attention and move at a great pace. I really believed the hatred and pain the lead character was carrying around with him as he went on the hunt. The action was well written, not immature like so many of this type of book give you. You are really cheering this guy on. The only critique I have, and it is a minor one, is that I really did not believe that they would keep him as a POW for so long. Other then that I bought into the whole boo. Great Job by the author.

One of my all time favorites.

I absolutely loved this book. I will always own a copy of it so I can read it every few years and share it with friends. It is an action-packed book that begins with the lead character as he leaves for Vietnam. Soon after he arrives,he is set up for a crime and then becomes a P.O.W. His escape, 20 or so years later, and his subsequent revenge against those who set him up for the crime and imprisonment take place at an incredibly fast pace. Reading this book is like watching an action movie - only better. If you loved Nelson Demille's Word of Honor you will love Crux.

An excellent piece of modern literature

At my secondary school, a friend of mine had just finished reading this book. At the time I had read almost all of Michael Crichton's and John Grisham's novels. I was a bit weary about reading a book mainly set during the Vietnam War. But from page one, I couldn't get enough. I can't remember many details (names etc.) and I've been looking everywhere for this novel. Even though this review may be vague, I hope you display it, since it is my opportunity to reflect what a classic this book is.The book starts off in the States and follows the lead character through his happy relationship with his wife and friends to hi deployment to Vietnam. In Vietnam, he is framed with possession of Cannabis, and while he is taken by helicopter to face the music, they are shot down and taken as prisoners. From there, much of the book is about the 20 years he spends in a dark cell with a fellow soldier he befriends. Eventually he escapes only to find that his wife had also moved on . . .to someone who betrayed him. He seeks revenge, only to realize some things alng the way.Crux is thrilling, thought provoking and very emotional (in the sense of heart-racing adventure and tear-inducing realism). It puts to shame the very basic and uneventful ramblings of Grisham and his ilk. Crux is a subtlely emotional powerhouse. Aellen wastes little time trying to force the issue, he lets it play, and lets you take what you will from it. This book helped me realise that you can't just take soldiers for granted, in fact they deserve more respect than we can understand to give.Modern books are not what they used to be. Crime and Punishment, Home of the Gentry, and others, are books I learned to respect as a child through my extensive literature education. But, from the sheer intelligence and the emotional impact this book had on me, Crux is the finest novel I've ever read.