Dead Center: A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War

by Ed Kugler

Book Overview

WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DEATH BUSINESS, EACH DAWN COULD BE YOUR LAST. Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there--the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at seventeen, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966. As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804118752
• ISBN13: 9780804118750
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Great Story

I met Ed Kugler while installing a vinyl floor in his kitchen and noticed he had a little magnet on his refridgerator of the book cover. I found it quite amazing that this nice soft spoken teddy bear of a man was a marine sniper. He ended up giving me an autographed copy of the book and I thought that was aweful nice of him to do. I let the book sit for about 3 months only reading a couple of pages at a time. Once I started really getting into the book I was so immersed in the story of his marine tour that I had to remind myself that I met the guy in his house on a hill in montana and that this is a true story...no B.S. Just the fact that he is not dead or missing limb's proves the greek was right. The story's here are top notch and there's never a dull moment in the book. Ed's vivid recollection of events really helps someone that has never been in war really get a good idea what it was like and what kind of things you think about. Definitely reccomend this to anyone over 15 years old for some education on how vietnam was for this group of snipers.

No BS Great Read

How someone can write a review of this book that is bad I have no idea. It was completely awesome. Ed Kugler skips political 'correctness' and goes straight to the point. Raw, the uninhibated truth. The story of his two years in Vietnam is compelling. In the begining of the book, he's an ordinary middle america kid. By the end of the book I feel Vietnam took a toll on his sanity. Alot of the book isn't really sniper warfare, but close to it. The focus is more on what he called 'Rouge' patrols, a group of 4-5 men, going out into the badlands and killing the enemy. The language, yes it is vulgar, but I think it captures the way he was back then. As others have wrote, I felt I knew Mr. Kugler at the end of his book, which I thought was great. Awesome read, couldn't put it down!!

An excellent book

Dead Center is a straightforward, no BS, skip the fluff, unglamorous account of Ed Kugler's two years as a Marine sniper in Vietnam. That's exactly what made it such a great book. I think this is an excellent book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. Too many war stories and books are full of glamour, heroes, and lame love stories. You won't find any of that in Dead Center. Not to say that Kugler and his fellow Marines weren't heroes, you just won't find him bragging about it. This book is an excellent, true account of a boy faced with the harsh reality of war that would eventually turn him into a man. From boot camp to Santa Domingo, on to Vietnam and the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley, you'll feel like you're a Marine the second you start reading this book. You won't be plagued with the boring details contained in many war stories, just raw action. However, this book does have a deeper side. Kugler demonstrates the importance to make good decisions, whether you're a sniper in the bush, or a politician in Washington D.C. He makes it known that the bad decisions made in Washington directly affect the young men we send to battle, and that a bad decision made in the bush could get you killed. Dead Center also shows the strong camaraderie and friendship between members of the United States Marines. Ed Kugler writes with his own kind of style. You'll likely never see him win a Pulitzer, but you'll enjoy his book regardless. The story is told through the eyes of a teenager, using the language of a teenager. It is not unlikely that you'll spot {an offensive word} more than five times on a single page, or any other vulgar words for that matter. But the language makes it more real, giving the reader the feeling that it came from an eighteen year old kid. I would definitely like to see Dead Center turned into a movie, mostly because of the fact that it goes against most other Hollywood war movies. I would definitely rather see the reality war and the lessons that come with it, rather than see a hero with a red bandana and a lame love story. All in all, it was an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone; who can handle the language that is.

One of the best Vietnam Era Sniper books i have ever read

I just recently finished reading this book and found it to be superbly written and I could hardly put it down it was so interesting. Ed Kuglers 2 year journey through the hell that was Vietnam depicts the enviroment so well that it is almost like you are there. I was very pleased with my purchase of the book, and i can honestly reccomend it to anyone who wants to know of the hardships a U.S. Marine had to face in Vietnam, especially a Marine Sniper like Ed Kugler.

Like it was

I served with Kug during 66-67, and had distanced myself from my brothers for purely personal reasons. I needed time to heal-almost 30 years.This is the first and only Viet Nam era book I have ever read and only then because it was written by Ed Kugler. The nicknames are somewhat strange, but I can understand why he might have to change real names. The book is real. It is certainly written from his point of view and written well. This book may enlighten a great many people. Thank you Kug.