Death By the Book: Rules Won't Save You

By Gary Stern

***** "The mind set of this book will save a life someday." 21-Year Veteran & Tactical Communications Chief

In Vietnam communication wasn't the support. It was the system. If the signal held, units stayed alive. If it didn't, everything broke. But to make the signal work, it had to be exposed. Above the tree line. Generators that could be heard for thousands of meters. Fixed in place. Easy to find.

"One of the most original Vietnam War stories I've read - told from the perspective of a radioman. A view rarely seen, and done right." - Colonel Robert A. Black, Silver Star
"A powerful and authentic account that stands apart from traditional war narratives." - Larry Rubenstein, author of A Coward's Hero (700+ reviews, 4.2-star rated)

This is not a story about heroics. Not a story about strategy or victory. It's a controlled, unflinching account of what happens when survival depends on maintaining a system that puts you directly in the line of fire.

For readers of The Things They Carried and Matterhorn, this is a different view of the Vietnam War-one where the most important position is also the most exposed, and where staying in place is the most dangerous order of all.
If you're looking for comfort, this isn't it.

If you want to understand how it actually worked, keep reading.
For more from this author visit: garyestern.com

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GZ492XF8
• ISBN13: 9798259445604
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"