Green Knight, Red Mourning

by Richard E. Ogden

Book Overview

Only 17 years old when he joined the Marines in 1965, Richard Ogden was sent to Vietnam and took part in the amphibious assault at Red Beach. This critically-acclaimed first-person account of his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078601511X
• ISBN13: 9780786015115
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

this book rocks

This is a great book, I have read almost every book out there on Vietnam and this as good as any. Very similar to 'GUNS UP' which I read just before this . Yes the writing style is different but very funny and a welcome variation. I imagine the author had to find some way to deal with all that he went through. If you like this kind of book you won't be disapointed, the action scenes are great.

green knight, red mourning

i read this book several years ago and was completely blown away by it. ogden paints a picture of what vietnam was like for a small, scared kid first hand. he holds nothing back in his writing. after reading it again it still moved me. his account of hand to hand combat to the death and his views of day to day life are very vivid. i recommend this book to all readers to get a feel what it was like in the 'nam.

Tighten Your Seatbelt

This is a rough ride! As an author myself, I was VERY impressed with the writing ability of Richard Ogden. Rarely do I start a book and not get diverted to others -- but not in this case. Every night I picked it up to read more, and had trouble putting it down until my eyes refused to stay open.Be prepared for some gory details of a Marine "grunt" in the early days of the Vietnam War. As a young "punk" not used to military life and discipline, Ogden had trouble adjusting. He reaches into the depths of his feelings throughout this book -- good and bad -- and pulls no punches.This book is not political, and does not attempt to analyze the military decisions beyond those in his immediate command. He develops a few good relationships, in many cases to see his friends get killed. Blood and guts surround him. Not a pretty sight.I was particularly intrigued by the writing style, where many analogies were used to express his thoughts. In contrast to my own writing about flying F4U Corsair fighter planes ("Bent Wings"), where I tend to be very factual and technical, Ogden's writing instead is very descriptive and visceral, putting you in his boots and through his eyes and heart.It is hard to understand why this book is virtually unheard of. It is the stuff war movies are made of. From the clever title to the explicit detail of the life of a ground-pounding Marine in the jungles of Vietnam, I found this book fascinating -- and made me glad I was not there!

Green Knight, Red Mourning

Once I started this tale of a young Marine just out of training and on a landing craft headed for the Viet Nam war I could not put it down. The tales of his exploits are truly amazing. To think that one boy could endure all of this is unbelievable.To some, no one person could endure all he went through. A great read that will bring back many memories for Nam Vets. Some good, some not so good.