My Dying Breath

by Ben Reed

Book Overview

Based on the author's own experiences in Vietnam, this novel is "dynamic and poignant . . . detailing the rugged journey from free-spirited youth to the rewarding fulfillment of honor, courage, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786016604
• ISBN13: 9780786016600
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 476 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

A Marine's View

As a former Marine who went to boot camp at MCRD San Diego, Reed's story brings back vivid memories. The mind actually superimposes the faces of real life buddies onto the characters. Every Marine had his own Gunny Hill and can remember the trials that form the lifelong bond between Marines. The combat sequences are incredibly realistic and put the reader right in the "fighting holes" with Tuck and Donnie Boy. The "casualty call" visit to Mrs. Hebert will leave you in tears. This is a must read for every Marine.

Paints an Intriguing and Colorful Picture of Vietnam War

This book was an excellent work of fiction despite the fact it really sounds like the genuine soldier's experience in Vietnam. I don't typically read novels about war, but I could not put this one down. My cousin recently enlisted and I was struck by how similar his boot camp experience is to the characters in the book. Ben Reed promises to deliver many more excellent works based on this debut. A must read!

The Real War

Nowhere have I found myself as personally caught up in both sides of the Vietnam War. I could feel the elephant grass scatching at my legs and smell the smoke of battle, as our guys lived through hell for us. My Dying Breath is fiction, but it comes across as the real thing. It's well worth six stars.

My Dying Breath

Ben Reed is a brilliant new author and will continue to be sucessful in his future books. Stories based on war were not my first choice of reading; however, this story kept me in the midst of the battles (both physical and emotional)and the families on both sides of the war. It continues to amaze me how a work of fiction was based on so much truth. The boys that quickly became men, the family and friends that grew with them, the unanswered questions that I had since young bodies were sent home in 1968 have been explained in a way that continues to make me proud that they had the courage to fight for us, our children and grandchildren.I just completed my second reading of this book and look forward to more stories from Ben Reed. I can't wait to go along on "another ride" of fear, laughter, tears and happiness with the characters that influenced Tuck Richard's life. As a mom, I would have been proud to call him "son".

A Really Outstanding Viet Nam War Story

This is a highly readable and terrific story of war and comradeship. It follows the path of three young Cajuns from the time they enlist in the Marines, through their battle experiences in Viet Nam. It also follows a young Vietnamese though the horror of losing his family and his subsequent confrontation with an evil commander of Viet Cong forces.The story is told mostly through the experiences of "Tuck" Richard as he enters the Marines as a soft, somewhat overweight volunteer, through his grueling basic and advanced training, until his emergence as a leader of a squad of "grunts" on an extended tour in the bush engaged in deadly combat.The agonies of war and the deprivation Tuck experiences are tempered by the comradeship with his boyhood buddy, another friend from the Acadian country in Louisiana, and other Marines in his unit.Scenes of intense fighing abound, and the book would be good if only a "war" story. But the book also involves families back home, especially Tuck's; their concerns; and their activies in coping with their concerns. A sweet story of romance with a very special girl is also interspersed.The book relates highly accurate events taking place in Southern Louisiana during the period. I admired the author's ability to present a clear, well written tale that kept me turning the pages.