A thoughtful, reflective narrative of a reluctant soldier that captures the rhythms of life in war as well as the boredom and chaos of Vietnam.
 
At the height of the Vietnam War, Charles Carr left graduate school to serve in the army in Southeast Asia, knowing that if he didn’t, another man would go—and possibly die—in his place. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 47th Infantry (Mechanized) in the northern Mekong Delta for a tour of forcing himself through rice paddies and jungles all day and then setting ambushes at night. He concluded his tour with a stint at battalion headquarters. More than just a war memoir, this is the story of one soldier trying to find his way in uncertain times—and to survive his year in Vietnam.