The Greatest Beer Run Ever

A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War

De: John "Chick" Donohue, J.T. Molloy

Narrado por: Malcolm Hillgartner

"Chickie takes us thousands of miles on a hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull. You will laugh and cry, but you will not be sorry that you read this rollicking story." (Malachy McCourt)

Soon to be a major motion picture written and directed by Peter Farrelly, who won two Academy Awards for Green Book - a wildly entertaining, feel-good memoir of an Irish American New Yorker and former US marine who embarked on a courageous, harebrained scheme to deliver beer to his pals serving Vietnam in the late 1960s.

One night in 1967, 26-year-old John Donohue - known as Chick - was out with friends, drinking in a New York City bar. The friends gathered there had lost loved ones in Vietnam. Now, they watched as anti-war protesters turned on the troops themselves. One neighborhood patriot came up with an inspired - some would call it insane - idea. Someone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer. It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever. But who'd be crazy enough to do it? One man was up for the challenge - a US Marine Corps veteran turned merchant mariner who wasn't about to desert his buddies on the front lines when they needed him. Chick volunteered. A day later, he was on a cargo ship headed to Vietnam, armed with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol.

Landing in Qui Nho'n, Chick set off on an adventure that would change his life forever - an odyssey that took him through a series of hilarious escapades and harrowing close calls, including the Tet Offensive. But none of that mattered if he could bring some cheer to his pals and show them how much the folks back home appreciated them.This is the story of that epic beer run, told in Chick's own words and those of the men he visited in Vietnam.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. Molloy (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Great story!

This is the story of a guy who went into the worst pats of Vietnam, during the worst part of the war, to pay his respects to his friends from NY, soldiers, and to bring them a beer. Wild ride! What an interesting journey by a dedicated friend and patriot. And he exposed the lies of the government and the hell or this war.

Amazing story

One of the best books about an amazing journey!!! True devotion to his friends!!! Everyone should be that lucky to have friends like that.

What a story!

Guys in bar in New York City drunkenly swear someone should go over to Vietnam and carry some beers to their buddies who are fighting there. One of the guys takes it seriously. Off he goes to Vietnam in the middle of the war. Adventure ensues.

No beer run can top this

Great story, a little far fetched for it to be real, but who cares how much the author embellished. Worth the listen.

Absolutely bonkers

This book starts with all the lighthearted feel good warmth of 2 drunk buddies giving each other bear hugs. It gets a bit more serious as Chick ventures into Vietnam for the first few beer runs, but surprisingly it stays lighthearted for quite a while. Until it gets real. Then the whimsy vanishes and the book reminds you of what it's really talking about -- the horror of being a pawn in an unwinnable war. Completely engrossing throughout. What a ride!

Very Interesting Read

This is the closest I’ve ever come to what it was like in Vietnam during the war. Very well-written.

Great short book!

Apparently the main character is my husband's second cousin's uncle or something! So cool that this is a true story...and now a movie on Apple TV! Enjoy the adventure and learning of the events of the Vietnam War while Chickie was there finding his neighborhood buddies.

Holy Cow. What A Story.... A Beer Run to Viet Nam

That's some dedication to your friends or it's insanity. I was in high school during the Nam war. My first experience of watching it on the nightly news with my Dad. It was wicked and certainly looked super dangerous to my young eyes. I loved this story

books are always better than the movie.

I watched a review of the movie. thankfully I didn't spend the money to get appletv just to watch it. no it was not the full movie just some highlights and the reviewers reaction to it. once again I find myself loving the book more. Chicky is amazing for what he wanted to do for his friends and neighbors and going on to enrich the lives of even more people through the years. Just amazingly, awesome.

I will say this for those of you who question the truth behind the believability "civilian/CIA" operative. I cannot say for 100% certainty that it actually happened for Chicky as he tells it. Though you can bet your bottom dollar on this. Yes in fact it would be possible for someone to do that during a war or conflict.

Great Story

Great Story. A beer run has such a capacity to be trivial. Not this one. Not an excuse for the author to tell us how brave he was. The star of this story, is the story.