A Rumor of War

By: Philip Caputo

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

When it first appeared, A Rumor of War brought home to American readers, with terrifying vividness and honesty, the devastating effects of the Vietnam War on the soldiers who fought there. And while it is a memoir of one young man's experiences and therefore deeply personal, it is also a book that speaks powerfully to today's students about the larger themes of human conscience, good and evil, and the desperate extremes men are forced to confront in any war.

A platoon commander in the first combat unit sent to fight in Vietnam, Lieutenant Caputo landed at Danang on March 8, 1965, convinced that American forces would win a quick and decisive victory over the Communists. Sixteen months later, and without ceremony, Caputo left Vietnam a shell-shocked veteran whose youthful idealism and faith in the rightness of the war had been utterly shattered. A Rumor of War tells the story of that trajectory and allows us to see and feel the reality of the conflict as the author himself experienced it, from the weeks of tedium hacking through scorching jungles, to the sudden violence of ambushes and firefights, to the unbreakable bonds of friendship forged between soldiers, and finally to a sense of the war as having no purpose other than the fight for survival.

Most troubling, Caputo gives us an unflinching view not only of remarkable bravery and heroism but also of the atrocities committed in Vietnam by ordinary men so numbed by fear and desperate to survive that their moral distinctions had collapsed.

More than a statement against war, Caputo's memoir offers readers today a profoundly visceral sense of what war is and, as the author says, of "the things men do in war and the things war does to men".

©1996 Philip Caputo (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Excellent

I shouldn't have put off tackling this book for so long. Harrowing but very worthwhile.

Powerful story, terrific narrator

This was in all the bookstores when I was in college in the 1980s, and now I see why. It’s a masterpiece, with prose so fine I bought the book on Kindle so I could highlight memorable passages. The reader is excellent, bringing a pitch-perfect intensity to the battle scenes and the story overall. Highly recommended.

The realities of war, as seen by a young officer

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book, unusual for its infantry Lieutenant's perspective, should be required reading for learning why we must not resort to war except in the most threatening circumstances. Vietnam certainly was no threat to the US, and so many of our young soldiers died or were wounded for so little.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Rumor of War?

The descriptions of what it was really like to invade a poor village are impossible to not remember indefinitely.

What about L. J. Ganser’s performance did you like?

The voice of the narrator represented the author's persona very convincingly. Also, it was not fatiguing in any way.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I understood for the first time some of the reasons why some soldiers violate the USA's war-fighting rules and ethics. Yet this type of conduct is still inexcusable but is rarely prosecuted.

Any additional comments?

I was in college during the early years of the Vietnam war, and this book brought back many memories of those times. Many of my friends fought in the war, as did my high-school ROTC teacher (who was killed by a land mine).

Based on the USA's history since Vietnam, it's now clear that as a country we simply do not learn from involvement in a pointless, immoral war. Our soldiers and their families and friends bear the burdens.

Powerful

As hard to put down as any action/war novel. The narrative is engrossing. Ganser handles the voice perfectly.
An amazing piece of work that stays with the reader.

Will we ever learn

Any additional comments?

This book is a classic. Being an Iraq War veteran I see that few things have changed since the 1960's.

A Classic of Literary contributions to the War

Caputo is a master at describing the American War in Vietnam particularly, during the early stages of 1965-66. The only flaw in the audio version is that it is narrated by an 'actor' who is vying for an academy award. The narration detracts from the essence of the story.

Excellent

An enthralling account of life as a soldier in Vietnam, told with an honesty that endears you to the author despite the sometimes graphic nature of the details. By his own admission, Caputo wanted to shock people with this book and there were a lot of occasions where he succeeded for me. There is no sugar coating, nor tales of his own heroics, just a decent account of a soldier and his comrades and the events that contributed to the deterioration of their mental state.

You need to read this book.

As most wars are not as pointless as Vietnam was, I would be remiss to suggest this as an antiwar novel. But for just how profoundly useless it was, and the effect it had on the people in the bush and at home, this book is powerful. The writing is superb, the accounts unflinching, and is powerful even to a guy born in 98, where the Afghanistan war is most comparable. It is a stunning chapter of American history that I'm glad my US history professor made us read. If the author is in Heaven, he'll be happy as an angel that his work is still prominent and powerful today as much as it was back then.

Brutal unfiltered honesty

That is what the author goes for and that is what the author achieves. He does not tell the story from an elite's point of view or a passionate artist, but of a soldier that was there.

Authentic.

Anyone who thinks “I would never be war criminal killer” should read this book. This book is a true gem because Caputo brings you on his journey into the darkness of his war and his frustrated futility of war. The ending is a surprising cascade of events where I see myself doing the same things.