Dead Center

A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War

By: Ed Kugler

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there - the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at 17, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966. As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up bush skills while attached to 3d Force Recon Company, and then joined the grunts. To take advantage of that experience, he formed the Rogues, a five-sniper team that hunted in the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley. His descriptions of long, tense waits, sudden deadly action, and countersniper ambushes are fascinating. In Dead Center, Kugler demonstrates the importance to a sniper of patience, marksmanship, bush skills, and guts - while underscoring exactly what a country demands of its youth when it sends them to war.

©1999 Ed Kugler (P)2014 Tantor

Awesome!

It was an all around great book!!!!! Keeps you on your toes most of the time but overall keeps you wanting to hear more

Great book

Great book Kugler has made my first book on Vietnam one to remember and appreciate. A must read for anyone interested in the Vietnam war.

great listen! felt like I was is the bush

Very good listen! keep my attention and pulled me in. All real events and shows the stuggle of what a young sniper in Vietnam had to over come.

Great storytelling.

I didn’t know what to expect, because some of the stories are a hit and miss but the storyline and narration was very good, I finished this book very quickly.

raw. thought provoking.

Listened to this immediately after listening to Hammerhead 6. Great contrast. I would highly recommend both books and in that order.

more of a story about the harshness of war

little slow to get started, but was a good book overall. the author shares his struggles with dealing with the brutality if war

Extremely engaging book!

I didn't want to stop listening. Story was very engaging and I wanted to know all I could. I entered Marine Reserves 1972. Never had to go overseas. I remember all the news reports. The Today Show had numbers of casualties on both sides every morning. I knew I did not want to be there. If they needed me at least I would be in the Marines and have a chance to make it back. I knew about enemy snipers. Never thought to be a Marine Sniper. I was in Engineer group. I would be building stuff and clearing land mines.

The very best war book

Easily the best war book i have read. And i have read better than 50.

The humor, mixed with what felt like honest perspectives and wuality of the narration. All lead to a great experience. I am on reading parts four and five times.

I suppose anyone interested in the feel of vietnam and perhaps war in general would value this book. For sure someone who wants to hear a well written, well thougjt out and meaningful story again would enjoy this book.

I just eish Ed had written more books.

Still the best

Had the pleasure of finding this book in high school, it is the book that changed my views on reading and writing forever and was as enjoyable to listen to as it was to read. Down to earth views of real problems, thoughtful and humorous while humbling.

Fantastic!

A fascinating account of total immersion combat in Vietnam.
This book has many truths that are relevant to modern warfare and the bureaucracies that govern it.
An excellent read for any grunt!