Matterhorn

A searing, brutally honest, brilliantly written depiction of the war that defined an era in American history and a period in my life and in the lives of millions of young men (and women) in the 1960s. 

Dozens of portraits of compelling characters caught in hellish conditions and carrying out seemingly impossible missions against impossible odds.

It is a celebration of incredible bravery by Marines as well as a lament over the appalling waste of human lives and national wealth. A condemnation of myopic and criminal foreign policies, of politicians for their cynical self-interest and ignorance, and of… show more.

Matterhorn is one of the most memorable works of realistic fiction written about The Vietnam War. The author and a Marine infantry officer, decorated for valor during combat several times in duty tours in Vietnam, presents a striking story about the true nature of warfare. The Marines of Bravo Company with whom his protagonist serves present the sheer toil, strength of character, the cost of lost and wounded brothers, unique personalities, moments of weakness and courage, laughter and sadness, brothers-in-arms’ trust, and the will to literally survive until the battle ends and the next one begins. Matterhorn inspired me while… show more.

I heard about this book, and that it took the author, Karl Marlantes, forty years to write it. He describes more of the discomforts of being in a war zone-leeches, jungle and the animals in it, lack of food, not being able to bathe for long periods. When Karl arrived at the Clinton Bookshop in Clinton, New Jersey, a large contingent of veterans was on hand to meet him, including a Marine brother he had not seen in forty years. 

Karl Marlantes' deeply personal and gritty account of combat in Vietnam is rivaled only by Eugene Sledge’s Pacific War classic With the Old Breed. Filled with action, emotion, and inner reflection, Matterhorn sweeps the reader along with a Marine platoon plunging into the dark and dangerous jungle where seasoned guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army troops seek to destroy them. The author Karl Marlantes, a Yale graduate, left his Rhodes scholarship to go on active duty with the Marines in Vietnam.

Karl did a wonderful job in writing Matterhorn. As a Vietnam infantry vet myself, it was easy for me to relate to many of the hardships experienced by the Marines in this story. I also remember those constant never-ending humps through the jungle – at times for days on end and sometimes without sufficient food or water. The story moved easily and I found myself reading way late into the night because I wasn’t able to put my Kindle down. Karl developed his characters and brought the reader into his platoon; I was extremely saddened when many were lost.