Close Quarters

by Larry Heinemann

Book Overview

From the moment his first novel was published, Larry Heinemann joined the ranks of the great chroniclers of the Vietnam conflict--Philip Caputo, Tim O Brien, and Gustav Hasford.In the stripped-down, unsullied patois of an ordinary soldier, draftee Philip Dosier tells the story of his war. Straight from high school, too young to vote or buy himself a drink, he enters a world of mud and heat, blood and body counts, ambushes and firefights. It is here...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140085785
• ISBN13: 9780140085785
• Release Date: November 1986
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Greatest war novel ever

Larry Heinemann is one of our greatest writers and this book is an intense and painful trip into the hell of war. I could not put it down. Heinemann made me feel fear, anger and desperation at the insanity of war. He uses words like paint, piling detail upon detail until you are inside the story with him feeling rage at the waste of people's lives. Read it and weep. But read it if you love good writing.

Exceptional Writing Effort

In my opinion, this is simply a first class story written by an extremely gifted writer. If you have any interest in reading about Vietnam, about war in general, about men in extraordinary conditions you should enjoy this novel. I was sorry to finish it and look forward to reading more work by the author.

Close Quarters... One of the 10 great books about Vietnam...

I first read Mr. Heinemann's 'Close Quarters' in 1975, while on active duty with the USAF. It grabbed me by the throat with its first paragraph and didn't let go until the last sentence. The language, mood, and sense of no time but the present are dead on. From the hero's entrance as a 'Cherry' or 'FNG' to the time he's 'Short'. The story rolls like a tank and doesn't slow down. The one chapter dedicated to the New Year's Eve attack on Deadeye's firebase is one of the finest, most descriptive and detailed ever put to paper. Keeping up tension with each frightful second. Few writers have this ability. And though I've never experienced one, I experienced viscerally the chaos, tension, and stink of fear that a 'No S**t Firefight' encomapsses. I've many friends who went to South East Asia and can easily understand their reluctance to speak about their time there. I am forever grateful that Mr. Heinemann did. The stink, the heat and humidity, the fear and helplessness are all there. Wrapped in the confines of a fire base or M-113 APC. Martin Scorcese should do this as a film, since the screenplay would be the book and reader would become one of the the team. With Deadeye, Dewey, Whiskey J, Quinn, and the Lt. A voyeur, overhearing flawless, raw, pure from the gut dialog. Few books have such power. John Del Vecchio's '13th Valley', Dale A. Dye's 'Run Between the Raindrops', James Webb's 'Fields of Fire', and Gus Hasford's "Short Timers' are close. This is the real deal! Science fiction writer David Drake could take lessons from Mr. Heinemann, since they shared the same MOS. Infinitely readable. And re-readable. If you know anyone who experienced the war in Vietnam, or any war; buy and read this book! It might give you an idea of where that person is coming from.

This book grabs you by the balls and defies you to drop it

As an Englishman of 53 I did not serve in the US Military but was offered a position it that company when I was given the chance to work in the States back in the 60s. A few weeks after I had been to the US Embassy in London to discuss matters (such as time off US Military service for time already spent in the UK Reserve forces) I met the girl who became my wife and history (mine and Americas') was changed forever. When I went to The Vietnam Memorial in Washington with my wife and eledest girl, I stood there with tears in my eyes, thinking of what might have been. My daughter got hold of a copy of 'Close Quarters' (she is an English Teacher in a Secondary school) and I have just finished reading it...or should I say..experiencing it...and once again I have tears in my eyes. God Bless you Larry..and God Bless all the Quinns who never made it back.

right on

I read this book while taking a course on the liturgy of war at U Mass Boston. The course was taught by a Marine Nam vet. I am also a Nam vet (9th Inf. and 11 Cav so when the auther described the rsd dust from the clay it brought me back (actually to somewhere I DID NOT WANT TO BE) This book is the most accurate that I have read.