A Rumor of War

By: Philip Caputo

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

A literary memoir

Well read. No romantic gloss. Answers the question why the Vietnam war changed our understanding of war.

Puts you there

A very descriptive account of the gruesomeness and horror of war and it's effects. I just disagree with the author's view that the US lost the war. Really, the US walked away from it little by little due to the pressure of protests at home.

nobel-worthy writing

Nobel-worthy writing. Informative. Emotionally cogent. And unfortunately, it remains applicable to today's America. qed

Revealing story

This author expertly expresses not only the traumas of war, but the challenge to any person's sense of humanity during a confusing and overall pointless war, especially in the face of the inability to clearly discern who the enemy was. Really gives a good description of the daily life of a soldier in Vietnam.

Still Indelible

An interesting, thought-provoking, and ultimately an unforgettable account of a young Marine infantry officer's odyssey in Vietnam - with an ending that is nothing short of jaw-dropping. For better or worse there are a few lines and scenes that for me personally, as a catholic and Marine officer, are now permanently branded into my thoughts and psyche. Highly recommend, especially for those in the profession of arms.

Excellent narration of a twentieth century masterpiece

The words are brought to life in this classic expose' of war, not just a distant war in Indochina. Caputo's memoir has aged well and reminds us all that much is to be gained by cautiously weighing the romance of battle against the scars of human suffering in any confrontation be it militarily or personal. After all, we are constantly fighting battles and reaping the harvest, good or bad. The narration is perfect!

Very powerful. Really tells it as it was.

I was blown away by this book. The text was incredibly strong. Everything was described fully and with precision. It was gripping and fascinating. I really felt that I was hearing the whole truth, because he includes many incidents that sound like war crimes, including incidents that he was involved in and put on trial for. In some ways it was difficult to listen to, but I felt that as an American who was a young child during that war, I needed to know.

The war, as Caputo tells it and I understand it, was a terrible mix of good intentions on the part of some, and arrogance, foolishness and dreadful judgment by many. It is hard to come to terms with the waste and loss. I wish it hadn't happened... yet on a personal note, my sister-in-law's father was an officer in the South Vietnamese army and they fled to the US in the early 1970s. If not for this stupid and tragic war, she, and hence my nephew and niece, would not be part of my family. So I can't wish it hadn't happened and anyway, of course, my wishes regarding past events are meaningless. It did happen.

The narrator was excellent. Something about his voice-- the confident and controlled delivery, I think-- suited the material to a T.

I only came across this book because it was included in one of Audible's promotions. I'm grateful because it made a huge impression. One of the more memorable books I've experienced in the past several years.

Amazing!!!

Please, I importune you to listen to this. It is a perfect representation of the horrors of war and really helps one to understand what the war was like. An amazing story with vast detail. A must have!!

Performance lacking a bit

Would you consider the audio edition of A Rumor of War to be better than the print version?

Yes except for the notes below.

What did you like best about this story?

The visuals that th writing gives you. Coputo is a master with words, specially when it's his own experiences he's writing about.

What aspect of L. J. Ganser’s performance would you have changed?

I would think he would check on pronunciation of words he's not familiar with. This is very distracting and detracts from the performance. It is not Yo-ko su ka, but Yo-kho-ska. This is only one of several errors made.

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

Any book about war makes me cry!!!

I loved this book

great book on the vietnam war a must read. I loved it from front to back.