Matterhorn

A Novel of the Vietnam War

By: Karl Marlantes

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

An incredible publishing story—written over the course of thirty years by a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, a New York Times bestseller for sixteen weeks, a National Indie Next, and a USA Today bestseller—Matterhorn has been hailed as a "brilliant account of war" (New York Times Book Review).

Matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of Norman Mailer's The Naked and the Dead and James Jones' The Thin Red Line. It is the timeless story of a young marine lieutenant, Waino Mellas, and his comrades in Bravo Company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of Vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. Standing in their way are not merely the North Vietnamese but also monsoon rain and mud, leeches and tigers, disease and malnutrition. Almost as daunting, it turns out, are the obstacles they discover between each other: racial tension, competing ambitions, and duplicitous superior officers. But when the company finds itself surrounded and outnumbered by a massive enemy regiment, the marines are thrust into the raw and all-consuming terror of combat. The experience will change them forever.

Matterhorn is a visceral and spellbinding novel about what it is like to be a young man at war. It is an unforgettable story that transforms the tragedy of Vietnam into a powerful and universal story of courage, camaraderie, and sacrifice—a parable not only of the war in Vietnam but of all war, and a testament to the redemptive power of literature.

A bonus PDF is included, with maps, a Chain of Command hierarchy, a glossary, and other interesting facts and information.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Karl Marlantes (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ Matterhorn is one of the most powerful and moving novels about combat, the Vietnam War, and war in general that I have ever read.” (Dan Rather)

“Brings a long, torturous war back to life with realistic characters and authentic, thrilling combat sequences.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Unforgettable.… A beautifully crafted novel of unrivaled authenticity and power, filled with jungle heroism, crackerjack inventiveness, mud, blood, brotherhood, hatred, healing, terror, bureaucracy, politics, unfathomable waste, and unfathomable love." (Christina Robb, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist)

Best novel of the Vietam War

Karl Marlantes's novel truly captures the honor, the horror, the stupidity & the futility of the Vietnam War. The writing is exciting, dramatic & factually accurate. This novel deserves a major prize. The narrator also deserves a prize as it is the best I've heard out of hundreds of readers.

Gripping, heart-rending and realistic - a classic!

I'm not a war-story fan, especially about Vietnam, which was too close for comfort for my life. But this novel is a masterwork. The realism, the terror, the ambition, the racial tension, the heroism, the losses, the grudging regard for the enemy, the futility and anger over taking a hill only to abandon it ... all the things you feel you knew about Vietnam but, after reading this book, you realize that - unless you were there - you really knew nothing about it. And instead of the typical bang-bang, blow-it-all-up type of ending so often gratuitiously employed, this novel comes to a perfect, thoughtful, poignant conclusion. Ranks right up there with All Quiet On The Western Front, Apocolypse Now, and such. Now I understand what our 'Nam veterans really went through and how strong they truly were and are.

No Credit, Buy This Book, Don't Wait!!!

This is the best book of 2010. The story is gripping and awesome. I could not stop listening to this book. I'm from gen x and never been in a war, but this story has to be one of the best story about the Vietnam War. They need to do a movie or do a HBO series on Matterhorn. Awesome book. I'm really glad that I read Matterhorn.

Bravo

I really appreciated this book, and if you have a bit of firsthand knowledge about the military, you will love this intense, gritty, and elaborate story. Well done!

Excellent Book About Vietnam

If you could sum up Matterhorn in three words, what would they be?

Wrenched War Defeat

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best about this story was how the author presented the character's to the listener, before the book began. I did not memorize their rank or names but as the book progressed their names became familiar, along with what part of the food chain they belonged to.

What does Bronson Pinchot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I've found that listening to a book tends to give presence to the characters. Bronson Pinchot brought the book, Matterhorn, to life. I could see the heights of the mountains, the depth of the valleys and the overwhelming vegetation that prevented these men from reaching their destination without feeling pain, hunger, thirst and extreme fatigue. However, no matter how hard these men worked and labored it was never good enough. Bronson Pinchot put me there, amongst the men.

Who was the most memorable character of Matterhorn and why?

The most memorable character of Matterhorn was Colonel Simpson of the 1st battalion. I did not like the man. He was an exceptionally unfair man to the men he was in charge of. Colonel Simpson was an alcoholic, who screamed at his men, his way of attempting to keep them under control. However, those men had no respect for him.

What angered me most was how he made the men complete unbelievable tasks that were forced on them by Colonel Simpson. First, the men were ordered to cover their trenches, on Matterhorn, where the men would hide during the night to provide perimeter surveillance. The men attempted to explain to him that they were being put in a more vulnerable position then when left open. Their concern fell on deaf ears. Construction of those covers took the soldiers three day, when they were ordered to have them completed in one. They were made to move to another place the day after the covers were finished. However, before they were able to leave, all evidence that they had been there, was to be destroyed. Hop to it soldier's, remove those covers that you were just ordered to construct. I don't give a dam, you need to move and move fast.

Their next destination could not be reached in the time allotted. Those men had to cut through the bamboo and elephant grass with sickles, using their filthy, infected and blistered hands. When the men arrived they were not even able to stay there a full 24 hours before being ordered to move again. The Colonel had a few too many screws loose. And, this man was expecting to rise higher in status than a Colonel. What had he done wrong? He was a great leader of men, correct? NOT.

Oh, I forgot, these same men had not eaten for six days when they were told to move again. By the time they arrived, it had been eight days. They had ordered supplies but when that order was dropped from the hilo hovering above, one of the things missing was food, MRE's. That is a whole different story and I don't have enough space.

Any additional comments?

I was 13 when the Vietnam conflict began. My brother left for Vietnam at age 18 and has never talked what it was like for him when he was there. I've talked with different men about different wars that they had served in and they did not want to speak about their war either. I cannot visualize or feel the fear that these men felt when they were drafted and had to fight in Vietnam. I was not there, so I have no knowledge, except that which I read.

Matterhorn was a forthright novel. The author, Karl Marlantes, wrote from experience. I am honored to have listened to this book. I don't think I can say that I enjoyed this book. However, the history I have learned is appreciated and has brought me understanding.

I will never understand why our men were not received back home as heroes. The Vietnam war was not of their making. Those young boy's, when they left, should have been treated with the honor and dignity that they deserved. Our men had nothing to do with the start of the Vietnam War. Spit on the politicians, not those brave men who had to fight. PTSD is now rampant in the USA. The term, "shell shocked," was used a one time and those men were never offered any help. Look at how long the disorder has taken to be recognized in the US. Is that because it wasn't understood or rather because it was understood and the politicians knew the costs to help our men and women would be astronomical?

f@*$ing outstanding

Well written and narrated. captivating novel. I could hardly put it down. Well done marine. OOHRAH

Best Vietnam book I've read

This is a painfully detailed view into the life of Marines in the hell of Vietnam. I was an antiwar activist and strong opponent of the war from 67 on after leading a "support the troops" rally at the Univ of TN as freshman class president in 65.
Still my reasons for opposition to the war was about bringing the soldiers home and out of harm's way. This book makes me feel nothing but respect for their sacrifice and nothing but vindication for my opposition to the war and my efforts to stop this madness.
The book is well read and the characters are well described. A five star effort

Extraordinary

Rarely do I read a book that changes my point of view but this ground pounders view of Viet Nam warfare does that by humanizing the "kids", the word the author uses often to emphasize their youth. Many of these guys spend 95 percent of their time as complaining, small minded people, divided by racism, social class, self-interest everything else that exists out in the world and then these same "kids" are capable of tremendous bravery and loyalty to each other. Central to the novel is the development of a single Marine lieutenant from young adult to becoming a man in the best sense of the word. Not a glorified hero, but a thinking, feeling creature who has been tempered by war and, at a brutal cost, has come to understand its meaning. This has to be one of the finest novels of warfare, period.

Pinchot brings this book to life

Wow. I don’t normally listen to war books, so in that respect finishing Matterhorn was a tough project for me. However, this book is a great example of why I love audiobooks. Bronson Pinchot’s narration really brought this book to life in a way that did much more than just make this book “palatable” for me…it actually sucked me in. No way would I have made it through this book if forced to read a physical copy. Despite being fiction, the story is certainly an eye-opening take on the Vietnam War, especially knowing that the book is written by a Vietnam veteran.

Just a warning: this book probably isn’t a good choice for people with a low tolerance for swearing and vulgar language. The language didn’t feel gratuitous…you get the sense that this is just how the soldiers communicated with each other.

Outstanding.

I was a child when this book took place and knew nothing about Vietnam. This book taught me a lot of things that all Americans need to understand about Vietnam and the kids who fought there. As a parent now I realize what a sacrifice it is for people who send their children to war - even wars that seem to have an honorable purpose. War, even the "good" ones will always devolve into madness and futility. This is a must read for anyone interested in Vietnam. The narration was one of the best I have heard - multiple characters in recognizable voices.