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)

Many levels

Great book. A bang bang, shoot 'em up war story for sure. But there are many other levels for an engaged listener.... the utter madness of combat....the racial tensions that invaded the military in the late 1960's ..
...the struggle with God and faith in the madness....the love of combat brothers... the feelings of grunts toward those controlling them...so many levels. I really enjoyed it. It brought back memories for me

Realistic

As a former grunt, I found this accurate and compelling. As close as being there.

Important Insights about Those Cast into Combat

Those of us who served in RVN are now senior citizens. Karl took me back to my youth, when I was also a green 2LT anxious to experience combat.

Actual combat is just as complex as he so eloquently exposes — kids pitched against other kids, with our side all too frequently led by senior officers unfit to command. Lives must not be squandered by incompetent marionettes promoted to ranks outside their depth.

Respect must be earned and true comradeship nurtured as Karl starkly portrayed in this wonderful novel based on his personal journey.

This book should be required reading for military officers at all levels. Lessons learned in the past help to avoid future mistakes.

Loved the book

I really enjoyed this one, the ending really got to me. Amazing work with this one

Great Narration of Spellbinding Story

The book held my attention from the very beginning. It was by far the best narrated book that I have listened to. As a Vietnam Vet I appreciated the honesty and authenticity of the story based on the author’s experience. At first I questioned whether or not I wanted to start listening to such a lengthy novel. However, the story was so spellbinding that I was sorry that it came to an end.

Long But Has Depth

This is a fictional account of Marines fighting in 1969 in Vietnam. The language is corse as you’d expect.

The story is long but has depth. The characters are drawn out one by one and you learn much about them.

The narrator did an excellent job creating different voices for the soldiers. This helped me remember the characters just by his various voices.

Amazing Depiction of the Vietnam War

This novel is a must read. A very human and accurate story of the internal and external struggles of war.

A real read - not just entertainment

This is a page turning story. It is a coming of age, a coming of life, set in an impossible situation. Very well read/performed. Sometimes had to endure because it seems too real. I read the negative reviews - ex soldiers complaining that officers can't be so dumb. But everyone knows that administration can be that selfish. Otherwise they don't become administrators. So, if you chose to take this adventure. Don't worry about impossible administration orders - probably not so impossible.

Reader does a good job with each character

The radar does a good job drawing you into the story. I've listened to the book in about two weeks time.

A modern day naked in the dead.

Lasting images of the pressure is the battle and the soul-searching that it creates.