Up Country

This is really two books in one. A first rate mystery in its own right, it's also a tale of a Viet Nam veteran's cathartic resolution of his experiences. The author is a highly decorated veteran of that war and I suspect the writing was cathartic for him as well. The book is truly superb.

This book has made me a die-hard fan of Nelson Demille. Paul Brenner (the main character) is so much like so many people I know that I immediately found him to be real - he's sarcastic, impatient and a bit of a jerk and I enjoyed his every move. I found myself laughing out loud in many parts and feeling sad in others, emotional responses that make a book worthwhile for me. On top of that, the educational aspect of the story had me mesmerized.

I have listened twice to this novel, thoroughly enjoyed both listens, and was sorry both times when it came to an end. Most books of this length tend to drag too much - this one was the exception.

This book is a combination of incredible true information about the Vietnam War and also the personal aspect. Listen to every word. Do not read an abridged version of this. Detail is the finest part of a good book. There is a lot of personal in this book but the end result is the professional end and the reality of today. I will definitely read it again. The pre-book by the author and the end and author info is all part of this very wonderful book. I grew up in the Vietnam Era but was young and stupid and did not learn as much then as I have over the years. I consider this priceless information and a good story.

I served during Vietnam in U. S. Naval Security. I have very mixed feelings about the war. I'm an avid reader and listener, but this is the first book I've read about the Vietnam War. This is because of those personal mixed emotions. I'm very happy I listened to Up Country. It has affected me deeply. And, confirmed to me of the insanity of both Vietnam and the United States during that horrible time that now has become history. I highly recommend this book to anyone. Especially to anyone that lived through that time. It also makes me wonder about the books that will be written 20 or 30 years after the insanity of Iraq. I love my country, and I'm happy that I was of service to it. I would do it again. I just hope that one day we can learn from our mistakes and stop asking that our young men and women live and die through what was shown in this wonderful book.

I don't know what the one reviewer listened to who said the reader was terrible. I thought the reader was great and the story line compelling. I couldn't stop listening to this book, and only wish it went a little further at the end to better wrap up the story. I was a little disappointed with the ending but over-all I loved this book. This is the third book of his that I have listened to and it was well worth the book credit. I also highly recommend The Lion's Game and Night Fall.

What amazing details, Nelson DeMille knows how to reel you in and keep you there. I actually felt like I was in vietnam. As good as the Lion's Game which I thought was riviting

I found this to be one of the best books of his that I read/listened to. Exciting and kept you wondering how it would turn out and right up to the end, you still weren't sure!

An excellent book. What some people criticized as a "travelogue" is one of the aspects of the book that held my interest every step of the way. In fact, I was constantly going to Google maps to follow Paul Brenner's journey from south to north Vietnam. I lived the Vietnam war years and the historical references brought back vivid memories.

I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Even though I figured out an ultimate plot point very early on (it becomes a little obvious) it did not spoil the read for me.

5 stars !!

This book was the last Demille book that I had left to read. I read it last because it is VERY long and about Vietnam, which I anticipated would be a little uninteresting to me. I am, on the other hand, a Demille fan. Although the book is long, I really enjoyed it. Most of the book is filled with memories of the war and tons of descriptives. A review like I have written so far would more than likely turn me away from a book, but let me say again that I really enjoyed the book.

The main charecter is a Vietnam vet who is recruited to return to current day vietnam to investigate a crime committed during the war by Americans. Again, to me that sounds boring...but again, I thought it was good. If you don't have a tolerance for long books, there may be too many descriptives for you to make it all the way through.

I thought the narrator was great! (I have to admit that Scott Brick is one of my favorites and so is Nelson Demille, so them together is a must read to me)

Enjoy!!

I am a big fan of DeMille, however this was my least favorite book. I was 10 hours into the book and all that had happened was the arrival in Vietnam. It felt like I was listening to a combination of the History Channel and the Travel Channel. The last part of the book did come around, but I had to be bored for 3/4 of the book to get there.