The 13th Valley

By John M. Del Vecchio

Finalist for the National Book Award: A work that has served as a literary cornerstone for the Vietnam generation

The 13th Valley follows the terrifying Vietnam combat experiences of James Chelini, a telephone-systems installer who finds himself an infantryman in territory controlled by the North Vietnamese Army. Spiraling deeper and deeper into a world of conflict and darkness, this harrowing account of Chelini’s plunge and immersion into jungle warfare traces his evolution from a semi-pacifist to an all-out combat-crazed soldier. The seminal novel on the Vietnam experience, The 13th Valley is a classic that illuminates the war in Southeast Asia like no other book. It is the first title in Del Vecchio’s Vietnam War Trilogy, which also includes For the Sake of All Living Things, about the Cambodian holocaust, and Carry Me Home, which addresses the aftermath of war.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Warriors Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781453293584

John M. Del Vecchio

John M. Del Vecchio is the author of five books, including The 13th Valley, a finalist for the National Book Award; For the Sake of All Living Things, a bestseller which deals with the Cambodian holocaust; and most recently The Bremer Detail (with Frank Gallagher) about protecting the US ambassador in Iraq from 2003 to 2004. Del Vecchio’s books have sold approximately 1.4 million copies. He has also written hundreds of articles and the thesis The Importance of Story. Del Vecchio was drafted and sent to Vietnam in 1970, where he served as a combat correspondent in the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). In 1971, he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for heroism in ground combat.

Reviews for The 13th Valley

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's easy to appreciate this novel for the anthropological level of detail. The author fought in the war and started writing it in the early 70s, soon after he returned home. It has legitimate chops. It consciously tries to show things as they were and not as they have been portrayed. Something like a hundred pages comprise the first day alone though you don't realize it's only been one day. There is so much incident, time is compressed. Then you realize.. this is going to be a long tour. No wonder they constantly spoke of how many days were left. And this was before the fighting started. Great book.

[lriley_43 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Del Vecchio's novel the 13th valley was based on real events that the author witnessed as a war correspondet. It follows a platoon of the 101st airborne into a remote region of what was then South Vietnam--it's mission along with the other platoons in the same operation is to find and destroy a division of North Vietnamese regulars who are based and operate from there. The platoon is led by one Lieutenant Rufus Brooks--a black man who has just recieved papers from his wife asking for a divorce--but it's heart and soul reside in one Sergeant Egan--an enigmatic and complicated man who on one hand distributes drugs to his platoon but on the other is the first to walk point--the first to go down into tunnels. One of the things I found especially good in this novel is how Del Vecchio not only breaks down the mission--but breaks down this small unit. Some 570 pages are spent on two weeks worth of humping and tracking but it's not boring even if his boonierats might oftentimes disagree. Del Vecchio also breaks his unit down into squads--giving us names and the particular roles they play within their squads so that one comes to realize just how important each and every member of it is. Beyond all that how they act and behave towards each other. How some like Egan might act recklessly but with calculation whereas others out of fear let everyone within their squad or platoon down.This is much more than just about the Vietnam war though. The letters from home--girlfriends missed--their philosophical discussions amongst themselves about the war--about racism often at the urging of Lt. Brooks trying to deal with his wifes rejection--the discussion about the Vietnamese themselves and their history often portrayed through the eyes of their scout Le Huu Minh--somewhat of an anarchist. Much of this is seen through the eyes of Chelini--aka as Cherry--the newest arrival to the platoon. We follow him from the beginning as Egan molds him from a raw almost gormless newcomer into a particularly ferocious and reckless warrior. A lot can be said for this novel. The characterization is excellent. It addresses a whole litany of issues that revolved around the war but also what was happening stateside at the time. In the end the platoon finds the enemy headquarters--a series of underground tunnels. In the ensuing battle many of them die and many others are maimed. Del Vecchio keeps a tight control over the action--and does not descend into sentimentalism. In this he does his platoon justice and gives us a very fine book.

[monpiko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best Vietnam book along with Michael Herr's Dispatches. My war top four rounded out with The Face of Battle by John Keegan and Thomas Kenneally's Confederates, The 13th Valley gives me a vivid picture of what I might have experienced or might now regret having experienced had the Reds not successfully mounted propaganda campaign making the war "uncool" for a boy graduating in 1968 to opt into.

[brose72 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an important book for me when I read it in 1982. My brother was a marine and he had just passed away. This was his book. His wife gave it to me. It seemed to capture the experience of Vietnam for me, somone who had never been there, better than anything else I ever read. It left a lasting impact on me. A captivating, earthy read.