# Matterhorn: Novel of the Vietnam War



## Servimus (Dec 18, 2010)

Did a search and nothing came up, so I thought I would post to recommend this novel. Just released in 2009. It is a novel, but is written by a decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. It's gotten great reviews and so far the novel is excellent.

The book revolves around a young Second Lieutenant and his experiences on a remote fire support base dubbed "Matterhorn".


----------



## Manolito (Dec 18, 2010)

What is the name of the 2nd Lt?


----------



## SpitfireV (Dec 18, 2010)

Karl Malantes I think?


----------



## Servimus (Dec 19, 2010)

The author's name is Karl Marlantes. He served in Vietnam as a Marine and was decorated for his service. I am not sure if the 2nd Lt in the novel was based off his personal accounts or not, though.

Sorry I can't provide much more information. My uncle, who served in Vietnam as a Marine, read the novel and praised it highly and I haven't been able to put it down. Figured it would be worth a post.


----------



## digrar (Dec 19, 2010)

The 2LT is called Waino Mellas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marlantes
It was an ok book.


----------



## Manolito (Dec 20, 2010)

Thanks for the information I will give the book a read. I hope he had very good notes because what I remember from 66,67,68 my memory has suffered.
Bill


----------



## RetPara (Dec 21, 2010)

I read this book when it first came out in the 1970's.  Huggett, William Turner.  *Body Count*.  New York: G.P.
 Putnam's Sons, 1973.

Matterhorn is a longer book; but still follows the basic plot of Body Count too close for my comfort.  Since William Huggett has been passed for a few years there is no one to "defend" the integrity of his writing.


----------



## Manolito (Dec 21, 2010)

Thanks Para something just doesn't feel right.
Bill


----------



## Wanda Mosley (Jun 18, 2020)

This is a really cool novel about the Vietnam War. I really liked him. But now I'm reading another very cool book that describes the events in Vietnam - "The Things They Carried" by American novelist Tim O'Brien. You can read about it at www.papersowl.com/examples/the-things-they-carried/. This is a very interesting book about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. Many characters are semi-autobiographical. In The Things They Carried, O'Brien plays with the metafiction genre; he writes using truthfulness. In The Things They Carried, O'Brien plays with the genre of metafiction; he writes using verisimilitude. His use of real place names and inclusion of himself as the protagonist blurs fiction and non-fiction. As part of this effect, O'Brien dedicates The Things They Carried to the fictional men of the "Alpha Company," contributing to the novel appearing to be a war memoir.


----------

