Just saw Marky Mark's Lone Survivor

[IronEagle]

For some reason this thread made me think of this:

[3rd & Inches]

The first half of the movie was great, but Kubrick (to my dismay and surprise) completely blew it when it shifted from Parris Island to Vietnam.

Exactly. Once Private Pyle eats a bullet, it gets terrible. Well...the "What can I get for ten dollars?" scene makes me laugh.

[slag]

The book is brutal and has a significantly different story line in Vietnam.

I remember when I was watching the movie for the first time that, considering how good the first half was, that the second half would be unbelievable ... and then I spent the entire second half of the movie thinking "WTF is Kubrick doing?"

But yeah, that scene was pretty funny.

[Dolomite]

Good eye

Vietcong?

I thought they were surrounded by North Vietnamese regulars.

Yeah i notice too they were not Vietcong, I got that from Amazon. They were NVA regulars 3 battalions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ia_Drang

If you like Military books here are some good reads.
Pleiku: The Dawn of Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1947174.Pleiku

Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW
http://books.google.com/books?id=gPi...page&q&f=false

[slag]

I like to read, and I've read some Vietnam fiction and non-fiction.

The ones I indicated here and others including (off the top of my head) Dispatches, The Things They Carried, Tiger the Lurp Dog, 13th Valley, and A Rumor of War.

Haven't read the two you listed, but I read more fiction than non-fiction.

Just noted you're from Warwick ... my daughter was up at URI for two years before transferring to Ithaca.

Liked it up there ... Crazy Burger and Cheeky Monkey were restaurants I loved in Narragansett and I played some nice golf courses (particularly Newport National).

[broadstreetparade]

Just saw it tonight.

If you havent yet, I implore you to do so.

[Dim Bulb]

Dispatches is the best.

I like to read, and I've read some Vietnam fiction and non-fiction.

The ones I indicated here and others including (off the top of my head) Dispatches, The Things They Carried, Tiger the Lurp Dog, 13th Valley, and A Rumor of War.

Haven't read the two you listed, but I read more fiction than non-fiction.

Just noted you're from Warwick ... my daughter was up at URI for two years before transferring to Ithaca.

Liked it up there ... Crazy Burger and Cheeky Monkey were restaurants I loved in Narragansett and I played some nice golf courses (particularly Newport National).

Head and shoulders above the rest, imho.

[slag]

Not sure about head and shoulders but it's right there with anything else that's on top of my list for writing about that war.

I believe I read somewhere that the Dennis Hopper character from Apocalypse Now was based on the Dispatches references to photographer Sean Flynn, the son of Erroll, who disappeared in Cambodia I believe.

[AthensEagle]

Fields of Fire was a decent fictional read.

[slag]

I read that ... Jim Webb right?

I think he went on to be Sec of the Navy and a Senator.

[Dim Bulb]

I only said that because...

Not sure about head and shoulders but it's right there with anything else that's on top of my list for writing about that war.

I believe I read somewhere that the Dennis Hopper character from Apocalypse Now was based on the Dispatches references to photographer Sean Flynn, the son of Erroll, who disappeared in Cambodia I believe.

...John Le Carre liked it.

But Kubrick did use some of it as a basis for Full Metal Jacket.

DB

[slag]

If memory serves me, the scene at the bridge in Apocalypse Now has some shit from what Herr described in Dispatches from when he was at Khe Sahn.

[AthensEagle]

Yeah. My Senator. You know he's a good guy b/c he didn't feel like running for a second term.