Napalm's Embrace

Napalm's Embrace is a non infantry centric novel set in Vietnam, in 1968, at the height of the war. USMC 2nd Lieutenant Jack Brady, a civil affairs officer has been assigned the thankless task of winning the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese villagers out in the countryside. His efforts are thwarted by the military bureacracy and the intensifying war. His attractive interpreter, Tran Thi Sam, gives Brady a deep insight into Vietnamese history and culture. Lieutenant Mike Donnelly, the operations officer, just in from the field, is a direct counter to Brady's growing empathy for the South Vietnamese people. Brady's efforts prove futile, no less tragic than the infantry-fought war. The interwoven destinies of Jack Brady, Tran Thi Sam, and Mike Donnelly reveal all the fault lines and fractures of the American-led war. Based on the author's (W. Thomas Leonard) experience while serving as a USMC Civil Affairs Officer in Vietnam during 1968-1969.