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xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
David Hackworth was born in Ocean Park, California in 1930. Hackworth lied about his age, joining the Merchant Marine at age 14. He wound up serving in the South Pacific during World War II on a Merchant Marine ship. He wound up officially enlisting in the United States Army in 1946. He served in Korea and Vietnam, eventually obtaining the rank of Colonel. This is the personal memoir of his military career. It was a pretty interesting book if you are into military history or these specific wars. I bought this at my used bookstore locally, and was pleased with the purchase.
willheppding's review against another edition
5.0
Great book that captures the transition of America’s Army from WWII to Vietnam and how bureaucracy and ticket-punching careerists led to excessive loss of life.
ilikemelons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Great military memoir, long book and none of it felt boring. More importantly I think it’s an amazing example of leadership. Really shows to lead well you must truly care about your troops.
Would recommend this to anyone interested in military and also any leader in general
Would recommend this to anyone interested in military and also any leader in general
ermesomega's review against another edition
2.0
+800 pages of masterbation. This book details the life of a military man as he progresses through his career. I'm not saying he didn't do any of the things he mentions. I'm not down playing his role in any of the events of his life. I'm in no way trying to tarnish his name. But his book drags on like he is Rambo, Hammurabi, Genghis Khan, political pundit, and every other thing in the world. It has no drop in pace. He is always doing the right thing even when he is doing the wrong thing (and trust it coming from another army officer, he does some wrong things). I'm suffering through this book.
It is like listening to your crazy Uncle at family dinners. He tells great stories. You enjoy hearing them, in small intervals at a-fore-mentioned dinners. But if he told all of them back to back for hours, you'd want to pour hot coffee on his lap and tell him to leave.
It is like listening to your crazy Uncle at family dinners. He tells great stories. You enjoy hearing them, in small intervals at a-fore-mentioned dinners. But if he told all of them back to back for hours, you'd want to pour hot coffee on his lap and tell him to leave.
arredondo_'s review
5.0
Long book with pretty much to learn about.
War reassembles so many activities of the human nature porsue. This book is a great history of a man that with a purpose, a man who follow his very own principles. Yes, there is a lot to learn about people like that , there's a lot to learn about history. History goes into circles, because our behavior as humans doesn't have been changed too much since the dawn of our civilization.
Give it a shot, there is no regrets on this one.
War reassembles so many activities of the human nature porsue. This book is a great history of a man that with a purpose, a man who follow his very own principles. Yes, there is a lot to learn about people like that , there's a lot to learn about history. History goes into circles, because our behavior as humans doesn't have been changed too much since the dawn of our civilization.
Give it a shot, there is no regrets on this one.
mburnamfink's review
5.0
About Face is Hackworth's first book, the one he really wanted to write, and a damn fine memoir about loving the Army, building a career, and then burning it to the ground after decades of systemic betrayals. Hackworth grew up as an orphan in California, and lied about his age to join the Army in 1946, when most people were glad to be getting out. He learned the trade in the elite occupation forces at Trieste (TRUST), and then the hard way in Korea with the 27th "Wolfhounds" Infantry Regiment, where he was battlefield commissioned as an officer. Between Korea and Vietnam Hackworth bounced around the civilian world and Nike missile anti-aircraft units, marked as a soldier with the potential for stars, even as he was caught between his abrasive nature and the '100% efficiency' culture of the New Army; a 100% efficiency often achieved by fudging results.
Vietnam was what finally broke Hackworth. He fought with the 101st Airborne, and remade and commanded the 'Hardcore Recondo' battalion (see Steel My Soldiers' Hearts), but he became incredibly cynical at the hamfisted use of firepower, the ticket-punching attitude of careerist officers, and the way that a combination of strategic obscurity and improper training in infantry basics was getting thousands of American soldiers killed for no damn reason at all. Despite time in command, in training schools, and in the Pentagon, Hackworth couldn't move the machine, and so in 1971 he blew everything up by giving a candid interview to ABC's Issues & Answers where he dramatically countered the "Vietnamization/Light-at-the-End-of-the-Tunnel" Pentagon line. The response was immediate and drastic. Hackworth was followed, wiretapped, investigated for numerous crimes, and finally forced to resign, where he fled to Australia ("As far away as I could get from America and still speak English") to make his own way. And then after 18 years he writes this book, and uses it to launch a second career as a war reporter and defense analyst.
That's the duality of Hackworth. Unquestionably a brilliant soldier; uneducated orphans lying about their age to enlist do not get groomed for the highest command without an immense amount of talent, luck, and energy, Hackworth was also an egoist and a braggart of the highest order. Rules simply did not apply to him, and Hackworth and his men stole jeeps, partied hard on base, ran brothels, scavenged everything they could get their hands on, dealt out 'NCO justice', slept with other men's wives, lied about everything that might get them in trouble, etc. etc. There's a lot to learn from in Hackworth's earlier career (sweat the details, an organization only learns what the boss checks, focus on the fundamentals, loyalty runs downwards before it runs up), but the big deal, his Issues & Answers interview, seems mostly like the last futile gesture of a broken man. What could be done in 1971 to save the war? What did the American people not know, that was heroically revealed? The timeline reveals that Hackworth's alleged crimes were dug-up mostly as a response to the blatant attack of his TV interview; other officers got away with the same or worse. But I have a sense that in some grander sense, his interview was all for the best. General Hackworth would have imploded hard enough to take out a side of the Pentagon.
Everything in this book is written to contrast 'Hackworth the Warrior, Stud of Studs, Master of Battle' against the 'Perfumed Princes' who lied failed to achieve victory in Korea or Vietnam, and betrayed the trust of their troops the American people through a cabal that covers up inadequate training and shoddy procurement. The writing is pulpy, the stories slanted, but this is his first book and both writing and facts are more considered and balanced, before years of "Hack the Great War Correspondent" went to his head. Whatever else, Hackworth had charisma, and it shines through. Even though I don't want to like him, I can't help it.
Vietnam was what finally broke Hackworth. He fought with the 101st Airborne, and remade and commanded the 'Hardcore Recondo' battalion (see Steel My Soldiers' Hearts), but he became incredibly cynical at the hamfisted use of firepower, the ticket-punching attitude of careerist officers, and the way that a combination of strategic obscurity and improper training in infantry basics was getting thousands of American soldiers killed for no damn reason at all. Despite time in command, in training schools, and in the Pentagon, Hackworth couldn't move the machine, and so in 1971 he blew everything up by giving a candid interview to ABC's Issues & Answers where he dramatically countered the "Vietnamization/Light-at-the-End-of-the-Tunnel" Pentagon line. The response was immediate and drastic. Hackworth was followed, wiretapped, investigated for numerous crimes, and finally forced to resign, where he fled to Australia ("As far away as I could get from America and still speak English") to make his own way. And then after 18 years he writes this book, and uses it to launch a second career as a war reporter and defense analyst.
That's the duality of Hackworth. Unquestionably a brilliant soldier; uneducated orphans lying about their age to enlist do not get groomed for the highest command without an immense amount of talent, luck, and energy, Hackworth was also an egoist and a braggart of the highest order. Rules simply did not apply to him, and Hackworth and his men stole jeeps, partied hard on base, ran brothels, scavenged everything they could get their hands on, dealt out 'NCO justice', slept with other men's wives, lied about everything that might get them in trouble, etc. etc. There's a lot to learn from in Hackworth's earlier career (sweat the details, an organization only learns what the boss checks, focus on the fundamentals, loyalty runs downwards before it runs up), but the big deal, his Issues & Answers interview, seems mostly like the last futile gesture of a broken man. What could be done in 1971 to save the war? What did the American people not know, that was heroically revealed? The timeline reveals that Hackworth's alleged crimes were dug-up mostly as a response to the blatant attack of his TV interview; other officers got away with the same or worse. But I have a sense that in some grander sense, his interview was all for the best. General Hackworth would have imploded hard enough to take out a side of the Pentagon.
Everything in this book is written to contrast 'Hackworth the Warrior, Stud of Studs, Master of Battle' against the 'Perfumed Princes' who lied failed to achieve victory in Korea or Vietnam, and betrayed the trust of their troops the American people through a cabal that covers up inadequate training and shoddy procurement. The writing is pulpy, the stories slanted, but this is his first book and both writing and facts are more considered and balanced, before years of "Hack the Great War Correspondent" went to his head. Whatever else, Hackworth had charisma, and it shines through. Even though I don't want to like him, I can't help it.
fabian's review against another edition
5.0
With the Ken Burns "The Vietnam War" series just out, this is one of the books I recommend to anyone wanting to dive deeper into the history and the disgrace of that war, especially if you like war memoirs. In fact, this is one of my top 5 favorite books, period. Hackworth, considered by many as the greatest battalion commander in Vietnam, takes you right to the cutting edge of the action in Korea and Vietnam, which on its own makes this a classic and valuable war memoir. But then he takes that no-bullshit, cutting edge style to his critique of the war, pulling no punches, calling out generals and, perhaps most important, calling out our nation's leadership for being scared of the communist bogeyman and for just being overall cowards and liars, which they are. Some reviews hold Hackworth's cockiness against him, but my goodness, he was an infantry commander. What do you expect? I found the book completely honest and believable. A must-read for those interested in Vietnam.
garyboland's review
4.0
Very interesting expose on the Vietnam War. If you want to know what went wrong, this will give you
intimate detail (think 'street without joy' but from a commander's field of view). The really interesting part was that Hackworth had been in Korea and had seen a lot of the Vietnam mistakes made there. Not only were those mistakes not corrected, but by ignoring the problem 15 years later the problem had grown and magnified resulting in an unwinnable war for the US.
This is a book about learning lessons and from that point of view I thoroughly recommend it (the history around US involvement in Korea and Vietnam is also worthwhile)
intimate detail (think 'street without joy' but from a commander's field of view). The really interesting part was that Hackworth had been in Korea and had seen a lot of the Vietnam mistakes made there. Not only were those mistakes not corrected, but by ignoring the problem 15 years later the problem had grown and magnified resulting in an unwinnable war for the US.
This is a book about learning lessons and from that point of view I thoroughly recommend it (the history around US involvement in Korea and Vietnam is also worthwhile)