Our Year of War: Two Brothers, Vietnam, and a Nation Divided - Hardcover

Bolger, Daniel P.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306903261 ISBN 13: 9780306903267

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2017

Synopsis

Two brothers--Chuck and Tom Hagel--who went to war in Vietnam, fought in the same unit, and saved each other's life. They disagreed about the war, but they fought it together.

1968. America was divided. Flag-draped caskets came home by the thousands. Riots ravaged our cities. Assassins shot our political leaders. Black fought white, young fought old, fathers fought sons. And it was the year that two brothers from Nebraska went to war.

In Vietnam, Chuck and Tom Hagel served side by side in the same rifle platoon. Together they fought in the Mekong Delta, battled snipers in Saigon, chased the enemy through the jungle, and each saved the other's life under fire. But when their one-year tour was over, these two brothers came home side-by-side but no longer in step--one supporting the war, the other hating it.

Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and his brother Tom epitomized the best, and withstood the worst, of the most tumultuous, shocking, and consequential year in the last half-century. Following the brothers' paths from the prairie heartland through a war on the far side of the world and back to a divided America, Our Year of War tells the story of two brothers at war--a gritty, poignant, and resonant story of a family and a nation divided yet still united.

About this title

About the Author

Daniel P. Bolger served in the US Army for thirty-five years, retiring as a lieutenant general. He commanded troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq, earning five Bronze Star medals (one for valor) and the Combat Action Badge. He is the author of eight previous books and a contributing editor for Army magazine. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Review

"Our Year of War is the remarkable tale of two brothers--one of them a future Secretary of Defense--who walked point together in the same Army infantry platoon in Vietnam. It's a story of war, and a story of family, and a reminder that America's wars are, in the end, fought by families. Dan Bolger has done us all a great service with this wonderful book."--Nathaniel Fick, author of the New York Times bestseller One Bullet Away

"Our Year of War is a vivid war story that soars beyond the battlefields to become a metaphor for life's struggles and redemption. Drawing on an exhaustive depth of research and first-hand combat experience, General Bolger weaves together a tale of brotherly devotion and a warning about ambitious senior officials who lacked humility and common sense."--Bing West, author of The Wrong War: A History of the War in Afghanistan

"Daniel Bolger is an unusual general--a fine writer and a masterful storyteller. Here he tells the moving tale of two soldiers, of the US Army (an organization he understands to his bones), of America, and of war. Reading this book is like sitting around the campfire with a tribal elder."--Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of Fiasco, The Generals, and Churchill and Orwell

"The story of the Hagel brothers is one of the most incredible and unbelievable stories ever to come out of war. It is a miracle that either of the brothers survived the crucible of Vietnam. Their stories as individuals and as brothers provide inspiration for us all."--US Senator Max Cleland (Ret.)

"A crisp account of a messy war...Bolger, who won five Bronze Stars during his Army career, brings a unique perspective to the story, as he understands the intricacies of modern warfare and also acknowledges the wide gap between those who fight these wars and those who lead them...Bolger ably conveys how Vietnam felt to those who fought it and what it meant."

―Kirkus Reviews

"Bolger's story of the two Hagel brothers shows how even close family members became alienated from each other by the war in Vietnam."―Publishers Weekly

"The raw description of a soldier's life will appeal to readers of military history...For readers interested in a new perspective of Vietnam."―Library Journal

"Engrossing."―New York Post

"An intimate look at the Vietnam War through the experiences of two brothers who survived it."―WTBF Radio

"Bolger does a masterful job of researching and referencing...He also captures and explains GI slang from the war."―Washington Independent Review of Books

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0306903261
• ISBN 13: 9780306903267
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 368