Review Runway

by Stephen Coonts and Barrett Tillman (Da Capo Press, 320 pages, $28.00)

Because I was there, I was looking forward to doing a review of Dragon’s Jaw: An Epic Story of Courage and Tenacity in Vietnam, the new book by Stephen Coonts and Barrett Tillman about the long, exasperating, and heroic attempts to drop the Thanh Hóa Bridge (nickname “Dragon’s Jaw”) during the Vietnam War. Right up front, I must say that this is the best book concerning the war that I have ever read, for it goes much further than just a story about a frustrating combat experience; it also lays open the lies, subterfuge, and (I believe) criminal actions by those in leadership positions of this nation that got us involved in the first place and the criminal mismanagement of the war from Washington. It is also a book that is devoid of the hyperbole and hubris that often is the hallmark of any book about combat—air or ground. It is told in a direct and forthright manner. No perfume on the pig here—just a straightforward account of tenacity, courage, and will. I have been frustrated for most of my adult life at how the war has been portrayed in books, movies, and documentaries. As a participant, I have often found that all these so-called “portrayals” of what the war was about and/or how it was fought bore little resemblance to my personal experience. Finally, here is a book that tells it like it was. Dragon’s Jaw is so much more than just a book about combat. It lays out in a simple, understandable manner not only the corruption of the politicians that got us into the war but also the callous, outrageous way they chose to manage the war. The book reflects what I have tried to explain for decades: that those of us in the military are never the ones who start wars. Lying, corrupt, disingenuous and conniving politicians are the ones who start wars. Dragon’s Jaw is a must-read for those of us who served, but it’s also a compelling read for those who didn’t. Five stars!— Roy “Shadow” Stafford