Product Description

"The best damned book from the point of view of the infantrymen who fought there."—Army Times

In 1967 Frederick Downs arrived in Vietnam as a green but determined twenty-three-year-old infantry lieutenant. In the months of brutal combat to follow, Downs was to face the most lethal and loathsome dangers, all the while following orders, keeping his men as safe as he could, and searching for the conviction and then the hope that the war was worth the sacrifice. He would leave with a shattered body, but a spirit still intact. The Killing Zone is his story, and it stands tall with the best books ever written about men in combat.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18402 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780393310894
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Frederick Downs received four Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star with Valor, and the Silver Star for his service in the Vietnam War. He is also the author of Aftermath and No Longer Enemies, Not Yet Friends. He is currently the Director of Prosthetic and Sensory Aids for the Veterans Administration.

Customer Reviews

Been there, done that
Although a combat veteran of Vietnam, I had (or thought I had) put the war behind me for the first dozen years back. Then I ran across Fred's book, saw that it dealt with D 1/14th and bought it. And read it. And read it again.

I humped with Delta on a few occasions in 1969-70 as a fill-in enlisted FO (Recon Sgt) and remember the stories from some of the short-timers about the mythical period of a year previous when the company left the roads and entered the jungle. Fred was part of that transition period.

When my wife first started asking me about Vietnam in the late-80's, I gave her "The Killing Zone" as a primer. I told her after she finished she would have a sufficient background to understand my story. The same situation occurred with my son in the early-90's when he was in college. I now pick up copies whenever I find them in the used bookstores to give to civilians who want to hear "war stories", with the proviso that they read the book first.

As I write this I realize that I am not a proper person to provide a review of this book, since it is like trying to judge a prequel to my own experience. So I will only say that it is a totally honest book. If you are a combat veteran, you will recognize it. If you are a civilian or a non-combat troop, you will come away with a greater appreciation of what the war was like at grunt-eye level.

Mike Medley

A harrowing personal account
This book belongs on a short list including Phillip Caputo's "A Rumor of War" and Lt. General Harold G. Moore's "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young," as one of the best first person narratives to come out of the Vietnam War. Downs was a fresh faced platoon leader who, like "Born on the Fourth of July"'s Ron Kovic, looked forward to the opportunity to prove his mettle under fire. Like Kovic, Downs came back from the war with a shattered body and a psyche that was deeply affected by what he experienced. Down's account of Vietnam is simple and straightforward. He is also an excellent writer and his book is a compulsive page turner. This is not a book that should be missed by those with an interest in America's most tragic war.

Exiciting reading about a real life hero!
Fred Downs worked for me when he was recovering from his wounds at Fitzsimmons General Hospital outside of Denver, Colorado. The events in the book were described by some of his friends who were there and are very accurately portrayed in the book. Fred's impact on the wounded at the hospital was almost as spectacular as his adventures in Vietnam and he was an inspiration to everyone around him. I still remember him after 35 years and I am willing to bet everyone who knew him feels the same way. Read the book and you will see why Fred is such a special person. (Someone should ask him to write about his experiences in the hospital and his adventures while he was there.)