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25th out of 135 books
—
214 voters
About Face: Odyssey Of An American Warrior
Colonel Hackworth was the youngest 'Old Man' in the Korean War, and the youngest full colonel in Vietnam. To this day, he is America's most decorated living soldier. Yet he is also the reputed model for the infamous Colonel Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now". For the last eighteen years, he has lived in self-imposed exile in Australia, a man at odds with the nation he served so wel...more
Hardcover, First Edition, 875 pages
Published
March 1st 1989
by Simon & Schuster
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I clearly remember, during the First Persian Gulf War, seeing Col. Hackworth on TV, being asked how he thought Gen. Schwartzkopf would attack Iran from his positions in Kuwait. Ignoring what the talking heads had been theorizing, Hackworth said, "This is how I'd do it" and quickly sketched out exactly the battleplan that, over the next 36 hours, was used to destroy the Iraqi Army as a fighting force. One of America's most decorated soldiers (he joined at 14), Hackworth was widely believed to be...more
After selling over one million copies of "About Face", who among us can truly judge the depth of this man's impact on our military and on our society? Possessed of a warrior's DNA, this fighter walked away from the Army frustrated and disillusioned about our conduct in the Vietnam War. Make no mistake, he must have seen something very real and very disturbing for him to do an "About Face" and resign.
The book establishes David H. Hackworth's bona fides early on with a description of his early lif...more
The book establishes David H. Hackworth's bona fides early on with a description of his early lif...more
About Face: The Odyssey of An American Soldier by Col David H. Hackworth and Julie Sherman. It was released in hardcover in March 1989. This 875 page book chronicles the 25 year career of David Hackworth. The writing is excellent and interesting. In one section of the book, Colonel Hackworth proceeds to describe his effort to turn the 4/39th into an effective fighting force. Casualties went down and morale went up. The 60 pages he devotes to the 4/39 and 9th Infantry Division provide valuable in...more
Colonel Hackworth led an amazing career in the United States Army and then there was Vietnam. I read the description of Brando's character in Apocalypse Now on Spark Notes and it nails the man Colonel Hackworth paints in this book.
Following is the quote from Spark Notes:
The evil genius who is Willard's target and the destination of the film's journey. Kurtz is a brilliant military man whose wartime experiences have unhinged him. Internalizing the primitive values of the Montagnard army he comman...more
Following is the quote from Spark Notes:
The evil genius who is Willard's target and the destination of the film's journey. Kurtz is a brilliant military man whose wartime experiences have unhinged him. Internalizing the primitive values of the Montagnard army he comman...more
This book contains some of the best first-person accounts of combat from the Korean War and the Vietnam War that I have read anywhere. Col. Hackworth, who was America's most decorated living soldier until his death in 2005, also explains in the book what went wrong with the U.S. military establishment after the Vietnam War and offers suggestions for how to reform it, many of which were profitably implented years later. ABOUT FACE is colorful, easy to read, inspiring and presents valuable insight...more
Colonel Hackworth was the youngest 'Old Man' in the Korean War, and the youngest full colonel in Vietnam. To this day, he is America's most decorated living soldier. Yet he is also the reputed model for the infamous Colonel Kurtz in "Apocalypse Now". For the last eighteen years, he has lived in self-imposed exile in Australia, a man at odds with the nation he served so well. In "About Face" Hackworth tells the incredible story of his life.
Orphaned before he was a year old, he found his home at t...more
Orphaned before he was a year old, he found his home at t...more
I was a thirtenn year NCO when I read this and came out of the stupor I was in about the military. I saw that there were better ways of serving my country than pushing a broom in a motor pool. I think this is a must read for all officers and career enlisted soldiers. I would have done 30 if not for the Clinton years. I would have tried to emulate the values Col Hackworth expressed in this book. All I can say is read this cover to cover more than once. I'm starting my 4th read....
RIP
David Hackwo...more
RIP
David Hackwo...more
Colonel David Hackworth is one of America's most decorated soldiers. He was a "mustang," an officer who came up through the ranks. In Hackworth's case he was commissioned on the Korean battlefield. His book describes his love affair with the army, and how he felt our actions in Vietnam destroyed the trust he had in that institution. Soldiers fight often for their friends and comrades rather than for a glorified ideal. Small units develop a unity that perhaps most civilians fail to appreciate. Th...more
We were flying over rice paddies en route to the LZ, at a distance we could hear an Arclight operation (B-52s dropping 800 pound bombs). The helicopters started to land, the LZ was hot, we all jumped out the choppers as we were taking fire from all sides. The firefight continued and bodies were falling on all sides atillery was called in to support the effort but still air support had to be called in. Mark you position with red smoke grenade. The napalm bomb was so close we almost got burned.
The...more
The...more
A great read about the arc of Hackworth's life and military career as a soldier in post WW II through Korea and Vietnam, exemplifying the transiton of America's military role as a neccesary bulwark against foriegn agression to an asset deployed out of political policy without a defined path to victory. Despite these circumstance, Hackworth demonstrates the effectivness of tacticle intuition and leadership to develop winning strategies against an elusive advisary.
Excellent!!! Few people alive now understand war the way this Hero did. Should be required reading for all senators and congressman and the president of the U.S. Going to war with any intention other than winning decisively and as quickly as possible is just another way to get kids killed. Im a combat vet with 23 years in the Army and I feel cheap when I read about what this man went through. War is ugly, and it is about killing, and if you dont understand this then you need to brush up on what...more
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It was a damn shame when Hackworth died a few years back. America could really use his military insights in this war-torn era that we find ourself in. I always enjoyed reading his columns on his website, and when I saw his book (first edition!) for a mere $5 about a year ago at the library's bookstore, I grabbed it.
It took me awhile to get around to it. The one thing I really thought was missing was his post-Vietnam anti-nuclear weapons activities. It would have been interesting to compare this...more
It took me awhile to get around to it. The one thing I really thought was missing was his post-Vietnam anti-nuclear weapons activities. It would have been interesting to compare this...more
What went wrong in Vietnam from a warrior’s perspective; you’ll enjoy - and cringe sometimes - over Hackworth’s no-nonsense style of writing and his descriptions of the “perfumed princes” who cared more for their personal career than their men. Hackworth was at one time the most decorated soldier in the U.S. Army; he is well worth reading. He will be sorely missed (he died of bladder cancer in 2005).
+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 trus...more
Apr 20, 2009
Dave
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in US military history
This book started a trend for me of questioning my pre-disposed notions of American supremacy in the world; especially the nobility of its actions (wars). How could the most decorated officer of his generation (a mustang , BTW) be driven out of the Army under a cloud of disgrace? By going on national TV and condemning how the war in Viet Nam was being run.
ABOUT FACE is one of my favorite war memoirs. Hackworth's accounts of combat in Korea kept me up late into the night and his experiences and views on the Vietnam War have strongly influenced my opinions on that conflict. Whatever Hackworth may have said on TV as a talking head in his later years does not detract from this excellent book.
Colonel Hackworth explains why the United States lost the war in Viet Nam.
"Should it have been any surprise that the war was busting the United States financially? Or that the Viets would not have a hope in hell when the fateful day came that they could not 'get another one,' when our horn of plenty dried up, when we took away our tremendous air power that ARVN had grown all too accustomed to hunkering down and calling for instead of fighting it out themselves?" (page 735)
"Should it have been any surprise that the war was busting the United States financially? Or that the Viets would not have a hope in hell when the fateful day came that they could not 'get another one,' when our horn of plenty dried up, when we took away our tremendous air power that ARVN had grown all too accustomed to hunkering down and calling for instead of fighting it out themselves?" (page 735)
This is the story of a solider went through the korean war, the cold war, the Cuban missile chris vietnam, become a legend, and making it to the rank of colonel. He talk about how pointless war is sometimes. and how it was then and now to be a solider in the U.S. army.
A disturbing read, and one that at times left me feeling the same frustration and infuriation the author felt at the machinations of the American military bureaucracy and its impact on both his troops and the people of Vietnam. This is sort of a companion piece to Soldier, the memoirs of Anthony Herbert, whose life was in many ways parallel to that of David Hackworth - both came from blue-collar origins, entered the Army as adolescents and ultimately became high-ranking officers; both were devot...more
An absolutely amazing true story. One really must read the book to understand what an absolute warrior David Hackworth was. Litterally a larger than life figure, the guy John Wayne plays and wishes he could be.
May 30, 2011
Joyce
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Joyce by:
radio interview w/Hackworth 1989
Shelves:
read-aloud-to-jim
Great storytelling of combat, training, history of an actual man's life. A man who loved the army and for a time left the USA and moved to Australia because he was so upset with American politics.
Dec 08, 2012
Mark Singer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
20th-century,
american-history,
autobiography,
cold-war,
history,
korean-war,
military,
vietnam-war
Easily one of the best memoirs I have ever read. Brutally honest, it should make you angry about the flawed way in which the Vietnam War was waged by the American high command.
An amazing journey of a decorated office in the US Army. The book details his rise from a WWII soldier to the officer ranks until his last command in Vietnam.
For those interested in the subject matter I think it is a great book about a controversial man who led one hell of an interesting life.
A bit long, I thought at the time I read it. (Actually I did not finish it) Maybe I should give it a second try . . . .
Live the life of a solderer through war time and peace. See all the levels of command and all the blood on the battlefield. WOW
The most decorated soldier in American history at the time of publication tells his story from World War two, Korea and Vietnam..
A classic! A tale of a life few people can imagine. A soldiers book for sure. Great reading and in depth knowledge.
this book is and amazing look into the life of an American hero. I wish they would release it as an ebook.
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Colonel David Haskell Hackworth, also known as "Hack", was a highly decorated soldier, having received 24 decorations for heroism in combat from the Distinguished Service Cross to the Army Commendation Medal. He was a prominent military journalist. During his time as a journalist, Hackworth investigated many subjects, including an assertion into the accused improper wearing of ribbons and devices...more
More about David H. Hackworth...
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