Dog Company Six

by Edwin H. Simmons

A decorated veteran of three wars, and author of two nonfiction classics —The Marines and The U.S. A History— Edwin Howard Simmons has written a novel of the Korean War that is earning unparalleled praise from both the military and literary communities. Emotionally moving and intensely authentic, it is the story of George Bayard, a Marine reserve captain who is recalled to active duty for a command-and a challenge-he never would have chosen.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Military History, Military Fiction, War, Novels

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Craig Zeichner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The depiction of a Marine's day to day life during the Korean War is excellent and the combat scenes have a punch-in-the-gut realism that only somebody who served there could communicate. However, there is a certain flatness of character that sometimes flirts with tropes: the gritty top sergeant, a martinet officer, the raw recruits. Scenes outside of the combat zone are also so-so. Still, it was an exciting read and inspired me to read about this war that is unfairly neglected in literary circles.

[Roxanne Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing memoir of Marine in Korean War. Gruesome, informative, and humanizing. In comparison to other war memoirs I have read, this book had vivid character details. So many characters and storylines which illustrate the reality of a warfront. The conditions soldiers fought in stick with you after you have finished the book.

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Baird goes to war unsure exactly who he is or how he fits into military life. He becomes an unlikely commanding officer, doubted by his superiors. While leading his men in Korea, he discovers he feels more kinship here than in the life he'd planned to return to--a life that included Donna, a beautiful woman from a well-connected Virginia family that he saw as his final proof that he'd escaped his upbringing on the wrong side of Columbus, Ohio.
It's a common narrative--war as the vehicle for self-discovery. But there are few experiences in human life that test us quite like war, even when that experience includes large doses of boredom, inanity, and confusion.

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Military fiction written by veterans is an interesting genre. On the one hand, it frees the authors from the dryness of facts to make a more interesting and expressive story than their personal memories. On the other hand, it can leave you wondering what was left out, and what happened because it was true or merely because it made good literary sense. It's impossible to doubt General Simmons' credentials as a warrior and a historian. He was there, and his novel has the bronze gleam of truth. But truth alone does not make for a good war novel.

The basic literary flaw is the protagonist, Captain Bayard. He is a blank slate, overshadowed by the famous warriors around him-the Red Snapper, Sergeant Havac, even his platoon commanders. Command seems to be a reflex with him, as the company attacks or defends using the Quantico school solution, usually with a fair degree of effectiveness. He makes no human connections to the men in his unit, the lot of a company commander seems to be a lonely one. Flashbacks to his childhood in Ohio and early career in Washington DC are mere filler, despite romantic entanglements and class conflicts. And the descriptions of battle are adequate, but don't convey the desperation of conflict in the great retreat from Chosin.

The details in this book are absolutely spot on, but like a uniform on a mannikan, there's nothing beneath them. Meh.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dog Company Six is a very impersonal read. In fact, it was so one dimensional as I've read non-fiction with more character depth and better plots. While I finished the book, it was less because of the characters and plot and more so to see how the war in Korea differed from the fiction and non-fiction I have read set in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. In all, it was a good account of life at the front and what it took to get there, but there wasn't really a story to this novel-just a way of life with no depth. Also, the flashbacks were a bit annoying, both due to timing and lack of those story lines being concluded.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a nice, quick, clean read. If I haven't told our soldiers thank you enough, I am sorry! So, thank you. Today, yesterday, all conflicts. Thank you!