Dispatches

Michael Herr's DISPATCHES--based on his reporting for ESQUIRE magazine--remains one of the seminal texts in our understanding of the American experience in Vietnam. His unblinking, earnest, but absurdist treatment of a hundred landing zones, fire bases, base camps, and Saigon hangouts before and after the Tet Offensive in 1968 is full of powerful images, unforgettable characters, and haunting scenes of violence. Those unfamiliar with the original will recognize its flavor from derivative works like APOCALYPSE NOW and FULL METAL JACKET. Like many sixties classics, DISPATCHES is not long on structure. This lack of structure is no impediment for the listener. Like Homer's ILLIAD, Herr's war stories seem suited to being spoken rather than read. Ray Porter provides the perfect clear, clipped, but not overdramatic narration. Porter's occasional character voices enrich the text without distracting from it. F.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

August 5, 1991
American correspondent Herr's documentary recalls the heavy combat he witnessed in Vietnam as well as the obscene speech, private fears and nightmares of the soldiers. ``Herr captures the almost hallucinatory madness of the war,'' said PW. ``This is a compelling, truth-telling book with a visceral impact, its images stuck in the mind like shards from a pineapple bomb.''

October 1, 2009
Herr's ("The Big Room") classic 1977 memoir about his time as an "Esquire" reporter covering the Vietnam War, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, elucidates those soldiers' lives like few other books have managed. In this audio production, veteran actor/narrator Ray Porter reads with controlled force, delivering a very strong performance. He gives the soldiers voices of their own, presenting their dialog with appropriate expression and credible accents. Military historians will enjoy this.Michael T. Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll. Lib., Lynchburg

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