First published 1991
Nick DelCorso has spent years behind a camera, capturing the brutal realities of battlefields across the globe. At thirty-three, the award-winning photographer carries memories of Vietnam that refuse to fade. He served there as an Army photographer, documenting combat scenes that still visit his dreams. Now married and trying to build a life away from war zones, DelCorso has promised his wife he will no longer risk his life for his career. But when North Vietnamese forces move to take Saigon, an assignment pulls him back toward the conflict that shaped him. DelCorso must choose between honoring his commitment to his wife or returning to the war-torn country that continues to call to him. His decision leads him into conflicts on two fronts, in both Saigon and Beirut, where he will confront not only external dangers but his own beliefs about duty, ambition, and what drives men to seek out violence when they could choose safety.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, photography
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: duty-vs-personal-life, war-veteran
Setting: Saigon, Beirut
Period: Vietnam War
368 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: violence, war