BookView Review

A gifted left-handed ballplayer and a compassionate Army medic attempt to survive the moral and physical devastation of Vietnam in Gregg’s sprawling debut historical novel. Lefty Altamara grows up in the San Fernando Valley, where baseball offers temporary refuge from his parents’ alcoholism and violence. But after abandoning dreams of the major leagues, he joins the Army and is eventually sent into the brutal chaos of the Tet Offensive alongside Doc Hood, an idealistic medic from North Carolina whose religious convictions are tested daily by the realities of combat. 

Gregg populates the novel with an enormous cast of soldiers, civilians, lovers, and enemy combatants, weaving together stories that move from suburban California ballfields to the shattered streets of Hue. The author has a sharp eye for detail, particularly in scenes involving baseball and military life. The book’s strongest passages balance battlefield violence with moments of surprising warmth and humor, especially among the members of Recon platoon. While the novel occasionally sprawls under the weight of its ambitions, Gregg’s emotional sincerity keeps the narrative engaging. Particularly effective are the sections exploring friendship, homesickness, and the uneasy transition from adolescence into war. Fans of Vietnam War fiction will appreciate Gregg’s emphasis on memory, camaraderie, and psychological cost over straightforward heroics.

A gritty, heartfelt war novel distinguished by vivid atmosphere and deep affection for its characters.

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