Fields of Fire, is, on the whole, a successful, realistic, well-written portrayal of the Vietnam War.

Webb shows the war to be in a wasteland where men learn to live, die and kill in a world which torments those who stumble into it.

James H(enry) Webb, Jr. 1946– Photograph by JoAnn Krukar

Webb tells horrifying tales, which seem closely modeled on actual experiences, to give readers a picture of the war which will haunt them for a long time.

Unfortunately, the end of the novel is uncalled for, and it may obscure the realism of the rest of the book for all but the most discerning readers.

Webb trys to give his novel a moral. The moral is that antiwar protesters had no right to put down a war they didn't understand.

Set aside logical objections one might put to Webb's anti-protester rhetoric. Ignore the fact that many...