Author: John Koelsch
Publisher: Milspeak Books
Format: eARC
Source: Author
To Purchase: Smashwords
Description: This war
novel's characters, torn between duty and personal ethos, tread deeply into the
circumstances that force payment of an eternal price from the souls and minds
of those who serve, and from those who lead, as they fight for their country.
Themes as applicable to the 21st Century warrior as to warriors from all eras,
MICKEY 6 chronicles the struggles of leadership in war.
Review: Mickey 6 by John Koelsch enlists the reader into
'Nam through the powerful story of one platoon leader attempting to do his duty
to his country but most of all to his men.
In this
Mickey Mouse war, Mickey uses his smarts and sarcasm to survive Vietnam. He settles
into his duty and makes a goal to do two things: follow the military's plans to
win the war and make sure not to let the military's stupidity kill his men. As
he and his platoon trudge through rivers, up hills, and through the vibrant
flora, they discover that their worst enemy may not be Charlie (Vietcong).
Although Mickey 6 is a fictionalize account of
the Vietnam War, it sometimes reads like a memoir. Mickey is likeable. His
Problem Solving Central (P.S.C.) is a genius. Koelsch brilliantly uses sarcasm
and humorous moments—a bit reminiscent of MASH—to lighten the levity of war.
This novel takes the reader to Vietnam with very intense moments. I could feel
the terrible conditions: heat and bugs. The soldiers have a constant alertness
about them in order to live another day. Koelsch shows the tedium of the march,
the unpredictability of the enemy, the clash between soldiers and their
leaders. Mickey 6 may be
fictionalize, but this novel brings the reality of Vietnam home and makes it relatable
to the reader.
War is not an
easy thing to read, but John Koelsch's Mickey
6 invokes an understanding of the wages of war. I went into this book
enjoying Mickey's sarcasm and wit and left with deeper respect for those
soldiers.
