Fields of Fire (novel)

For other uses, see Field of fire (disambiguation).

Fields of Fire is a novel by U.S. Senator Jim Webb, first published in 1978. It is a work of fiction which depicts a platoon of Marines serving in the Vietnam War.

Fields of Fire

First edition
Author	James Webb
Language	English
Subject	Vietnam War, United States Marine Corps
Genre	Historical fiction
Publisher	Prentice Hall
Publication date	1978
Publication place	United States
Media type	Paperback
Pages	496 pages
ISBN	0-553-58385-9
OCLC	47918691
LC Class	CPB Box no. 1963 vol. 23

Content

The novel is told mainly from the viewpoints of three Marines: 2nd Lt. Robert E. Lee Hodges, who comes from a long line of soldiers; "Snake" (no full name given), a squad leader in Hodges' platoon, a tough kid from the streets; and "Senator" (Will Goodrich), an impressionable and sensitive Harvard student who volunteers for service. The major themes are centered on loyalty, leadership, and the brutalizing effects on people in a time of war. Written only three years after the last American troops withdrew from Vietnam,^[1] and despite being written by a man who loved the military and hated the antiwar movement, Fields of Fire points out the flawed logic of the Vietnam War through its hero, Lieutenant Hodges.^[2]

Reception

References

1. "This Day in History: Last US Combat Troops Withdraw from Vietnam". VOA. 29 March 2017.
2. Cushman, John H. (1988-02-28). "JAMES WEBB'S NEW 'FIELDS OF FIRE' (Published 1988)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-14.