{"product_id":"9781452029498","title":"The Light Side of Damnation","description":"War is serious business.  However, within all the torment of war, the strongest of bonds are created and nurtured.  Through these ties and perhaps because of them, instances of wit along with humorous episodes breathe light into the darkness and damnation of war.The thread that binds this story together is the mentoring affiliation the Commanding General has with Captain Barney Quinn, Company Commander and later, Aide.  Barney's, at times roguish behavior, his sense of humor, and playfully prankish mind both clash and support this steely-eyed Old Corps Marine, Lieutenant General Walter Barto.Through Barney's eyes and voice, you will live among a cast of loveable Marines.  All names are fictitious.  Experiences, real. REVIEWS The Light Side of DamnationByWilliam F. Lee  What are readers saying?  Here is a sampling: \"Just to let you know . . . I've been reading your book before I go to sleep . . . and I'm losing sleep as it's hard to put down.\"  - BB, Princeton, TX  \"I'm overwhelmed . . . just finished your book and I am speechless.  Your characters are so well developed and believable . . . and the humor, terrific.  I bawled trying to tell a friend about it.  It was a real page-turner for me.\"  - NS, Abington, PA  \"Sir, I doubt if you remember me but I certainly do you, and with much respect.  Your book was easy reading and I particularly enjoyed your experiences in Lima and India   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MWSA Book ReviewReviewer: Bill McDonald - President of the MWSAA Novel That is a Thinly Disguised Marine Memoir Once you catch on to the fact that this \"novel\" is mostly based on the author's own personal Vietnam War experiences it reads much more interesting than just any novel. Author William F. Lee uses different names, adds a few new characters and a few embellishments to enhance the story telling of his most unusual \"tour of duty.\" In his book \"The Light Side of Damnation\" we get an insider look at a war experience that the rest of us who were there never saw or experienced first hand. The main character Marine Captain Barney Quinn is loosely based on the author himself. So the view of the story gets told through his eyes. The interesting part of this book's background is that all of the encounters with celebrities in the story are real events that actually happened. It seems that the author had chance to meet and greet some of those mega stars who went to Nam to support the troops. I was duly impressed with his meeting singer Nancy Sinatra, author John Steinbeck, Phyllis Diller, Bob Hope, Joey Heatherton, Martha Raye, Robert Mitchum, and of course, Moses himself - Charlton Heston. I cannot think of any other veteran who got to meet and greet that many and I am leaving several off that list that are mentioned in the story. His story deals with his duty as an aide to a general. That is a world that regular troops never see and know little to nothing about. That in itself makes this book inviting for old veterans like myself. His book is as the title implies \"light\" humor and it makes the story entertaining and enjoyable. This is not your \"blood and guts\" and foul-language-laced-war-story but more of a thinking man's journey. It has lots of the familiar places for a Nam story including Marble Mountain, China Beach, Monkey Mountain, Da Nang, Saigon and all kinds of places that are called by their evaluation or by a number like Hill 22. There are racial incidents, untrustworthy South Vietnamese soldiers (ARVNs) and tales about the care and feeding (both the body and the ego) of the general's staff. There are some things that regular grunts would never experience in any war zone - like a ride in a USAF VIP Lear Jet to get back to base from R \u0026amp; R. The story is well written and easy to follow. The characters feel real and alive. The dialog works to bring the action and the plot all together. One of the things that makes this story a work of fiction rather than a non-fiction memoir (besides the name changes) is the creative and enhanced dialog which pulls the book along and makes it a joy to read. Lee does a wonderful job of giving readers a picture of the world he experienced in Vietnam. His main character Captain Quinn is a likable focus of a good tale. The author has a flare for writing and telling a story that makes it a pleasure to read. You will be drawn into this story page by page and will not want to put it down until you are finished!","brand":"AuthorHouse","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47154973376752,"sku":"9781452029498","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781452029498_p0.jpg?v=1763838418","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781452029498","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}