Title: Nam-A-Rama
Genre: Historical Fiction & Humor
Pages: 332
First Published: March 2003
Where I Got It: My Shelf (an Xmas or bday gift a million years ago...)
It starts and ends, like all the best adventures, in the air. Almost-Captain Gearheardt and his buddy, Almost-Captain Armstrong, are ferrying bodies (live in, dead out) for the CIA's Air America, but they have never forgotten their TOP SECRET orders, given when Gearheardt was delivering pizzas to the Oval Office for the CIA: Chopper into Hanoi and buy Uncle Ho a beer. Then either shoot his ass or shake his hand (the instructions get vague at this point).
And so they do, Semper Fi, pausing only to get an aircraft carrier black-flagged for bubonic plague, have an affair with Mickey Mouse, cleverly decode the message sewn into a lusty spy's black panties, commandeer a Russian truck complete with a midget Chinese 'Uncle Sam,' avenge themselves on a Cuban torturer, and dutifully experience all the Honor and Glory of the next-to-the-next-to-last war that never (God forbid) made the Nightly News.
And they do it all for laughs. Because if they were to stop laughing, where would the heartache end?
This was a DNF many moons ago. I legit only got to page 25 before I solemnly put it down and walked away. I wanted to like this. I love funny and I love military novels. So what could go wrong with blending the two? So, now that I am older and wiser, I decided to give this book another chance.
Annnnnnnnnnnnd......
No. The only difference is that I finished the book...after lots of skimming.
So...this story is about some dudes during the Vietnam War and their "adventures". Gear and Arm are two guys who have been dragged to war in crazy ways. They are given a top secret mission for the president.
SPEAKING OF WHICH. I wanted to punch the man in the face. OH MY GOD. I may not have liked the president during this time period, but in real life he was not that weasel-y, annoying, or dumb. I get what the author was trying to do. Sure. But it was not funny at all, it was more annoying.
Anyways....but yes, these fellas are on an adventure to accomplish this secret mission. The craziest things happened. Yes, I laughed a few times, but the rest was over-the-top and made me roll my eyes. I love slap-stick funny, but this was annoying.
The only silver-lining of this book was 3/4th to the end. It was good. There was some meaning there among the craziness.
The rest of the book was meh. An "eh that was kinda funny" at best. Bummer. Maybe if I had served in the war during this time, I would have liked it better? I'm not sure, but...not for me. I'm so sad!!!! I wanted to like this book. Out of five, I shall give this....2. The ending gave it a star.
And so they do, Semper Fi, pausing only to get an aircraft carrier black-flagged for bubonic plague, have an affair with Mickey Mouse, cleverly decode the message sewn into a lusty spy's black panties, commandeer a Russian truck complete with a midget Chinese 'Uncle Sam,' avenge themselves on a Cuban torturer, and dutifully experience all the Honor and Glory of the next-to-the-next-to-last war that never (God forbid) made the Nightly News.
And they do it all for laughs. Because if they were to stop laughing, where would the heartache end?
This was a DNF many moons ago. I legit only got to page 25 before I solemnly put it down and walked away. I wanted to like this. I love funny and I love military novels. So what could go wrong with blending the two? So, now that I am older and wiser, I decided to give this book another chance.
Annnnnnnnnnnnd......
No. The only difference is that I finished the book...after lots of skimming.
So...this story is about some dudes during the Vietnam War and their "adventures". Gear and Arm are two guys who have been dragged to war in crazy ways. They are given a top secret mission for the president.
SPEAKING OF WHICH. I wanted to punch the man in the face. OH MY GOD. I may not have liked the president during this time period, but in real life he was not that weasel-y, annoying, or dumb. I get what the author was trying to do. Sure. But it was not funny at all, it was more annoying.
Anyways....but yes, these fellas are on an adventure to accomplish this secret mission. The craziest things happened. Yes, I laughed a few times, but the rest was over-the-top and made me roll my eyes. I love slap-stick funny, but this was annoying.
The only silver-lining of this book was 3/4th to the end. It was good. There was some meaning there among the craziness.
The rest of the book was meh. An "eh that was kinda funny" at best. Bummer. Maybe if I had served in the war during this time, I would have liked it better? I'm not sure, but...not for me. I'm so sad!!!! I wanted to like this book. Out of five, I shall give this....2. The ending gave it a star.
Ehhh, what? No
ReplyDeleteA big fat no
ReplyDeleteIm impressed that after DNFing it you tried again. SOrry it wasn't more
ReplyDeleteNo, no, no. NO. Thank you, now I know what to avoid.
ReplyDeleteMelliane, old DNFs I'm trying to give one last chance. ;)
ReplyDeleteAna, you are welcome.