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'Captain Bullen's War combines the irreverent humour of M*A*S*H* with the sharp satire of Catch 22 in portraying one man's extraordinary experiences of the war in Vietnam in 1968, the bloodiest year of the conflict.
The difference is that neither Captain John Bullen nor his experiences are fictional. Nor was he a reluctant soldier. A graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and a career soldier in the Australian Army, Bullen commanded the vital map-producing section of the Australian Task Force at Nui Dat. Alert to the possibility of humour in the bleakest circumstances, he decided to chronicle the events around him. What emerges is one of the most darkly funny and lacerating accounts of the Vietnam War ever written.
Strewn with wonderful character sketches and hilarious anecdotes, Captain Bullen's War is more than just one man's insightful accounts of the absurdity of war. Bullen perceives with unsparing clarity the nature and enormity of the conflict around him. A thoughtful, decent man, Bullen's is a voice of sanity in a world gone mad.' (Publisher's Blurb)
Notes
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Forward by Paul Ham. Introduction by John Bullen.
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Dedication: 'This book is dedicated to the soldiers of the Australian Army who were given a difficult and dangerous job in the Vietnam War, did it cheerfully and very well, but received little thanks.' John Bullen, Canberra, 2008.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Uc Dai Loi He Cheap Charlie
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July-August no. 313 2009; (p. 57-58)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary -
Untitled
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 4 July 2009; (p. 24)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary -
Candid Account of One Man's Vietnam War
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 30 May 2009; (p. 15)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary
-
Candid Account of One Man's Vietnam War
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 30 May 2009; (p. 15)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary -
Untitled
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 4 July 2009; (p. 24)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary -
Uc Dai Loi He Cheap Charlie
2009
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , July-August no. 313 2009; (p. 57-58)
— Review of Captain Bullen's War : The Vietnam War Diary of Captain John Bullen 2009 single work diary