Editorial Reviews:
Synopsis
Men who put their lives on the line in an unpopular war where death is more likely than not, have complicated motivations. They are not easy to control. And they are impossible to stop.
Above and Beyond is the story of Neil Thompson, a third-generation West
Pointer whose father and grandfather were killed in the two world wars. Raised without a father, he seeks to reunite with his dad by immersing himself in combat. It is also the story of the Special Forces Reconnaissance units in Vietnam, units with annual casualty rates that sometimes exceeded 100 percent.
Neil's mentor in this ell is Staff Sergeant Shoogie Swift, “their living legend, and welcome to it...” Shoogie was twenty-four years old, and there were no backs to his eyes. His love interest is Juliana Kos, a redheaded spitfire with anger management issues. Their bodies mesh nicely, their neuroses not so much...
Praise for Above and Beyond:
“Above and Beyond is an adventure novel of the highest order, full of truths about love, war, and the profession of arms.”
—W.E.B. Griffin, best-selling author of The Brotherhood Of War, The Corps, Honor Bound, and Badge Of Honor series
“A great read. I literally couldn’t put it down.”
—Joseph L. Galloway, author of We Were Soldiers Once…And Young
“The action is heart-pumping, heart-wrenching, and the story will absolutely hold you in its grip from the first page to the last. It is being there without the bullets.”
—Don Bendell, author of Snake Eater and The B-52 Overture
“Above and Beyond is Jim Morris's masterpiece, an epic tragedy of a man who dared all, and either won or lost all, depending on your point of view. Me, I think he won.”
—Col. Robert K. Brown, Soldier of Fortune magazine
“It is great news that Jim Morris, the most accomplished and admired of the many fine writers to emerge from the elite ranks of the US Army Special Forces, is back with a new novel. All of us who have admired Morris’ previous journalism, fiction, and his classic memoir, War Story, are sure to enjoy Above and Beyond. And readers who have never had the pleasure of reading his work before are in for a special treat. This is military literature at its finest!”
—Kenn Miller, author of Tiger the Lurp Dog and Six Silent Men
“Above and Beyond is a book one cannot read in one night because there is so much to ponder. Still, you can't put it down. So be prepared for a long night, then.”
—Mark Berent author of Rolling Thunder and Steel Tiger
“Jim’s first book, War Story was one of the great early accounts of the Vietnam War. This novel builds on that legacy, confirming why he’s one of our era’s great combat writers.”
—John Plaster, author of SOG, Secret Commandos and Ultimate Sniper
“Jim Morris is one of the most original and authentic voices in the whole body of Vietnam literature. He is the real deal.”
—John Milius, screenwriter for Apocalypse NOW, Dirty Harry, Jeremiah Johnson and Red Dawn
About the Author:
Jim Morris served three tours with Special Forces (The Green Berets) in Vietnam. The second and third were cut short by serious wounds. He retired of wounds as a major. He has maintained his interest in the mountain peoples of Vietnam with whom he fought, and has been, for many years, a refugee and civil rights activist on their behalf.
His Vietnam memoir War Story won the first Bernal Diaz Award for military non-fiction. Morris is author of the story from which the film Operation Dumbo Drop was made, and has produced numerous documentary television episodes about the Vietnam War. He is author of three books of non-fiction and four novels. He has appeared on MSNBC as a commentator on Special Operations.
