What the critics are saying about Dean Barrett’s Vietnam-era novel set in Thailand

Ho-ha-ha! Hee-hee-hee! Oh lord, I could wet my pants! Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is so funny! Were you one of the many who loved to watch M*A*S*H? Still watch it in syndication? Then you are gonna love Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior. I don't see how you couldn't. I know, I know, in the first paragraph, I claimed it is a laugh-a-minute kinda book. War is a serious thing, why should you read it? Besides the obvious, what we can laugh at, we can gain power over, and because there is plenty of human reality here; things that any veteran should recognize right off the bat.

Now I might have confused you. Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is not about the same war as in M*A*S*H. Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is a marvelous novel, yes-novel, about the Vietnam era. So marvelous that upon finishing it, I promptly handed it over to my brother, the Nam vet and told him, read this - you'll love it. So, read it. You'll love it. I promise." Stars 5+

- Buzz Review News

Funny from the first page to the last. A fine and funny book, ribald and occasionally touching. One of the better Asian reads of the past few years.”

- The Bangkok Post

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is one of the funniest books I've read in years. Tender, moving, economical, subtly building - an extremely satisfying experience that had me laughing out loud....I don't think the back cover blurb does it justice: it is so much more than the "whackiest adventures."

- Simon Albury, Producer, Grenada Television Ltd.

Succeeds nicely in the creation of a time and place that transcends mere setting.”

- West Coast Review of Books

This is a funny and human book which can describe sex without descending into sheer nastiness.”

- South China Morning Post

This is M*A*S*H, taken from behind the Korean lines, set down in the rear-echelon of steamy Bangkok–titillated with the tinkle of Thai laughter and temple bells. And it is an even funnier triumph of man over military madness.”

- Derek Maitland, author, The only War we’ve Got

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior has got to be one of the funniest books ever written. But beneath the humor the author expertly limns the prickly relationships between American officers and American enlisted men in Thailand during the Vietnam War. The love story works well, but the relentless satirical humor–especially the trial scenes--is outstanding. A great novel!

- Harold Stephens, author, At Home in Asia; The Last Voyage

An Awesome read! Way out, Far out, Groovy....I can smell the smell and see the green and feel the magic of Thailand!”

- Terry Ryan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodian Brotherhood

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior is recommended reading for anyone who ever donned a uniform and found themselves far from home.”

- Midwest Book Review

Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior remains one of my favorite books about Thailand. Excellent characters and dialogue. It would make a great movie.

- Dave Walker, author, Hello My Big, Big Honey!

From the first page onwards, Barrett succeeds in drawing the reader into the tale as he describes the characters with well crafted word pictures. Barrett has the ability to really pare away the onion skins of the individual to show the true man inside. His chapter on the army chaplain...who became pathologically unhinged...was exceptional. There are 33 separate chapters, each one a 'stand alone' item, so it is an easy book to pick up and put down, though I must admit I didn't want to put it down as I enjoyed it so much....While reading, I ranged from smiles to titters to outright belly laughs. It is one of the funniest "war" books I have read. If you enjoy humour, get this book. However...some of the vignettes are very touching and...his acuity in describing some of life's more poignant moments raise this book above the level of purely humour.

MEMOIRS OF A BANGKOK WARRIOR: A Novel of Thailand. ISBN: 0-9661899-2-2. Trade paperback 8 1/2 x 5 1/2. US$11.95. Publication date: Sept, 1999. 298 pp. A novel set in Bangkok, Thailand during the Vietnam War.

Dean Barrett first arrived in Thailand as a Chinese linguist with the Army Security Agency during the Vietnam War. He returned to the United States to receive his Master's Degree in Asian Studies and later returned to Asia. He has lived for over 20 years in Hong Kong and Bangkok. His writing on Thailand has won several awards including the PATA Grand Prize for Excellence. His other novels set in Asia are Kingdom of Make-Believe, Mistress of the East and Hangman’s Point - A Novel of Hong Kong.

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Memoirs of a Bangkok Warrior