Cheerful Obedience by Patrick McLaughlin

An eager young soldier comes of age through the smoke and strife of Vietnam in Cheerful Obedience by Patrick McLaughlin, a character-focused snapshot of that conflict’s dark legacy, and a powerful work of historical wartime fiction.

Conor McKall is an honorable protagonist – he understands his duty, sticks up for his comrades, and acts courageously in service to his country, but surviving in a war zone takes more than humility, patience, and resilience. As McKall moves up the chain into squad leader, he must navigate the day-to-day trudge of an ever-changing battlefield, including petty challenges to his leadership and explosive moments of life-or-death decision-making that inevitably harden him as a warrior.

For military history buffs, combat veterans, or those looking for a precise view into wartime, this character-driven drama delivers the vicarious and visceral energy of war, but also touches on the politics and power dimensions of hierarchy, for a unique window into military life. A military procedural that gradually draws in eccentric allies, tempting love interests, unexpected best friends, and tragically lost comrades, the unspooling storyline is grimly realistic, but also moving and emotional.

Laced with intense and believable dialogue that explores the solidarity of military brotherhood, this novel condenses one hellish year into a powerful barrage of tightly penned, action-packed prose, for a work of fiction that is brimming with real-world authenticity.