Matterhorn

Powerful.

DNF at 71% in Audiobook

I tried really hard to get into this book. There are so many glowing reviews, I kept pushing to find out what made this book special. At 71%, I still don't know what makes it special and I dread listening to any more.

Overall I can't see what makes this book any better than other Vietnam war novels. Is it the length? The character's descent into madness. Is the long, drawn out story meant to be a parallel to a long, drawn out war?

There were some good points to the book. It is immersive. The descriptions felt like I was there in the war. The horrors were accurately captured. You can tell the author did his research to make it authentic.

I'd like to know how it concludes, but I can't find it in me to devote another 6 hours to finishing this book. I already devoted nearly 14 hours to get this far. Aside from crossing it off my to-read list, there is nothing keeping me going.

Key takeaways:

- War is terrible
- As a leader, manager, general, etc., be aware of how far removed you are from the realities of your team
- Know why you are doing what you are doing. When the cost outweighs the benefit, be honest with yourself. Avoid the sunk-cost fallacy

Former USAF here - it's maddening how incompetent the US military is at times. Great book!