Book Review: 'The Glory Hole' by T. Jeff Williams
'The Glory Hole' first was published in the UK by Corgi Books in 1977; this paperback reissue (286 pp) was published in 1985.
T. Jeff Williams published one other novel, a thriller titled 'Strangler' (1978; variant title 'Sonny'), which I reviewed here.
'The Glory Hole' is set at Quang Tri base in South Vietnam, and although the year is not disclosed, I surmise it likely takes place in the interval from 1969 - 1971.
The lead character, Jacob Sturm, is a medic who accompanies choppers on dustoff calls. As the novel begins Sturm is increasingly beset with doubts about the justification for the war and the reasoning behind American involvement. His reservations are fueled by the trigger-happy attitude of chopper pilot 'King Kong' Kowalski, who has no qualms about gunning down any Vietnamese with the bad luck to be found in 'free fire' zones.
The narrative also features 'big black' private Franklin, a ghetto kid who serves as an infantryman in the 101st 'Screaming Eagles' Airborne Division, and the newly deployed Chaplain Montano, who is eager for a taste of war and excitement.
The narrative alternates between the adventures of Franklin, participating in a risky combat operation over the border into Laos, and Sturm, who spends his time at the base getting stoned and trying to persuade an attractive nurse to sleep with him (that is, when Sturm's not risking life and limb on dustoff calls).
The novel's first half is its strongest, as author Williams aptly conveys the hazards of flying dustoffs to pick up the wounded in combat zones, and the travails of Franklin as he struggles to survive both the soldiers of the North Vietnamese army, and the inept leadership of his commanding officer.
Unfortunately the second half of 'The Glory Hole' is disappointing. The narrative turns from a focus on combat to documenting the moral and ethical anguish of Jacob Sturm, as the senseless violence and atrocities he has witnessed lead him deeper into drug abuse and confrontations with authority. It's plain that Williams uses these episodes to communicate that there is no such thing as a 'Good War', but by filling the narrative with one rear-echelon drama after another, the plot takes on a contrived, tiresome character.
Where 'The Glory Hole' suffers most is in its closing chapter, which introduces a series of coincidences that are so contrived that they undermine the novel's standing as a 'realistic' account of the war.
The verdict ? 'The Glory Hole' likely could have been a stronger novel if it had not gone overboard in terms of trying to convey a Deep Message about the corrupting influence of war. I really can't recommend this to anyone save Vietnam War novel completists.
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