This, I believe, is one of David Halberstam's few forays into fiction. It takes place during the early days of the American involvement in the Vietnam War, when American military personnel were involved mainly as advisers to the South Vietnamese forces. Halberstam, who was a war correspondent in Vietnam for the New York Times during this period (1962-1964), began writing this novel in 1966 and first published it in 1968. He'd already published his non-fiction work, The Making of a Quagmire.

The book takes place during a single day, as two American officers go out on an operation with the Vietnamese troops they've been assigned to. We see the day, and the mission, through the eyes of both American officers and one of the Vietnamese officers, as well. The relationship between the Americans and Vietnamese is explored effectively, as are the minute by minute experiences shared by the men: boredom, enervating heat, fatigue and doubt among the most prevalent. The book is gripping and the characters and situations quite believable. The only drawback I'd point out is the degree to which much of the (necessary) background information is provided through inner monologues from the three main characters that sometimes seem overlong. Nevertheless, nobody familiar with Halberstam's many fine histories will be surprised to learn that this book is extremely well written, all in all, and quite well worth reading. ( )

This was written in 1966 before most Americans realized what a mess they were getting themselves into. Haberstram was a reporter who was in Vietnam in 1964 and this novel is his snapshot of one day in the life an American advisor to the South Vietnam Army. He describes the frustrations of trying to make an effective army out of men who did not really wish to fight under leadership that was corrupt. The novel is prophetic and very real. ( )

One Very Hot Day is the story of one day in the lives of a company of soldiers patrolling an area in Vietnam looking for the Vietcong. The company is led by an American Captain and his Sergeant; they are supported by their Vietnamese counterpoints who are supposed to be learning the basics of combat. While Halberstam has written specifically about Vietnam, this story could be about any war. The tedium and boredom; the inability to trust that the Vietnamese soldiers will cover the backs of the American soldiers not because they don't care about the men with whom they serve but because they simply do not take their jobs seriously enough. In spite of Halberstam's excellent writing, this book was still sometimes difficult for me to read. There was a sense of doom about it from the beginning made all the more real because it's obvious this story could, in fact, have happened. ( )