Overview

""". . . a reminder of the profound strength found in unwavering dedication, especially during life's most trying moments.""-Eyun-Jung Ki, PhD, professor, author, and past president of the Korean American Communication Association ""This is not a book just for Vietnam vets; it is wisdom that can help most of us as we negotiate the jungles of today."" -Richard Puffer, US Marine infantry platoon commander in Vietnam 1969-70 ""This story not only sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of military operations but also delves deep into the human element, exploring themes of duty, brotherhood, and the indelible mark of war on the human soul."" -Charles Templeton, author of Boot: A Sorta Novel of Vietnam "". . . a triumph of storytelling about war, the bonds between soldiers, and the human spirit."" -Mark Harris, former VP of Comms, IBM How much can the human spirit endure? Buck, a Caucasian teacher, and Hues, a multiracial street preacher, form an unlikely friendship after meeting in a bar fight near their Army training base in 1969. When their helicopter crashes later in Vietnam and they're captured by Viet Cong soldiers, they begin to learn the power of brotherhood. Marched to a prison camp and forced into hard labor, they are beaten frequently and given little to eat or drink as they suffer a brutal life in a bamboo cage. Each day begins with the ominous question: how can they survive another day? They discover the gift of good memories and share them often. And they find great hope in Hues's incredible life spirit that lights their darkest days. Fourteen months after their capture, Hues damages his ankle so severely he can't walk. With death closer than ever, they escape and begin a harrowing journey through the dense jungle filled with predators-the enemy, the wildlife, and even their fellow soldiers who may not recognize them. Buck vows to carry Hues every step until they reach safety, but can they possibly make it? Their devotion to each other drives them onward."

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Reviews

"""Every so often a narrative arrives that allows us to understand-in the most vivid, visceral way-how war is experienced on frozen battlefields, coral islands, or in this case, a POW camp and a desperate escape through the steaming jungles of Vietnam. Bruce Berger delivers a triumph of storytelling about war, the bonds between soldiers, and the human spirit, with a brilliant twist in the conclusion."" -Mark Harris, former VP of Comms, IBM ""I thought I knew a lot about the Vietnam War, but Bruce Berger's writing brings into sharp focus the horrific world of captivity, the brotherly love of two men for one another, and their indomitable will to survive.""-Don Tyler, author of Tough Guy and Other Poems ""This is a rich book of inspiration, courage, survival, and brotherhood. As a proud Vietnam veteran of the 101st Airborne Division from the year 1970, I find this to be a must read for all."" -Jim Thompson, veteran ""Bruce Berger tells an essential part of the Vietnam story--the business of death as American forces worked to send soldiers' remains home and notify their families. Berger's brilliant descriptions force the reader to experience every feeling, sight, sound, and smell his heroes encountered when trapped in a brutal POW camp. Just as his character, Hues, was ""everyman,"" Berger infuses his characters with the DNA of a multitude of soldiers in Vietnam, generating compassion and empathy for our soldiers in a winless war."" -J. Suzanne Horsley, PhD, professor, author, and widow of a veteran"

"""Brothers Bound is a poignant, deeply moving account that stirs a mixture of sorrow for Buck's losses and awe at his resilience and capacity to impart profound life lessons derived from his harrowing experiences. The story presents an emotionally rich and transformative journey of a Vietnam vet who grapples with the psychological and physical scars of war. This story not only sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of military operations but also delves deep into the human element, exploring themes of duty, brotherhood, and the indelible mark of war on the human soul. Through the physical imagery of scars and the psychological depths of memory rooms and emotional breakdowns, the story touches on themes of survival, the enduring human spirit, and the redemptive power of love and hope. Brothers Bound is a must-read for anyone who would understand the emotional trauma of war and resilience of love."" -Charles Templeton, author of Boot: A Sorta Novel of Vietnam ""Bruce Berger's novel places two American soldiers inside small cages in a brutal Vietnamese prisoner of war camp and seems to throw away all hope of rescue or escape. But that's not how the story ends, it's only the beginning. These two men will stretch the bonds of brotherhood and share a combined spiritual strength that will not allow either to give up as long as they still have life inside them. Bruce Berger has given us, in this work of human survival, a truly unforgettable love story."" -Bill McCloud, author of What Should We Tell our Children About Vietnam? and The Smell of the Light: Vietnam, 1968-1969 ""Brothers Bound is a short, terse, and remarkably rich, precise story of human survival. The irony of going from the Casualty Branch to Graves Registration, (both jobs few readers can imagine or have even given any thought to) is an astounding focus in itself, but then for it to morph into an epic fourteen-month prisoner of war struggle is a superb exercise in the finest imagining of what human survival can reduce to. The critic James Wood once wrote that his grandmother, nearing her death, fell into a condition of 'bewildered silence.' Closing the final pages of Brothers Bound leaves this reader in a similar condition. It's a remarkable piece of work."" -Joseph Heywood, author and Air Force navigator in the Vietnam theater ""Every so often a narrative arrives that allows us to understand-in the most vivid, visceral way-how war is experienced on frozen battlefields, coral islands, or in this case, a POW camp and a desperate escape through the steaming jungles of Vietnam. Bruce Berger delivers a triumph of storytelling about war, the bonds between soldiers, and the human spirit, with a brilliant twist in the conclusion."" -Mark Harris, former VP of Comms, IBM ""I thought I knew a lot about the Vietnam War, but Bruce Berger's writing brings into sharp focus the horrific world of captivity, the brotherly love of two men for one another, and their indomitable will to survive."" -Don Tyler, author of Tough Guy and Other Poems ""This is a rich book of inspiration, courage, survival, and brotherhood. As a proud Vietnam veteran of the 101st Airborne Division from the year 1970, I find this to be a must-read for all."" -Jim Thompson, veteran"

Author Information

Bruce K. Berger, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Alabama, is the author of Fragments: The Long Coming Home from Vietnam, winner of the 2021 Gold Medal for Best Poetry Book by the Military Writers Society of America. He served in the US Army from 1969 to 1971, including one year in Vietnam, where he worked in the Casualty Branch of the 101st Airborne Division in Phu Bai. He wrote hundreds of sympathy letters to grieving families back home for the loss of their soldier and sometimes helped Graves Registration gather fallen brothers to take them to the mortuary. He also authored In Our Dreams We Read (2012), which explores adult illiteracy in Alabama, and two academic books about communication leadership: Gaining Influence in Public Relations (2006) and Public Relations Leaders as Sensemakers (2014).

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