Jungle Ghosts (Hardback)

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"The best book of its type I have ever read. Well worth the time."

P.J. Tillman - Military Writers Society of America website

"Perhaps the best book ever written about the infantry in Vietnam. Ed's ability to describe the environment is unmatched, and his personal story is authentic, honorable, and awe-inspiring. The gulf between REMF's and warriors has never been so distinct. This is a must read."

Doc Watson - Military Writers Society of America website

"A great book that takes you along for the walk."

GC - Military Writers Society of America website

"An intriguing insight into a controversial war that most dont talk about. From a young man who grew up in the country hills seeking a path for himself. Honer, respect and courage are just a few of the attributes afforded for his time spent walking point and finding a honorable path in life."

Reuben Smith - Military Writers Society of America website

5.0 out of 5 stars - Explosive Book

"Jungle Ghosts" is a gripping and evocative novel that immerses readers in the harrowing experiences of a soldier navigating the dense, perilous jungles of Vietnam. The author masterfully captures the essence of the environment, painting vivid pictures that transport readers back to 1969, a time marked by conflict and turmoil.

From the very first page, the narrative pulls you in, allowing you to feel every step taken by the protagonist, Mann. The author’s attention to detail in describing the sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle creates a palpable sense of place that is both haunting and beautiful. You can almost hear the rustling leaves, feel the humidity clinging to your skin, and sense the ever-present danger lurking in the shadows.

The emotional depth of the characters is another standout aspect of the book. Mann’s journey is not just a physical one; it’s also a profound exploration of fear, camaraderie, and the psychological toll of war. The author skillfully weaves together moments of tension and introspection, allowing readers to connect with Mann on a personal level. You find yourself rooting for him, feeling his struggles, and celebrating his small victories.

"Jungle Ghosts" is more than just a war story; it’s a poignant reflection on the human experience in the face of adversity. The themes of survival, loss, and the search for meaning resonate deeply, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the complexities of war and its impact on the human spirit.

In conclusion, "Jungle Ghosts" is a must-read for those who want to understand what it was like to be an 11Bravo grunt in Vietnam. It’s a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a vivid reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served. Highly recommended for both veterans and civilians alike, this book will leave a lasting impression long after the final page is turned.

Larry Chambers (Author) - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Authentic, powerful portrayal of war and the human condition

Not only is this book a gripping and detailed account of Ed Mann's extraordinary experiences walking point in Vietnam. This book is also an utterly honest and deeply authentic portrayal of the complexity of the human condition, particularly when tasked with the unimaginable. A rivetingly frank, yet keenly insightful memoir of a young man's journey through the jungle of both war and humanity. I couldn't put it down and was up until 2:00 a.m. finishing it.

L. Marion - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Most accurate description of jungle warfare

I managed to obtain an advanced copy of Jungle Ghosts when my daughter found it in the U.K.

Ed was one of the replacements for several members of our platoon who were recently lost. We were in the same platoon in the same 1st Cav company but I
left Vietnam shortly after Ed arrived and I didn't think I'd ever know what happened to the ones I left behind.

No one I knew back home had any real idea of what we had gone through but I never talked about it because no one wanted to hear about it and I didn't think that I could explain it anyway.

As Ed relates the dangers we faced and the perils of walking point, he also reveals our life in the jungle and our feelings and frailties in a way that makes you feel like you were there for all of it.

Denise C Frost - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Surviving on Point in Vietnam

Finally, a work of literature depicting the human aspects of serving in jungle combat. Surviving as a combat infantry soldier in Vietnam meant dealing with biting insects, dangerous snakes, skin infections, hunger, thirst, and the possibility that each step could be your last. The Author, through his personal time as a grunt, reveals a complete picture of what the war was like for those that served. The book is not just for Vietnam veterans, but for anyone that enjoys a spell-binding story, or just simply excellent literature.

Danny C Johnson - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars

The author provides such vivid details of his surroundings and all of his senses, emotions, and physical experiences that I felt I was watching a high definition movie and learning about characters that I really needed to know more about. A captivating account of mental and physical challenges that forge unique personal responses to the realities of warfare and how trust in others is often earned at a great price.

R.M. Kussow - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - You feel like you were getting accurate amount of events

I really enjoyed reading this book. Well written.

Nancy Moore - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book!

Excellent book. Extremely well written and very engaging. The level of detail is amazing.

Russ Bargmann - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars

This book is not for the faint of heart. It takes you back to a year in a young man's life Whether you agreed or disagreed with the Vietnam War the author made the war come alive. His personal experiences allow the reader to feel his fear and his heart. The war affected a generation whether you were there or not. This is a must read for all that want good literature.

Our book club unwound the subtleties and themes touched by Mr. Mann. Don't miss your chance to find a piece of yourself in this book.

Sherry Lewis - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Gripping account of an ugly war

What a great read! Well written, gripping and real. I wish there was another chapter on Ed's feelings now looking back at that time, but I'm sure it took enough just to put this on paper. Those guys had grit, let's not waste that on war.

T. Martin - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - The Real Story of Vietnam

Mr. Mann's book is a look back in time for me. I was about his age at that time. I was fortunate enough to have a college deferment, which changed to a 1-Y after an army physical. My entire family was opposed to the Vietnam War. I had a number of friends who, unfortunately, did wind up in Vietnam even though they didn't support the war, as they felt they had no alternative. I was never able to ask them about their experience afterwards, and indeed. do not know if they even survived. During the war, I remember daily broadcasts of the body count of "us" vs. "them". The statistics always seemed unrealistic, as I did not believe the "enemy" could possibly sustain such disproportional losses. I believed that politicians used this tactic to keep the country believing we were winning the war, that we were "kicking their ass". This book, I believe, will help my sons understand what our "leaders" were trying to hide from the country so they could keep sending our young men to war and keep their image as "winners" intact. Mr. Mann's book clearly describes how some of the officers did not hesitate to send our soldiers out into the jungle with little planning, support, or potential for success. I appreciate that this book being out in the public will remind those that did not serve that the grunts out in the jungle gave their lives and their psyches, and those of their families, not necessarily to win a war, but to keep up the body count so our leaders and politicians could maintain citizen support for the conflict. The military leaders thought they could win by attrition, that if they killed enough of the enemy the North Vietnam Army would give up the fight and we could proclaim victory. The news reports always showed huge enemy losses and fewer losses of our boys. This book will definitely cause a lot of readers to re-think their positions on war and conflict and is an important lesson for all.

One other salient thought lingered in my mind while reading this book. I sensed that it must be very difficult for the young men when a bunch of them are thrown into the jungle to fight while trying to live and survive together when they've arrived from all different parts of our country with different backgrounds and cultures. I recommend reading this book to get some understanding of what it was like for our men. I think those that read this book will be less inclined to support irresponsible politicians who usually find ways to keep their owned loved ones out of danger.

Robert P. Martin - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Guts and Gumption

This is a very personal, thought-provoking and profound statement on not only the day-to-day misery and fear of the grunts on the ground in the Vietnam War, but also the life changing and soul searching that necessarily accompanies it. Mr. Mann makes the jungle come to life, with all of it's majesty and yet terror, from the euphoric vegetation and streaming rays of sunlight, vivid and also subtle smells and muted noises, to the constant biting and buzzing of insects, presence of poisonous snakes, suffocating humidity, and, most dangerous of all, hidden NVA soldiers, who could appear out of the dense jungle instantaneously and take your life and that of your brothers in combat. The evolving mental and physical metamorphosis of Mr. Mann is evident throughout the book and gives insight into what happens to the minds and bodies of men in battle. This book will change your outlook on past, present and future conflicts .

Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Good read!

I enjoyed reading Jungle Ghosts so much as I connected with the author. I had lunch with Ed along with conversations about his honest and true Vietnam experience. Thank you, Ed for a heartfelt read!

R. Stebbins - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars

Good book!

JAMES MATSON - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Thank you brave soldiers.

Very exciting and innovative book. So grateful for the service of our soldiers like Ed Mann who sacrificed so much for us. Strongly encourage you to read this great book.

Perry - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Truthful. Fighting on the ground is the reality and Ed captures it better than anyone else.

Extraordinary! Honest, accurate, detailed and authentic. Captures the reality of jungle warfare on the ground. If you weren’t a soldier or a nurse in Vietnam you probably just got the sterile body count reports or the political opposition propaganda, neither of which was based on reality. Ed Mann knows the truth and records it objectively. Ed’s account provides an invaluable perspective on the Vietnam War which was the turning point for our generation, our government and our world. Politicians need to read Jungle Ghosts before they send young men off to fight and to try to survive.

agh - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - A real look at Vietnam vets tour

THIS IS NOT A GUN BATTLE BOOK. It does have battles in it but this book dives deeper than just one long war story. Ed really shows the transformation of a new guy in Vietnam to becoming a highly experienced point man walking literally into danger every time out. The characters Ed shows us and are colorful group that many will be able to vividly picture while reading this book. As the son of a Marine grunt it really shines a light on what my father went through as well. I've spoke with Ed and will be interviewing him for YOUTUBE this week. If this review doesn't change your mind go listen to Ed in his own words.

Bud Gibson - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Terrific book

Great book, great guy, and a great look into the Vietnamese war, definitely worth the read!

Katchatortus - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - A must read.

Jungle Ghosts – Walking Point in Vietnam, by Ed Mann is well worth the time to read. Walking point in the jungles of Vietnam during that war resulted in the deaths of many of our young man. That was Ed Mann’s primary job.

The graphic and intense descriptions of his various experiences in war ravaged Vietnam provide vivid context of the on-the-ground struggles faced by the men walking those jungles. It is without doubt the very best book of its kind I have read. One cannot read it without coming away with an appreciation of the extreme hazards (both mental and physical) faced by the author and his fellow soldiers in the jungle. The insanity of orders regularly dispensed by those who either did not care, were oblivious to the hazards our soldiers were facing, or were just plain stupid, is well documented. As was the idiocy of those higher up in the food chain who got us into that war, made insane, high-level decisions and lied to the world. The result being countless and needless deaths and injuries to those on both sides.

It has my highest recommendation.

Patrick J Tillman - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Must read

Very well written. A true understanding of what happened in Vietnam.

Julie Zemp - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Awesome book!

I found his book "Jungle Ghosts" to be a well written description of his experiences walking point in Vietnam. I knew Ed in high school. He was a person that I looked up to and respected...he was the kind of leader that his squad needed walking point and that became evident as read the book. Thank you Ed for sharing your experiences!
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Joseph Cilenti - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Honest account of war in the jungles of Vietnam


The author provides an honest and straightforward account of harrowing events in Vietnam that most of us couldn't have survived. Rather than dramatize his experiences, he explains his actions, his thoughts, and his observations of others, erring on the side of keeping the experience bearable for the reader while keeping it honest. I avoid war stories in general, but read this one because the author is related to a close friend. I'm glad I did, as it provided a "grunt's" perception of the dangers and extreme but almost meaningless hardships endured by soldiers in Vietnam.

Patoregon - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent book.

Bob - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Absolutely superb writing. Share with your friends.

Ed has the gift of transporting you to his side, with vivid descriptions of his comrades, the jungle, the enemy. This book is the best written first person account of Vietnam service I've read. Ed doesn't engage in hyperbole, and there is no self-aggrandizement or glorification of our forces' efforts.

Ed was raised in northern California, and spent a lot of time in the woods, exploring and hunting. Although the environment in Vietnam was wildly different than the one he grew up in, the skills he had developed in hunting, tracking, and getting into the minds of his prey quickly came into focus.

His first patrol ended with him being injured and ultimately evacuated, AFTER he had force his patrol to withdraw from an exposed position just before it was mortared. He saw several examples of poor decision making and lack of good sense. He returned to his unit before he was fully healed, and Ed used his skills, and his deepening understanding of the jungle, to move into the point position, and to keep his unit safe as they ran their patrols.

He worked to understand how the enemy thought, which helped him avoid ambushes and risky sight lines. He cultivated his subconscious and his senses to the point that he felt intimately connected to the sights, scents, sounds and feel of the jungle, and how changes in the environment signaled that the enemy was nearby.

Ed appreciated the beauty and the diversity of the jungle, and later, of the highlands. His focus was so complete that years later he could recall every particular of the landscape he traversed.

He achieved this focus through Hokahe, the ethic which embodies courage, fearlessness, the love of living, but readiness to die, which allowed him to be entirely present when on patrol.

He continued to grow as the year in-country progressed. While he functioned as a warrior, he never lost his sense of humor, his generosity of spirit toward his companions and the Vietnamese, or his appreciation for the fact that the conduct of the war was not well managed.

An important message in this book was the toll that making war takes on not only the land and the civilians, but on the warriors themselves. Reading first person accounts such as this is an important means of keeping the costs of armed conflict continuously in our thoughts, and increasing efforts to avoid it when possible.

S. Hall - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - A Must Have...

Brave man, outstanding author.

Ray Conn - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Honest, Conveys the Danger and Misery of Infantrymen

The author's depiction of the tough, dangerous, and always miserable life of a combat infantryman is entirely accurate. As is his pride in being able to not only survive, but to excel at as a point man and save his fellow soldiers with his expertise. Very well written and fast-paced.

Wildcatt - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Absolute Page Turner. Buy Now.

This book is a vivid and real account of one man's time spent in the most hostel and unwelcoming places on earth. The writing style he uses not only pulls you in, but at time you can see, hear, smell and even taste what he is saying. This is a true account of his experience in Viet Nam and his desire to put his life at risk to assure the safety of those around him. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading what it was like to serve, and survive as a point man in Viet Nam.

Richard - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - Amazing story, a great read

I felt like I was in the jungle with Ed reading this book. My father was a “lifer” who served in Korea and Vietnam (Cu Chi with Signal Corps), but he spoke very little about it, and left his stories untold until his passing. I’ve always wondered about his experiences, and became fascinated with accounts of those who were there, but none have rang as true and real as this book. Thanks for your service, Ed, and thanks for this book.

jawjatek - Amazon US

5.0 out of 5 stars - World glass descriptive writer

The author’s writing is a masterpiece of painting a picture. This is not literature in the sense of plot, character building, etc. It is essentially a journal of pure, poetic, masterful descriptive prose.

L. Taylor - Amazon US

A powerful work. Your eye and memory for detail are phenomenal, and you obviously sought and achieved the education you thought about while you were on R&R. The last three lines were astonishing.

Thank you for sharing your experiences

Stan Hall

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivid. Insightful.

Jungle Ghosts is outstanding on two levels. The obvious one is the remarkable detail describing how small groups of American infantry were repeatedly dropped into barely passable Vietnamese jungle and told to proceed along a predetermined azimuth, basically serving as bait to expose where North Vietnamese military might be hiding. The other is the insight of how a year of the resulting carnage and danger changed this 18 year old and his comrades. It is an important subject and a gripping read.

Ed McCleskey - Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Being there

The hardest thing for me about Ed Mann’s book is that it is a true story. Not based on a true story. Not inspired by a true story. But true. It played out while I was home watching the Nightly News with its government inflated body counts. One man’s embedded experience of what it was like to be a ‘grunt’ squadron leader in the chaos of Vietnam. The author’s narrative has you walking point with him in Vietnam – and delivers on the terrifying reality of being there, of facing down the death of one’s self, of one’s comrades and of the enemy - all fellow human beings. Of what it was like living off one’s primitive survival senses – moment by moment. Like Buck in the Call of the Wild – the hunter and the hunted - ancient intuitions and memories. It is a tense, riveting tale. Profane just as the war itself was profane.

"War is so unjust and ugly that all who wage it must try to stifle the voice of conscience within themselves". - Tolstoy

And yet Ed chose otherwise - as he hung on to a respect for the enemy that sought a moment before to kill him, his conscience refusing to desecrate and mock the enemy dead.

An amazing tale.

A reminder to us all, how important it was and is to embrace those who survive and return. For the country to take ownership of and honor upon their return those we send into war.

Thank you, Ed, we owe you.

Antonio - Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Surviving on Point in Vietnam

Finally, a work of literature depicting the human aspects of serving in jungle combat. Surviving as a combat infantry soldier in Vietnam meant dealing with biting insects, dangerous snakes, skin infections, hunger, thirst, and the possibility that each step could be your last. The Author, through his personal time as a grunt, reveals a complete picture of what the war was like for those that served. The book is not just for Vietnam veterans, but for anyone that enjoys a spell-binding story, or just simply excellent literature.

Danny C Johnson - Amazon

Of the dozens of Vietnam-related books I've read this book stands alone. It is beyond review and rating. It's art covering the spectrum from the brutally profane reality of its subject to the descriptively divine honesty of its environment. This is a MUST read.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Doc Watson - Amazon

"... a beautifully written, exquisitely detailed Vietnam War memoir... Read this book and you will almost experience Ed Mann’s war and may agree with me that it is one of the best Vietnam War memoirs you have ever read."

Read the full review here

The VVA Veteran

As featured by

The Army Historical Foundation

It’s a smooth read and one game masters might want to consult in fine-tuning Vietnam War skirmish scenarios.

Enjoyed it.

Read the full review here

Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

"Jungle Ghosts" is a gripping and evocative novel that immerses readers in the harrowing experiences of a soldier navigating the dense, perilous jungles of Vietnam. The author masterfully captures the essence of the environment, painting vivid pictures that transport readers back to 1969, a time marked by conflict and turmoil.

From the very first page, the narrative pulls you in, allowing you to feel every step taken by the protagonist, Mann. The author’s attention to detail in describing the sights, sounds, and smells of the jungle creates a palpable sense of place that is both haunting and beautiful. You can almost hear the rustling leaves, feel the humidity clinging to your skin, and sense the ever-present danger lurking in the shadows.

The emotional depth of the characters is another standout aspect of the book. Mann’s journey is not just a physical one; it’s also a profound exploration of fear, camaraderie, and the psychological toll of war. The author skillfully weaves together moments of tension and introspection, allowing readers to connect with Mann on a personal level. You find yourself rooting for him, feeling his struggles, and celebrating his small victories.

"Jungle Ghosts" is more than just a war story; it’s a poignant reflection on the human experience in the face of adversity. The themes of survival, loss, and the search for meaning resonate deeply, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the complexities of war and its impact on the human spirit.

In conclusion, "Jungle Ghosts" is a must-read for those who want to understand what it was like to be an 11Bravo grunt in Vietnam. It’s a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a vivid reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served. Highly recommended for both veterans and civilians alike, this book will leave a lasting impression long after the final page is turned.

Larry Chambers - Author of Recondo and Death in the Ashaw Valley