Rooney’s True North is a top-notch piece of historical fiction that is laced with such dynamic realism that readers will believe they are reading Jack Burns’s autobiography. The setting is South Vietnam in 1962 bleeding into 1963 and the Americans are not there in great numbers, although the popular groupthink is that when the American troops arrive, the war will quickly resolve. Burns is an Australian advisor, sent to help the South Vietnamese Army train and learn to do battle with the Communist North and their Viet Cong allies. Rooney tells the story through two points of view, that of Burns and a Vietnam Cong woman soldier, Tran, who eventually face off in battle. Their love at first sight romantic story seems a bit far fetched, but the author pulls it off.

With a moment to moment war story as seen from both sides, the novels slowly lays out the hidden truth that the papers had yet to report, that the war was nothing like anyone back home thought it was, that the South Vietnamese army was a paper tiger filled with treachery and riddled with infiltrators. The Westerners, although good intentioned, had no understanding of what motivated the villagers in the MeKong Delta and how much of the country had already gone to the Communists before the major battles even begun.

This novel succeeds because it doesn’t paint Burns as without faults and without problems.

I really enjoyed this book, it was an easy read as well as being informative about the conflict in Vietnam. I liked the fact that one of the fighters was a woman, I felt this gave an interesting viewpoint. The main protagonist was likeable and engaging and the story drew me into its world. I got slightly confused in places with all the acronyms, but overall I learned a lot about the war and felt it was a good read.

This book was not for me. I didn't find that the characters were all that entertaining or even endearing to read about.

It does show potential but I just didn't really enjoy it all that much