Publisher’s Weekly gives Vietnam satire novel NAM-A-RAMA a starred review… NAM-A-RAMA by Phillip Jennings

“Published as the military and its actions abroad are under intense scrutiny, this highly entertaining, provocative lampooning of the Vietnam War is reminiscent of Catch-22 and David Mamet's Wag the Dog. In this wonderfully irreverent novel, evocative of vintage Max Shulman, hearty belly laughs contrast with chilling insights into high level political machinations.”
—Publisher’s Weekly **starred review

“Tall tales of the flying war in Vietnam mix successfully…with adventures both amusing and hair-raising in Southeast Asia. Oliver Stone confirmed that war is evil. Joseph Heller made the case that war is nuts. First-novelist and Marine aviation veteran Jennings suggests that war, even the war in Vietnam, could…be fun. It was hell too, of course, and the battle scenes here are tough, fast, and frightening.”
—Kirkus Reviews


As the war in Iraq intensifies, resembling Vietnam more and more every day, the Vietnam War has taken on renewed relevance in our diplomacy, our politics, and our culture. Amidst the buzz, author Phillip Jennings turns the pundits on their heads with his hilarious new novel: NAM-A-RAMA (A Forge Hardcover; $24.95; March 2005, http://www.namarama.com).

Phillip Jennings piloted over 300 helicopter missions in Vietnam and left the Marines at the rank of captain. He later flew for Air America and served in the CIA. Like Joseph Heller and Richard Hooker before him, Jennings did his duty, and did it with his eyes wide open. He takes readers away from the talking heads on their TVs and into the life of a real soldier: an unpredictable and surreal world of fear and friendship where nothing seems to make sense, like a twisted Alice in Wonderland with napalm and land mines.

Join Marine lieutenant Jack Armstrong and his unpredictable buddy Gearheardt as the Vietnam War is cooked up at a White House pizza party. When the conflict quickly escalates, President Larry Bob Jones sends the boys on a secret mission with anti-war movie star Barbonella to meet Uncle Ho. Their trip to Hanoi takes them into deadly combat in South Vietnam and wild misadventures that propel their story forward in a boisterous satiric rush. Not since Catch-22 has there been such a laugh-out-loud anti-epic capturing so brilliantly and tragically the absurdities of modern war.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phillip Jennings piloted over 300 helicopter missions in Vietnam. He left the Marines as a captain and subsequently flew for Air America. Jennings won the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society short fiction award in 1998. He lives in Kirkland, Washington, and is the CEO of Mayfair Capital Partners. Jennings was recently proud and honored to swear his youngest son into the U.S. Marine Corps. He’s also a very funny guy.


Phillip Jennings is available for interviews. Please Contact:
Melissa Broder; Forge Publicity; 646-307-5406; melissa.broder@tor.com

NAM-A-RAMA
By Phillip Jennings
A Forge Hardcover
ISBN: 0-765-31120-8
$24.95/332 Pages
Publication date: March 2, 2005
http://www.namarama.com

For More Information, Contact:
Melissa Broder, Forge Publicity
T: 646-307-5406
F: 212.982.2862
melissa.broder@tor.com