Kickers: a novel of the Secret War
"An untold chronicle of the Vietnam War for military enthusiasts and anti-war readers alike.Lee's protagonists are "smokejumpers," U.S. Forest Service firefighters.  Officers in the CIA see this as a perfect skillset as part of America's undeclared war in Laos. . . . His engrossing novel highlights the sacrifices of those who didn't receive proper credit for their covert-ops services decades ago. . . . his characters' evolutions while in-country are heartbreakingly believable.A riveting tale of an American tragedy that's packed with adventure and local color." -Kirkus Reviews"Spot-on details shed light on a seldom discussed episode in American foreign policy.If history teachers assigned stories like Patrick Lee's Kickers, students would learn a lot more about the conflicts that have shaped our world than they ever would from a typical textbook. . . .The POW scenes are grim and visceral, taking us into a world where desperate prisoners will urinate on the floor of their jungle prison in hopes of loosening the bars that hold them. . . .Those who look inside will be rewarded with an insider's view of a complex time in US history."-Foreword Reviews, Clarion Review