A Rumor of War: The Classic Vietnam Memoir (40th Anniversary Edition)

Name: A Rumor of War: The Classic Vietnam Memoir (40th Anniversary Edition)
Price: 2.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (3359 reviews)
Author: Philip Caputo

by Philip Caputo

Memoir

4.6 (3,359)

4.6 stars from 3,359 reviews. Top 66% of Memoir books we track.

356 pages~5.9 hr readPublished by Penguin Random HousePublished 1977-01-01

$2.99Deal77% off peak

Last checked: Jul 17, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $12.99

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Price range: $1.99 – $12.99

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Perfect for you if...

You want to understand Vietnam through the eyes of someone who was actually there, not through political rhetoric or distance.
You're interested in how war fundamentally changes a person's moral compass and sense of self.
You appreciate memoirs that don't shy away from the messy, complicated truth of combat and its aftermath.

Maybe not for you if...

You're looking for a jingoistic celebration of military service or patriotic heroism.
You prefer narrative-driven stories with clear resolutions and hopeful endings.
You struggle with graphic descriptions of violence and the psychological toll of killing.

About this book

In March 1965, Lieutenant Philip J. Caputo landed at Danang with the first ground combat unit deployed to Vietnam. After sixteen months serving on the line, he returned home physically intact but emotionally depleted, his youthful idealism lost. A Rumor of War is a Vietnam memoir that extends beyond one soldier's account. Published in 1977, it addressed America's indifference toward the men fighting in Vietnam's jungles. Since then, it has become a foundational text on the Vietnam War and a recognized classic in the literature of war, exploring what men do in war and what war does to them. This 40th anniversary edition includes a new foreword by Kevin Powers. The book won the Sidney Hillman Foundation Award and was featured in the PBS documentary series The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.

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Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $12.99

Currently on sale at $2.99 — 77% off peak. Price has dropped 6 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 428 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #53K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

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Currently 4.6★ from 3,359 reviews

Gaining approximately 16 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.6 over the tracking period.

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This book is currently discounted at $2.99. It typically returns to around $12.99.

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