Books with author Tim O'Brien

One of the first questions people ask about The Things They Carried is this: Is it a novel, or a collection of short stories? The title page refers to the book simply as "a work of fiction," defying the conscientious reader's need to categorize this masterpiece. It is both: a collection of interrelated short pieces which ultimately reads with the dramatic force and tension of a novel. Yet each one of the twenty-two short pieces is written with such care, emotional content, and prosaic precision that it could stand on its own.The Things They Carried depicts the men of Alpha Company: Jimmy Cross, Henry Dobbins, Rat Kiley, Mitchell Sanders, Norman Bowker, Kiowa, and of course, the character Tim O'Brien who has survived his tour in Vietnam to become a father and writer at the age of forty-three. They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear. They miss their families, their girlfriends and buddies; they miss the lives they left back home. Yet they find sympathy and kindness for strangers (the old man who leads them unscathed through the mine field, the girl who grieves while she dances), and love for each other, because in Vietnam they are the only family they have. We hear the voices of the men and build images upon their dialogue. The way they tell stories about others, we hear them telling stories about themselves. With the creative verve of the greatest fiction and the intimacy of a searing autobiography, The Things They Carried is a testament to the men who risked their lives in America's most controversial war. It is also a mirror held up to the frailty of humanity. Ultimately The Things They Carried and its myriad protagonists call to order the courage, determination, and luck we all need to survive.

What began as a biography of George Millay, the "Father of the Waterpark Industry," ended up being both the intriguing life story of a great and successful risk-taker AND the first-ever, in-depth look at the creation of two theme park genres which today entertain more than 100 million people a year, worldwide. KEY FEATURES 1 – First book ever written about George Millay. He has waited until he felt comfortable "telling it all." And tell it all, he did. Friends and family who have read the manuscript have commented they learned new things about a man they have known for years. He has a reputation for not wanting to talk personally about himself or his family. 2 – George Millay’s personal story is one of a risk-taker and is an excellent business primer on how calculated and creative risk taking and deal making can pay off. 3 – This is the first in-depth look at the creation and the early history of the SeaWorld parks, now owned by Anheuser-Busch; Magic Mountain, now owned by Six Flags; and the Wet’n Wild parks, now owned by Universal and by Palace Entertainment. The book chronicles the deals, the people, and the events that shaped these parks - from concept through construction and the early years of operation.

Before writing his award-winning Going After Cacciato, Tim O'Brien gave us this searing, intensely personal account of his year as a foot soldier in Vietnam. The author takes us with him -- to experience combat from behind an infantryman's rifle, to walk the minefields of My Lai, to crawl into the ghostly tunnels, and to explore the ambiguities of manhood and morality in a war gone terribly wrong. Beautifully written and heartfelt, If I Die in a Combat Zone has been hailed as a masterwork of art in its genre.

"To call Going After Cacciato a novel about war is like calling Moby Dick a novel about whales." So wrote The New York Times of Tim O'Brein's now classic novel of Vietnam. Winner of the 1979 National Book Award, Going After Cacciato captures the peculiar blend of horror and hallucinatory comedy that marked this the strangest of wars. Reality and fantasy merge in this fictional account of one private's sudden discussion to lay down his rifle and begin a quixotic journey from the of Indochina to the streets of Paris. Will Cacciato make it all the way? Or will he be yet another casualty of a conflict that seems to have no end? In its memorable evocation of men both fleeing and meeting the demands of the battle, Going After Cacciato stands as much more than just a great war novel. Ultimately it's about the forces of fear and heroism that do battle in the hearts of us all.