From the author of the classic Alas Babylon comes this riveting
story of a Marine captain and his soldiers and their arduous, difficult
retreat from Changjin Reservoir to Hungnam during the Korean War--a
stirring portrait of courage and sacrifice.
"These are not stragglers, sir. This is Dog Company..."
In Pat Frank's classic 1951 war novel, one-hundred-twenty-six soldiers
commence their long, harrowing journey at Changjin Reservoir during the
height of the Korean War, but few will survive the grueling fight and
eventually reach Hungnam. Vividly bringing to life the bravery, daring,
and turmoil a unit of soldiers endures, Hold Back the Night reveals
their gripping stories.
Captain Mackenzie, commander of Dog Company, not only bears the
responsibility for victory or defeat, but also feels the full weight of
the emotional toll that the war inevitably takes on him and his troops.
His one consolation to inspire his band of soldiers to keep on going is
an unopened bottle of Scotch that holds bittersweet memories of his wife
who gave it to him as a gift.
Sergeant Ekland, a cocky, determined communications sergeant, is due for
a battlefield promotion and longs for the day his tour is over so he can
be reunited with his fiancée--that is if he makes it out of Korea alive.
Private Couzens, finds himself in a precarious situation with the enemy
due to circumstances out of his control--a situation that causes his
loyalties to come into question with his superiors.
As readers follow the lives of these men and the other unforgettable
soldiers, Pat Frank's epic novel of war, loss, and survival recounts a
crucial chapter in American history.
