An Act of War

The incident was not particularly gruesome or harrowing, compared to most. It ended with Travis Kelly alive and his enemy dead on a trail near the Cambodian border. Just feet away from the slain officer lay a young boy, no more than ten, trembling and hiding in the underbrush. Travis left the boy there and returned to his unit.

Forty years later, Travis is shocked to read an article about Nguyen Li Minh, a Vietnamese man who claims to be the son of the slain NVA officer as well as the grandson of none other than Ho Chi Minh himself. Travis contacts Walt Bradley, his former commander, who is now an undersecretary with the Department of Homeland Security. But when Walt is assassinated outside his home, Travis finds himself embroiled in a lethal international incident.

During his second foray into Vietnam’s forbidding jungles, the human connections he has made over the years -— to his daughter and son, to his late wife, to a woman he sits next to during the long flight to Vietnam -— serve him best. Though incarcerated, beaten, and left for dead, Travis Kelly learns that he’s never fully alone, not even in his darkest hour.

Read the Reviews

“An Act Of War was exciting and invigorating. The descriptions were so precise I could feel the water flowing over me as well as the perspiration coming off my body. The story is very well laid out with characters that are most believable.The chapters were well organized by not having the reader read over one, two or more chapters to get from the next cliff hanging event to another. Also, within the chapters, the story line played out very well with different characters playing out roles simultaneously. The conclusion was a bit coincidental but heart warming. I enjoyed it and recommend it highly to any North Carolinian, especially any one who lived in the Vietnam era. I look forward to reading Saving Hope.” – Kenneth Hubbard (Amazon)

“I love this book!” – Craig Watson (Amazon)

“I highly recommend this book. It is almost impossible to avoid reading the entire book in a single sitting. The description words used by the author makes each scene “come alive” as if you were there.” – Bob Ferguson (Amazon)

“This was one of the most action-packed and flowing stories I have read in a long time.I simply couldn’t put it down. I read it through in one sitting and I can’t wait for the sequel.” – jack m. berry jr. (Amazon)

“I enjoyed the book from the very beginning. Plenty of action and keeps you interested and entertained. This isn’t the type of book that I typically r, but found myself not wanting to put it down.” – Dave Armstrong (Amazon)

“I was honored to serve with Mick during 1968-69 when he served as an artillery forward observer with my rifle company (B Co 2nd Bn 7th Cav.). We operated in I Corps and were moved south to III Corps during the TET 69 fighting on the Surgess Jungle Highway. Mick kept a lot of us alive with his professional grasp of fire support… and his level headed manner under fire in our desperate combat operations against heavily armed NVA main force units coming out of Cambodia. This book is terrific. Mick is a gifted writer and he knows the environment of battle.” – 24ID (Amazon)

“Thoroughly enjoyed the book, well written story, entertaining and hard to put down, great story of honor and character with an emotional ending. Well done.” – Frank (Amazon)

“Outstanding book! Very well written; characters come to life and I felt like I was there with them. I started reading one morning while on vacation and couldn’t put the book down – finished by the end of the day. A couple days later, still in my mind and thinking of the characters as real people.” – Robert Martin (Amazon)

“I thoroughly enjoyed McMahan’s newest novel. He captures the nuance and details of Viet Nam battles with greater clarity then anyone else I’ve read; his firsthand experience is evident on every page. “An Act of War” moves quickly and , has great character depth and avoids the formulaic plot lines one so often sees in this genre. I’m looking forward to the next installment!” – DKR (Amazon)

“Excellently written. Starting with the very 1st chapter, the book had my attention and it was hard to put down. I found great continuity in subsequent chapters which led to an intriguing end. Also found the book thought provoking in understanding the effects of war, the military and government.” – SilverSiren (Amazon)

“This book is exciting and fast paced. The author makes the reader feel present in the rural setting in North Carolina and the jungles of Vietnam. McMahan’s first hand experience comes through in an authentic sounding narrative. The reader can almost feel the humidity of the jungle and smell the small arms propellant hanging in the air after a firefight. Looking forward to reading the next story . . .” -Franz Kellar (Amazon)

An Act of War

Read the Reviews

“I love this book!” – Craig Watson (Amazon)

“Thoroughly enjoyed the book, well written story, entertaining and hard to put down, great story of honor and character with an emotional ending. Well done.” – Frank (Amazon)

“good story with interesting characters. Hard to put down after starting.” – annemarie couture (Amazon)