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The book is an account of the experiences of a soldier who served with the US river patrol in the Vietnam War. Summary Of The Book The River Rats of Vietnam tells the story of American soldiers who served in the Vietnam War. It is retold from the perspective of Mark Purdy, who served with the river patrol in Vietnam. These boats patrolled the waterways of the Mekong Delta. There were two types of boats involved in this patrol. One was the river patrol boats or PBRs, which were the common ones. The other one was the Armored Troop Carriers (ATCs). The PBRs were light-weight boats that were often used for quick landing and for rescuing soldiers. The heavier steel-plated ATCs were used in narrow channels and used for work in mine-filled waters. Mark Purdy served with the ATCs. The living conditions in these carriers were horrible, and the soldiers who served in it were known by the name ‘River Rats’. Mark Purdy recounts the atrocities perpetrated by both sides. He describes the dilemma of young soldiers who were suddenly faced with situations that they would never have dreamed of. Soldiers had to do things that would have been repulsive to them at normal times. The author talks about all the distressing situations that a young soldier has to face in a war, including taking a human life, having to survive terrible situations, seeing his friends getting killed, and more. About The Authors Mark Purdy served in the Vietnam War on board Armored Troop Carriers. The experiences that he went through as a River Rat, along with his friends, have been mostly forgotten in the accounts of the Vietnam war. Purdy, with the help of his wife Christine, wrote this book to give a voice to the forgotten River Rats of Vietnam.