In Pharaoh's Army
Encyclopedia
In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of a Lost War is a memoir
by Tobias Wolff
. The book was originally published on October 4, 1994.
The book chronicles the author's experiences as a US Army officer
in the Vietnam war
. Before beginning his tour of duty proper, Wolff spent a year in Washington, DC learning the Vietnamese language
; prior to that he had been trained as a paratrooper
. Wolff was stationed with South Vietnamese Army soldiers near My Tho and he was present during the Communists' Tet offensive. The memoir includes a recollection of that battle as well as vignettes of various personal experiences, both in and out of Vietnam.
The book picks up more or less where Wolff's first memoir, This Boy's Life
, leaves off. It was a National Book Award
finalist for nonfiction.
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
by Tobias Wolff
Tobias Wolff
Tobias Jonathan Ansell Wolff is an American author. He is known for his memoirs, particularly This Boy's Life , and his short stories. He has also written two novels.-Biography:Wolff was born in 1945 in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The book was originally published on October 4, 1994.
The book chronicles the author's experiences as a US Army officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Before beginning his tour of duty proper, Wolff spent a year in Washington, DC learning the Vietnamese language
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
; prior to that he had been trained as a paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. Wolff was stationed with South Vietnamese Army soldiers near My Tho and he was present during the Communists' Tet offensive. The memoir includes a recollection of that battle as well as vignettes of various personal experiences, both in and out of Vietnam.
The book picks up more or less where Wolff's first memoir, This Boy's Life
This Boy's Life
This Boy's Life is a memoir by Tobias Wolff first published in 1989. It describes the author's adolescence as he wanders the continental United States with his itinerant mother. The first leg of their journey takes them from Florida to Utah, where Mom, fleeing an abusive partner, hopes to get rich...
, leaves off. It was a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
finalist for nonfiction.