“The Advisor (Co Van)”

by Carl Nelson

Book Review

Brown Water Vet Authors Vietnam War Book

What sets Carl Nelson’s book, “The Advisor (Co-Van)” apart from the many other novels written about Vietnam? This provocative story about sailors, SEALS, and marines in the Rung Sat Special Zone (RSSZ) deals with the complexities of being an advisor to foreigners in wartime: a clash of cultures, combat action and political intrigue. Played out through Viet Cong as well as American and South Vietnamese characters the book narrates both sides of that strange war. More than just an action-adventure story, The Advisor is driven by historical intrigue, gripping drama, and haunting romance suffused with the mystery and seduction of the orient. It begins in the summer of 1972 the last year of the war, before the U.S. military left South Vietnam and ends in 1975 when the last Americans are evacuated. This metaphoric novel challenges the premise of the Vietnam War, while spinning a tale of protecting the Long Tau Channel, the most strategic waterway in the campaign.

“Obviously written by someone who was there. A good book that I very much enjoyed reading! ”
– Captain C. Jerry Wages, Jr. U.S. Navy (Ret)
Former Senior Advisor Rung Sat Special Zone

Published by Turner Publishing Company and Endorsed by Admiral Elmo R. Zuwalt, Jr., Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret) deceased, The Advisor (ISBN 156311513-1) can be ordered at 1-800-788-3350, any bookstore, or through Amazon.com.

Beginning as a sailor in 1949, Carl Nelson’s military career took him through graduation from the United States Naval Academy and retirement as a captain. During which he served in and commanded cruisers, destroyers and had four tours of duty in the Vietnam War. Professor Nelson’s career as a professional writer includes eight non-fiction books about international business and economics and two novels. He can be contacted at:

Email: canelson56@cox.net
Telephone: (619) 421-9094