MWSA Book Review

Team Shaka – Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol

Author:  Fred Steen

Publisher:  Janus Publishing

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

An Untold Story of the Vietnam War!

Author and Vietnam veteran Fred Steen mixes the real with the fictional for a great novel. He takes information gleamed from The Freedom of Information Act and the puts together a well told tale of a reconnaissance team at war against almost everyone it seems. Steen’s novel “Team Shaka – Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol” is a well written and easy to read story that deals with the plot to dump tons of heroin and opium, as free gifts to American soldiers in Vietnam, by the Chinese, the Russians and the Cubans.

Certainly the plot of this story is much deeper and different than your normal good guys shooting bad guys story lines in most other war novels. It has a whole new angle to that war and would be not be believable if it were not based on real facts. This is also a good combat story and there is enough action, adventure and thrills to keep any fan of war genre books very satisfied and happy. The way the author threads the story line and makes the characters seem alive, shows creative writing skills and talent.

The author did three tours of duty in Vietnam and perhaps that is why the book feels authentic and real. This novel is worth buying and reading.