Running is a heady, engaging war tale with a well-paced plot of an American combat hero trying to clear his name when he is wrongly accused of a treasonous conspiracy in Southeast Asia. It is set during the Vietnam war and follows the shadowy paths of several characters across many national borders. Learning that this substantial book was originally fueled by memoir made it more riveting for me. Author Lofthouse, a Vietnam veteran, paints an exotic picture that ranges between thrilling and bleak. His experiences reveal a level of human suffering that the politicians and generals never could conceive and to this day, don't understand. That any dignity or loyalty or human compassion could rise out of such a misguided exercise in futility, points at the strengths of the human heart. Lofthouse is an excellent storyteller with an important tale to tell. I recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in learning the boundaries that apply to the human condition during wartime. ( )

Recon Marine Ethan Card is in love with Tuyen. However Tuyen is part of the North Vietnamese Communist group, who's brother just happens to be the leader. It would not be as bad if it was not for the fact that Ethan and Tuyen are living during a time of war where the Americans and Vietnamese are fighting each other. Tuyen is not exempt. She has killed many Americans but at the order of her brother. He is a sadist who hates Tuyen. Ethan is a good guy who finds himself in a situation as the scape goat for a evil rogue CIA agent. Ethan realizing how dire the situation is, escapes with Tuyen through the jungle on the ride of their lives.

Running with the Enemy is the second book I have read from Mr. Lofthouse. The first was My Splendid Concubine. Mr. Lofthouse really writes with such passion no matter the topic he is writing about. For example in this book, Mr. Lofthouse holds nothing bad. It can get pretty visceral with the characters and their emotions. Also, warning as it does get graphic in regards to rape, killings, and language. So if you can not handle any of these three things than this is not the book for you. However, if you are not easiliy offended by these things then you should check this book out as it will have you rooting for the good guys the whole time. Plus, it is a really quick read that sucks you in until the end. ( )

This book will definitely give you a good idea of life in Vietnam during the war the US fought there. The author definitely has included vivid, entrancing descriptions of the country, the people and the military who served there. Ethan Card is a young Marine who is blamed for a crime he did not commit by a rogue CIA agent and spends the book crisscrossing Asia with his lover Tuyen trying to exonerate himself. This book is a true testament to the soldiers who fought there as well as to the resilient people who lived and live there. The story definitely brought home to me the lives and times of this war. Much of the book is devoted to the soldiers, how they lived, how they felt, what they accomplished. Based on my experience, this is a misunderstood war, and both countries today still suffer from our time there. Books like this one help us all understand what the war and life was really like. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates and enjoys reading about history and the countries and people who are thrown into them, by choice or not. It is an action-filled, intriguing story I will not forget soon. I received this book from Library Thing to read and review. ( )

I think I used this book to mark my spot in the giveaways. When I won "Running With the Enemy" I read the back cover and thought, "oh no, I wouldn't read a Vietnam story." Well, I really enjoyed it. The first chapter sucked me in. Lofthouse writes from the heart and that makes a great story. Happy I won it and read it. ( )

This is a LT Member Giveaway review.

This is a real pulse pounding adventure that is not for the faint of heart. You have a heroic soldier and crazed villains and a satisfying ending. I always like when the easy way is not taken, it leads to a much better read for the hero to overcome his problems with forceful determination. A must read for those that like military adventure. ( )