Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat

James McDonough recounts his service as an infantry platoon leader in Vietnam, where he led soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade after graduating from West Point. Thrust into command of young men in hard, close fighting, he learns to lead through dangerous patrols and difficult decisions. The memoir focuses on the small-unit level, where a few dozen soldiers depend on one officer's judgment, and follows his growth from an inexperienced lieutenant into a seasoned leader. Written by a former officer, it offers a close view of combat, responsibility and the personal toll of war as seen from the middle ranks of the army.