Asphalt and Blood

A Novel of Seabees in Vietnam

Fiction - Military
481 Pages
Reviewed on 09/02/2016
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Warren Bell is an award-winning Indie Author who served almost 29 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His debut novel, Fall Eagle One, was selected as a Semifinalist in Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012. The Indie Bookstore later named Fall Eagle One the Best Indie Action/Adventure Novel of the Year.

Warren's second novel, Hold Back The Sun, appeared on the Amazon Kindle Historical Fiction/Asia Bestseller list soon after publication in 2013 and has consistently remained there. His third novel, Asphalt and Blood, was published late in 2014. An action/adventure about Seabees in Vietnam, Asphalt and Blood received a Pinnacle Book Excellence Award from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs. His fourth novel, Snowflakes in July, takes place in the turbulent 1970s, a spy thriller about domestic terrorism.

Warren is by nature a storyteller. He gained familiarity with many areas of the world during a long career in the U.S. Navy, which included two deployments during the Vietnam War with a Seabee battalion. He has since traveled in several countries in Europe. A World War II buff, Warren enjoys researching and writing about the exploits of the U.S. Armed Forces. Warren lives with his wife and editor, Annette, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

What can I say? Asphalt and Blood by Warren Bell is awesome! The attention to detail is something every veteran and most civilians will appreciate immensely. I know I did. Don’t get me wrong; there is a lot of action, but it is skillfully interspersed with details of history, technical data, and tactical requirements. The characters are very realistically portrayed and we get to see American soldiers in an environment that most Americans can’t even imagine. These men make the politics and history of this conflict come alive in a very personal and compelling narrative. The Vietnam Conflict is a very controversial war in American history, but the American men who fought it are not controversial at all. They were heroes doing their jobs in a foreign land, and every American should read their stories before we forget what the fuss was all about.

Asphalt and Blood starts with a wild helicopter ride on the eve of the legendary TET offensive. The scene and the soldiers are written in a way that leaves no doubt in my mind that Warren Bell has experienced such a ride. I know this because I have and that first chapter brought back a lot of memories. Asphalt and Blood is skillfully written and the sequence of scenes and events is organized, easy to follow, and a pleasure to read. This is one of the best books on the Vietnam War that I have ever read and I wish I had read it sooner. Do yourself a favor and buy it today. Great job!