Mekong Covenant: A Novel of the Vietnam War (The Jonah Wynchester Series)

Rich Wall introduces us to his main character, Jonah Wynchester, in vol. I of his novel JONAH’S CATHEDRAL which whet our reading appetites for more which he delivered in vol. II, MEKONG COVENANT, and now we eagerly await vol. III, which we hope will be forthcoming in the near future. Richard Wall knows of what he writes having served on an old WW II LST in the U.S. Navy’s Brown Water Navy in Vietnam. I too served time on one of these old LST’s in Vietnam and his writing brings back a lot of old memories. The heat and sweat of the South China Sea, the close relationships of one’s shipmates, moments of boredom then fast paced terrifying moment are all there. His main character, Jonah Wynchester, GM2, takes us with him in his fascinating life aboard ship. This is a great read that keeps one up late into the night. Let us hope that this exciting new series will continue through many volumes. Frank McDonald

Seasick? Skip chapter 1 of ‘Mekong Covenant’. Never been to an onsen? After visiting with Jonah Wynchester, you’ll be booking a flight to Japan. Wall hits his stride in the second volume of the Wynchester series. With exquisite writing and language, Wall brings Everyman Jonah into his own as he sails to the Mekong delta on his current barque. Reminiscent of Kurtz and his rivet compulsion, Wynchester navigates his way through the terrors of the unknown Viet Nam experiences; the almost known liberty in Honolulu, and later the mystical onsen in Japan. This is a character we want to get to know better and a series with serious staying power. This is an author to watch. Rumor has it that Wall is penning Volume 3; but I can’t pre-order yet. Dang.

book one was a total misleading cover and hype .. not at all about LST in the delta ,, so I figured book two would be the ticket .. wrong again ... five Pinocchio's, as they say

Mekong Covenant is the 2nd book in a series of Vietnam novels, the first being Jonah’s Cathedral, by R.D. Wall. As a member of the U.S. Navy, in Vietnam, these novels accurately portray the trials & tribulations of life on a US Navy warship.....I was there, as was the author. The third book, China Sea Anthem, is due in 2019. You should read these 3 books in order as the sailors are portrayed throughout and their journey is continually exciting. My wife was totally drawn to R.D. Wall’s books as well. She learned so much more about her husbands life as a young veteran (me) at war......not something that was ever easy to share or describe.

I thoroughly enjoyed R.D. Walls book, "Mekong Covenant." It is the first book I have seen that has highlighted the essential role played by LSTs in the Vietnam conflict. They were blue water ships who did brown water duty in the rivers, deltas and coastal areas. I served on a similar ship from 1965 to 1968 and visited many of the places mentioned in the novel, including Chu Lai and Can Tho. Wall perfectly captures not only the atmosphere of place, but also the subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, social impact of 100 men of 2 rigidly separate castes, officers and enlisted men, confined to a 350'X50' steel home for an extended period. I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking another little known aspect of the Vietnam War, or just a well written read.

Really took me back to shipboard life. You can feel it, smell it, taste it. Must read for old navy salts. Glenn usn '66-'70

A pleasure to read! Enjoy books from this author