Maverick

Retired U.S. Army major Marvicsin served two tours in Vietnam piloting Hueys and Cobras, providing close-air support, rescuing trapped patrols and performing other hazardous duties. He also spent time in a North Vietnamese ``tiger cage,'' and the vague account of that experience is the only disappointing element in an otherwise riveting memoir. In a rough-talking, sometimes hilarious narrative voice, Marvicsin and freelance writer Greenfield take the reader through helicopter training in the States and into combat, then pile on hair-raising reports, like the one about the major's being forced down in a minefield during a battle between ARVN and NVA forces. Maverick (a nom de guerre) regarded himself as a ``playful lad living in the wonderful world of weapons.'' But there's more to the book than youthful swagger: Marvicsin recalls movingly his reaction to the terrifying situations in which he found himself and the horrifying things he witnessed. This is one of the best personal accounts to come out of the Vietnam War. (Oct.)