Letter: Called to book

I THINK it was an error of judgment, if not disgraceful, that Karl Marlantes, author of the much-hyped Vietnam shoot-em-up Matterhorn was chosen to open the Edinburgh Book Festival.

As an author, my comment describing the book as "cartoon war porn of the lowest sort" has been widely repeated in the media - and I have no regrets about describing it as such.

Challenged recently by a reporter with my accusation that Matterhorn was "war porn", Marlantes responded in a manner that was utterly chilling: "If you're absolutely truthful about it, there's a part of all us that really likes violence and killing, but very few of us ever have to confront that …so if somebody has a thrill reading the novel, they're getting what a real soldier would get. It's a horrible experience but, within that, if you come out alive, believe me, you feel happy."

I served as a Special Forces officer in Vietnam and can truthfully say that the toughest, the bravest and most combat-experienced soldiers were those who hated violence and killing the most. Maybe it was different in the Marines.

EDWARD WILSON

Church Cottages

Chediston, Halesworth