Tree of Smoke Summary
Denis Johnson

Tree of Smoke Overview

In “Tree of Smoke,” William “Skip” Sands and his Uncle, Colonel Frances Xavier Sands, are members of the CIA working to gather intelligence in Vietnam while young Americans, including James and Bill Houston, fight the Vietcong. The story follows dozens of characters as they live, fight, and sometimes die. When Colonel Sands dies, Skip winds up dealing in arms and is eventually hanged for his crimes.