Chapters 1 through 8 Summary

Ben Tyson is on a train bound for his work when a book being read by a fellow commuter catches his eye. The book, "Hue: Death of a City," describes the actions of Tyson's platoon on a particular day during a battle in Hue, a Vietnamese city. The author, Andrew Picard, cites two unnamed members of Tyson's platoon and an unnamed nun as his sources of information. Tyson immediately realizes that the story is the account of the murders of several civilians by American troops under his command, and knows that under military law he can be held accountable for those crimes. Tyson, typically dedicated to his job as a corporate executive, arrives at the office after having read some of the book. He is preoccupied and tells his secretary to cancel his appointments for the day, leaves the office and...