Saigon, 1968 -Crossroads on the Darkling Plain of War Gordon Hunter begins his tour of duty and soon encounters the very real war behind the images on the evening news ... the Marine with a twisted heart ... the soldier who has seen too much and goes sane ... the boy who must grow up too soon ... the old Buddhist ennobled by his suffering ... the enchanting Vietnamese girl who conceals a bitter secret. Unconventional in structure, Darkling Plain is a novel-like series of short stories revealing the impact of the Vietnam War on a young American.