Song Ba To

Song Ba To is a novel of combat set at the ragged end of the Vietnam War. Three officers, a young artillery forward observer, a battle-weary company commander and an infantry battalion commander to eager to make his mark, struggle over the loyalty and lives of the men as some of the fiercest battles of the war play out. Larry Solie, who served in Vietnam with the author, says, "I loved the book. Grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go! Vivid imagery, yet dark in content, seems no one escaped unscathed. Talk about flashback time."

Drew Mendelson was an artillery 1st lieutenant in Vietnam, on whose combat experiences much of the novel was based. Since the war, Drew has been a labor journalist, chief writer for Gov. Gray Davis and then for the Calif. Senate Democratic Caucus and speechwriter and senior policy advisor for two California State Treasurers. He makes his home with his wife and four children in Elk Grove, CA, where he is at work on his next Vietnam War novel, "A Shepherd to Fools."