Once upon a time there was a war . . . and a young American who thought of himself as the Quiet American and the Ugly American, and who wished to be neither, who wanted instead to be the Wise American, or the Good American, but who eventually came to witness himself as the Real American and finally as simply the Fucking American. That's me.
This is the story of Skip Sands—spy-in-training, engaged in Psychological Operations against the Vietcong—and the disasters that befall him thanks to his famous uncle, a war hero known in intelligence circles simply as the Colonel. This is also the story of the Houston brothers, Bill and James, young men who drift out of the Arizona desert into a war in which the line between disinformation and delusion has blurred away. In its vision of human folly, and its gritty, sympathetic portraits of men and women desperate for an end to their loneliness, whether in sex or death or by the grace of God, this is a story like nothing in our literature.
Tree of Smoke is Denis Johnson's first full-length novel in nine years, and his most gripping, beautiful, and powerful work to date.
Tree of Smoke is the 2007 National Book Award Winner for Fiction.
- Just Added eBooks
- New York Times Notable Books of 2021
- Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
- Rainbow Reads - Fiction
- Rainbow Reads - Nonfiction
- Always Available
- Black Voices
- In the Garden
- Available Now - No Hold List!
- Get Hooked!: Series Starters
- Anti-Racism and Social Justice
- Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous
- Smart People Read Dummies® Books!
- See all
- No Wait Audiobooks!
- Just Added Audiobooks
- Black Voices
- Get Hooked!: Series Starters
- Now Available From Recorded Books!
- Anti-Racism and Social Justice
- The Outlander Series: Now On Audio!
- Listen to the Stars!
- Available now
- New audiobook additions
- All Titles
- New teen additions
- Most popular
- See all
- Popular Magazines
- Cooking & Food
- Home & Garden
- Fashion
- News & Politics
- Celebrity
- Sports
- Business & Finance
- Science
- Kids & Teens
- Tech & Gaming
- Cars & Motorcycles
- Family & Parenting
- See all