The Greatest Beer Run Ever [Movie Tie-In]: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War

Description

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY PETER FARRELLY, STARRING ZAC EFRON AND RUSSELL CROWE!

Instant New York Times Bestseller

Instant USA Today Bestseller

"Chickie takes us thousands of miles on a hilarious quest laced with sorrow, but never dull. You will laugh and cry, but you will not be sorry that you read this rollicking story."--Malachy McCourt

A wildly entertaining, feel-good memoir of an Irish-American New Yorker and former U.S. marine who embarked on a courageous, hare-brained scheme to deliver beer to his pals serving Vietnam in the late 1960s.


One night in 1967, twenty-six-year-old John Donohue--known as Chick--was out with friends, drinking in a New York City bar. The friends gathered there had lost loved ones in Vietnam. Now, they watched as anti-war protesters turned on the troops themselves.

One neighborhood patriot came up with an inspired--some would call it insane--idea. Someone should sneak into Vietnam, track down their buddies there, give them messages of support from back home, and share a few laughs over a can of beer.

It would be the Greatest Beer Run Ever.

But who'd be crazy enough to do it?

One man was up for the challenge--a U. S. Marine Corps veteran turned merchant mariner who wasn't about to desert his buddies on the front lines when they needed him.

Chick volunteered.

A day later, he was on a cargo ship headed to Vietnam, armed with Irish luck and a backpack full of alcohol. Landing in Qui Nho'n, Chick set off on an adventure that would change his life forever--an odyssey that took him through a series of hilarious escapades and harrowing close calls, including the Tet Offensive. But none of that mattered if he could bring some cheer to his pals and show them how much the folks back home appreciated them.

This is the story of that epic beer run, told in Chick's own words and those of the men he visited in Vietnam.

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272 pages

Average rating: 7.18

39 RATINGS

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2 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

JShrestha
Aug 25, 2023
2/10 stars
This reads like you're at a dive bar listening to a old vet barfly. He's recalling a tale of his hay day where you question their reality because their description of the war is a bit distant and disassociated. He describes everyone as if we already know them so it's hard to relate to anyone. It's very non-chalant, matter-of-fact, and straight to the point. He wanted to have a beer with his neighbours who were at war abroad so he just got up and went within the week. He meets his buddies (easier than meeting people who live in the same town) who also get called out for exaggerated stories and he's the proof their tales from home is true. I disliked that the emotions of the war is an after thought in the added pages at the end, it should have been apart of the story to add to the realism of the danger of his journey.
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Awalker
May 09, 2023
7/10 stars
Book is fun and educational
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