This is sci-fi, a la Heinlein. I'm not a big fan of the sci-fi as metaphor genre, and this is a definite example. In reality, this is a novel about the Vietnam War, and although it was enormously popular when published, I found it irritatingly old-fashioned in its heroic depiction of the main character and the ease by which major things tend to happen in the plot.
I couldn't finish it, and found myself flipping through the last three quarters!
