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Wylie Cypher is a young man who joins the army during the Korean War, intent on becoming a Russian translator and avoiding combat. However, as he proves to be a superior marksman, Wylie gets sent to Korea. Once there, he catches a lucky break and becomes a journalist, writing mostly %E2%80%9Ccolor%E2%80%9D pieces: propaganda to give comfort to the soldiers and their families at home. While in Korea, Wylie falls in love with a young American, Amelia, who is doing work at an orphanage. However, she dies in a fire, and Wylie returns home, sadder and wiser. Margenau clearly has some experience of the Korean War, for the sense of place he creates is strong and true. He also ably fleshes out his supporting characters and brings the disparate elements of his plot to a satisfactory conclusion. However, surprisingly little happens to Wylie in this war novel: he%E2%80%99s a marksman who hardly sees battle and a journalist who never confronts difficult truths. And while this may be an accurate depiction of life inside Korea after the armistice, it doesn%E2%80%99t make for a compelling read.