Saigon Commandos Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order for Saigon Commandos

For the best reading experience, the Saigon Commandos series should be read in its original publication order. The narrative tracks the escalation of the Vietnam War and the experiences of the 716th Military Police Battalion chronologically, making any deviation confusing for character arcs and overall continuity. Below is the complete listing of all twelve novels in their recommended reading order:

1. Saigon Commandos (1983) – The series opener introduces ex-Green Beret Sergeant Mark Stryker as he takes command of the 716th MPs. Stryker and his team find themselves fighting a multi-front battle against street murderers, American military deserters, black market corruption, and Viet Cong saboteurs in the chaotic alleys of Saigon.
2. Code Zero Shots Fired (1984) – The tension escalates as a series of drug-related murders breaks out. Stryker’s military police team must track down the source of a lethal heroin smuggling ring that goes higher up the chain of command than anyone suspected.
3. Dinky Dau Death (1984) – Diving deep into the seedy underbelly of Saigon's bar district, the MPs search for a psychotic killer targeting both military personnel and locals, navigating a web of espionage and local crime syndicates.
4. Cherry Boy Body Bag (1984) – New recruits ("cherry boys") arrive in the combat zone, immediately facing the harsh realities of survival. The MPs investigate a string of suspicious deaths that suggest someone within the camp might be targeting their own men.
5. Boonie-Rat Body Burning (1984) – Conflict arises between frontline infantrymen ("boonie-rats") and the city-bound MPs. When a series of arson incidents and brutal retaliatory crimes threaten to tear the military presence apart from the inside, Stryker must restore order.
6. Di Di Mau or Die (1984) – With tension building across the city, the MPs are forced to go on the offensive. This action-packed entry focuses on high-stakes street combat and quick evacuations as the Viet Cong ramp up guerrilla operations within the city limits.
7. Sac Mau, Victor Charlie (1985) – The lines between ally and enemy blur completely as Stryker's patrol uncovers a complex spy network operating right under the noses of high-ranking American officials.
8. You Die, Du Ma! (1985) – Highlighting the raw, profane, and authentic language of the era, this volume follows the MPs as they deal with a major civilian riot and an outbreak of violence in the local districts.
9. Mad Minute (1985) – A pivotal volume in the series that served as the primary basis for the 1988 movie adaptation. Stryker is framed for the murder of his own commanding officer while investigating a major heroin ring and political corruption.
10. Torturers of Tet (1986) – The opening volume of the series' climactic Tet Offensive trilogy. Using real military police radio transcripts from the period, this book depicts the beginning of the massive 1968 offensive as Saigon is overwhelmed.
11. Hollowpoint Hell (1986) – The second part of the Tet trilogy follows the MPs fighting block-by-block through Saigon's burning streets to reclaim key installations from Viet Cong commandos.
12. Suicide Squad (1986) – The final book in the series and the conclusion of the Tet trilogy. Stryker and the surviving members of the 716th Battalion engage in a desperate final stand to secure the city and protect the civilian population in the bloody aftermath of the offensive.

Publication Order vs. Chronological Order

Unlike many long-running military adventure series, there is no conflict between publication order and chronological order in Saigon Commandos. The series starts in 1967 during the lead-up to the Tet Offensive and progresses steadily through the historic events of early 1968. Reading the books out of order will disrupt the development of recurring characters like Sgt. Mark Stryker and Private Nick Uhernik, as well as the historical progression of the Vietnam War itself.

What to Know Before You Start

Saigon Commandos is not your typical military fiction series that focuses solely on frontline infantry combat. Instead, it reads like a gritty police procedural crossed with a war novel. Author Nicholas Cain, writing under the pseudonym Jonathan Cain, drew heavily from his real-life experiences as a volunteer military policeman with the 716th MP Battalion in Saigon between 1972 and 1973. Although he set the books in 1967–1968 to capture the war's most intense period, the procedures, radio codes, jargon, and geographical details are exceptionally accurate.

Readers should expect a raw, unfiltered depiction of the era. The books do not shy away from the dark realities of the Vietnam War, including military corruption, drug addiction, racial tensions, and the moral ambiguities of policing a war zone. If you enjoy television series like Hill Street Blues or classic pulp action-adventure paperbacks, this series blends those styles perfectly.

Spin-Offs, Spiritual Successors, and Co-Authored Works

While Saigon Commandos officially ended with its twelfth volume in 1986, Nicholas Cain continued to write military and action fiction. Readers looking for similar material should check out his other works:

• The Little Saigon Series: Beginning in 1989 with Abel's War, this four-book series serves as a thematic spiritual successor. It follows Luke Abel, a former Vietnam MP sergeant turned Department of Justice task force lieutenant, tackling gang violence in Southern California's Little Saigon. The series includes Abel's War (1989), Death for Sale (1989), Street Tricks (1989), and Off Limits (1989).
• The Chopper-1 Series: Written under the pseudonym Jack Hawkins, this series follows helicopter crew members during the Vietnam War, maintaining the same level of grit and historical realism.
• The War Dogs Series: Published under the pen name Nik Uhernik, this series follows specialized military canine units in combat.
• Able Team: Nicholas Cain also contributed three novels to the popular Gold Eagle action series Able Team under the house name Dick Stivers.

The 1988 Film Adaptation

The cult status of the books led to a 1988 film adaptation titled Saigon Commandos, directed by Clark Henderson. Screenwriter Thomas McKelvey Cleaver adapted the script primarily from the ninth book in the series, Mad Minute. Shot in the Philippines, the movie stars Richard Young as Sgt. Mark Stryker and P.J. Soles as journalist Jean Lassiter. It follows Stryker's struggle to clear his name of a framed murder charge while uncovering a massive heroin smuggling operation. Although it was a direct-to-video release in the United States, it remains a beloved relic of late-80s action cinema for fans of the books.