Young men flew off to Vietnam, alone. They grew up-fast-and, if lucky survived the first encounters with a battle-hardened enemy. Lieutenant Taylor expected the adventure of his life, and got it when he found himself, one other American, and a handful of ARVN soldiers in the midst of the Tet General Offensive- counterattacking their own city in the muddy Mekong.
Captain Taylor survived his battles, returned home, only to fall in love, and have his marriage severely tested by orders to return immediately to Vietnam. This time he commanded a company in the 1/7 Cavalry in a different scenario. He and his men fought a good fight while wrestling with the challenges of the times.  In Prodigals: A Vietnam Story, author Richard Taylor relates a compelling story of war and love, doubts, fears, and courage. His entrancing account of soldiers who face a ruthless enemy, while worrying about the direction of their country, dramatically depicts the human side of war.

Colonel Richard Taylor, retired, served in Army cavalry, ranger, and airborne units, as an educator, and in military-diplomatic assignments in Africa, Brussels, and Manila. And Defense/State diplomatic advisor assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has written for many military publications. Prodigals is his first book.Colonel (US Army, Retired) Richard Taylor writes of love and war. "Prodigals: A Vietnam Story," an autobiography, was published by Casemate in 2003 and the manuscript was a winner at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, then a featured selection of the Military Book Club. "Homeward Bound: American Veterans Return from War, a comprehensive veterans history, was first published by Greenwood Press (ABC-CLIO) in 2007, then republished by the Naval Institute Press in 2009 as a featured selection of the Association of the US Army. It was one source for the PBS four part series "American Veteran" in 2021. His current hits are the Eden Trilogy-Eden Lost, Return to Eden, and Almost Eden.