Book Review: Every Weapon I Had by Col. Paris Davis

Every Weapon I Had is a profoundly moving and long-overdue testament to courage, character, and the quiet resilience of a hero who refused to be erased. In this gripping and emotionally resonant memoir, Col. Paris Davis not only recounts the intensity of battlefield command during the Vietnam War, but also confronts the weight of injustice that shadowed his extraordinary service for decades.

From the first pages, Davis’ voice is clear, humble, and unwavering. He does not flinch from the realities of war—the chaos, the fear, the impossible decisions—but neither does he indulge in bitterness. Instead, he offers readers a powerful meditation on leadership, brotherhood, and moral clarity in the face of both enemy fire and systemic racism.

The heart of the book lies in the harrowing retelling of the June 18th battle at Bong Son. The sheer grit and selflessness Davis displays—refusing to leave the battlefield until his wounded comrades were safe—is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It's the kind of valor we read about in history books, but rarely get to hear in such deeply personal and unfiltered terms.

Equally compelling is the story of Davis’ decades-long wait for recognition. The Medal of Honor, finally awarded in 2023, serves as both a personal and symbolic vindication—not just for Davis, but for the countless others whose contributions were overshadowed by prejudice. This book doesn’t ask for pity or praise; it simply tells the truth. And in doing so, it demands that we reckon with the past, while celebrating the kind of heroism that transcends time.

Every Weapon I Had is more than a war memoir—it’s a story of dignity, perseverance, and purpose. It will stay with you long after the final page, as a reminder of the strength it takes not just to fight a battle, but to live a life of honor when the world refuses to see it.

A must-read.

Every Weapon I Had unfolds as a powerful firsthand account of Col. Paris Davis’s extraordinary courage under fire—and the decades-long battle to have that courage recognized. On June 18, 1965, Davis led a ragtag group of Green Berets and local fighters against a superior Viet Cong force in Bong Son. Seriously wounded, he refused to abandon three fallen soldiers until he’d dragged each to safety. Awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart on the spot, his Medal of Honor nomination was inexplicably shelved—only to be granted 58 years later in 2023, a delayed vindication that speaks volumes about race, history, and the stubborn grip of prejudice in the military ranks.

Narrators Dale Hopper and Joshua Quinn deliver an intimate, nuanced performance that keeps you glued. Hopper’s steady, measured tone grounds the story’s gravest moments, while Quinn’s dynamic shifts pulse through the flashbacks and battlefield sequences. Together, they strike a balance between solemn tribute and gripping drama, making you feel every boot-heel thud and mortar blast without ever veering into melodrama].

Clocking in at 10 hours and 18 minutes, the production moves with a deliberate pace. Sound editing is clean: there’s no unnecessary music or gimmicks—just crisp voice work and well-timed pauses that let the weight of Davis’s words settle. A few chapters briefly slow as they trace military bureaucracy, but these moments actually serve to underscore the absurdity of the decades-long delay in his recognition].

If there’s a weakness, it’s that the narrative occasionally dips into terse military jargon that might trip up non-special-forces listeners. Still, Davis’s raw honesty and the narrators’ heartfelt delivery make those passages forgivable—and even interesting when you lean in to decode the lingo.

For anyone drawn to military memoirs, civil-rights stories, or simply tales of unyielding resilience, Every Weapon I Had is a must-listen. It reminds us that heroism isn’t just the act—it’s the fight that follows, the quest for justice that outlasts the battlefield.

A well written memoir of an American hero!

The book follows Col. (ret) Paris Davis’ military career from ROTC in college through his retirement and to his being awarded with the Medal of Honor. It’s an honest story that details his career as well as his home life. Despite injuries and racism, Davis never wavered in his service.

Finding a new memoir about the Vietnam war is rare. I am so glad he told his story and more people can hear about his great achievements!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military and/or war memoirs!

The narrator of this book was an excellent choice. He infused the story with perfect inflections.

Wow! This is certainly a detailed account of this veteran’s really horrific experiences in battle in Vietnam. The battle details are eye-opening and must have been difficult for the author to re-experience. But to add insult to injury, the racial discrimination that he had to deal with was outrageous. I think that he did a terrific job of portraying everything he went through and especially made clear how important medals and recognition are for military personnel.
I found the author’s story to be very informative and engaging although some readers may certainly be disturbed by the battle details. His story is very straightforward and he alludes to the impact of his experiences on his marriage and relationships but I really thought that the emotional impact was missing from his recounting. The anger was described and definitely justified but I was left wondering what other emotions he surely has to continue to deal with. These details would have made the story more complete and interesting to me.
I listened to the audio version of the book and really had some difficulty with the narrator’s attempts to portray well known people such as JFK, LBJ and Walter Chronkite. These accents and voices were so bad, it was distracting.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

A well-told biography of a true American hero and Medal of Honor awardee. His heroic efforts to his men in Vietnam truly shine as an example of the spirit and perseverance of the soldier. The fight and struggles he faced to be awarded the medal he deserved was horrible. Was it bias against his race or incompetence? One would hope that our leaders would not have knowingly perpetrated this miscarriage of justice and recognition. The book is inspirational and one that should be read by all.

The narrator for this audiobook was fantastic. His voice drew you into the story and made you feel as if you were there. I would definitely listen to more books with this narrator.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I love biographies and I really enjoyed the biography of this great man! I'm so glad he was finally recognized with the Medal of Honor. I wonder how many more weren't because they didn't have a team of people fighting to right this wrong? This story is told in first person, but done well. When he could he used the voices of those there, and read from letters and historical accounts as well. As with all true stories, there were injustices that were never resolved and brokeness that never healed. In this case, the story of one injustice being brought to justice left the audience hanging until the final chapter, but it was well worth the wait.

Loved this story of Paris Davis’ contributions to the war effort in Vietnam. Beyond that it is the story of his remarkable life and the 50+ years needed to finally approve him for the Medal of Honor. Beautiful read in so many ways. Thankful to NetGalley for the read! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.

Every Weapon I Had by Paris Davis
A Vietnam Vet's Long Road to the Medal of Honor
Narrated by Dale Hopper; Joshua Quinn

I appreciate getting to read this book about the career of Colonel Paris Davis. Born into a large black family in Cleveland, Ohio he was driven to work and succeed at a young age. Attending college on an ROTC scholarship, Davis was deployed to Vietnam in 1962 and 1965 and was one of the first African American Special Forces officers, during a time when both the Civil Rights Movement was ramping up in the US and the controversy about the US being involved in Vietnam was growing stronger by the day.

I'm not often able to follow the accountings of battles but Davis's relating of his wartime efforts came across very clearly to me. I could not imagine the physical encounters he was involved in without his very distinct step by step recounting as he led his men through the battle that started on June 18, 1965 in the Bình Định province. The title of this book is not exaggerating, Davis did use every weapon he had, including his fists, to survive the many hours of fighting that took place during this battle. Not only did he keep fighting, he kept working to save his men, refusing to leave behind men when he was already wounded and had the chance to helicopter back to base. That battle was not the only example of his bravery and refusal to quit and leave others behind.

More than once Davis was nominated for the Medal of Honor but the paperwork kept getting "lost". It is thanks to the efforts of a huge number of supporters and those who saw Davis in action first hand that he finally received his Medal of Honor 58 years after his first nomination. This book is so easy to read and it is enlightening to see the Civil Rights Movement through eyes of a man who felt the injustices inflicted on himself and others like him. Davis's sacrifices were not just physical. He had to fight for his career in many ways and had to stand up to the prejudices of those who should have known better rather than be jealous of his military accomplishments.

I'm once again struck by the awe I have for soldiers who have been to war, seen and done all that happens there, and who can come home and function in civilian life again. I know that often they really can't function very well and never are able to put behind them all that they have encountered during their military careers. Just reading Davis's account of what he and his men saw and went through will stick in my mind always and that's just a small part of all that happens somewhere in this world on a daily basis. I am so glad that Colonel Paris Davis received his awards while he is still alive and acknowledge the very long and important effort each person put into making sure that Davis was recognized for his heroic feats.

I read and listened to this book to the very end and appreciate both narrators who allowed us to hear Paris Davis words loud and clear. I'm still going through the notes at the end of the book, looking up people, places and events. Once again, I'm getting a better understanding of the Vietnam war through those who were there, on the ground, in the battles, and behind the scenes. One of my first real memories of how it affected my life personally was attending the funeral of a cousin who died as a medic in this war. I'll never forget the dignity with which his mother accepted the American flag at his funeral.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the audiobook, ebook, and print book of this ARC.