Novel about Vietnam veteran wins $5,000 William Colby prize
A novel about a Marine’s time in Vietnam and his struggles back home has won a $5,000 prize
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A novel about a Marine's time in Vietnam and his struggles back home has won a $5,000 prize. Mark Treanor's “A Quiet Cadence” is this year's recipient of the William E. Colby Award for best debut book, fiction or nonfiction, military history, foreign policy or intelligence operations.
Treanor is a Vietnam veteran who has a long career in public service, including as chairman to the advisory committee to the Import-Export Bank and and vice chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy. He is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum.
Previous winners of the Colby award, named for the late CIA director, include James Bradley's “Flags of Our Fathers,” Karl Marlantes' “Matterhorn” and Adam Higginbotham's “Midnight in Chernobyl.”
“I’m thrilled to have been chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Colby Award; it is a great honor to join the company of the distinguished writers who have been prior recipients,” Treanor said in a statement. “And, it is truly gratifying that the judges chose a novel which explores the realities of combat and its postwar impact on our troops.”