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Read it around 1978-9. Wizard plucks an M-113, about to be RPG-d from the jungles of Vietnam, with its crew and dumps it into a medieval hack and slash land with various non-human races and some magic.

The new king there is near-sighted and wasn't anyone's first pick when his dad died, but he ends up doing a good job. I believe the APC meshes in with the whole war of succession bit.

The US soldiers have a number of adventures, eventually barely kill a dragon (wizard had aimed for a tank, not an APC) and get sent back home, 10 seconds earlier, where they expect the unlucky RPG gunner and nuke his butt.

There was a second book as well, tank commander goes back to live in sword and sorcery land, but I don't think the author did much else after.

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  • 2
    note that the author passed away which explains his lack of output.
    – Italian Philosophers 4 Monica
    Jan 8, 2020 at 15:48
  • Reminds me of the plot of the anime GATE.
    – F1Krazy
    Jan 8, 2020 at 16:02
  • If you haven't read much by Daley, I recommend the Alacrity Fitzhugh trilogy (starting with Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds) and the Black Hole Travel Agency series as well.
    – DavidW
    Jan 8, 2020 at 16:34
  • Interesting to compare this with Heinlein's Glory Road.
    – user2490
    Jan 9, 2020 at 17:20
  • Does this answer your question? Fantasy series where a Vietnam vet is transported to a fantasy land
    – Burgi
    Jan 10, 2020 at 15:26

2 Answers 2

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"The Doomfarers of Coramonde" by Brian Daley. Possibly a duplicate of this question.

The plot is pretty much as you describe along with a sequel, "Starfollowers of Coramonde".

Just yesterday, Sergeant Gil MacDonald and his APC crew had been fending off an ambush in a Viet Nam jungle. In the middle of the firefight, some kind of magic spell had transported them to this Fantasy Land complete with flying dragons, wizards, crazy castles, and dispossessed princes. They would stay trapped here forever unless they could rescue the sorceress Gabrielle. Master magician, Amon, held her captive in his palace; and to reach her, Gil and his men would have to infiltrate Hell itself.

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    that's it! and the dupe call is valid. I looked for M-113 before asking, but the linked question doesn't mention that, though the answer does talk about APC.
    – Italian Philosophers 4 Monica
    Jan 8, 2020 at 4:34
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This is The Doomfarers of Coramonde (1977) by Brian Daley.

Cover of The Doomfarers of Coramonde

The blurb on the back cover:

MISSION TO HELL

Gil MacDonald cursed in disgust.

Twenty-four hours ago, he and his men had been fighting off an ambush in a Viet Nam jungle. Now, thanks to some kind of magic spell, they were in the middle of this Fantasy Land that was filled with flying dragons, wizards, crazy castles and dispossessed princes.

They were trapped here permanently, too -- unless they could rescue the sorceress Gabrielle from the clutches of the master magician Amon. She was being held captive in Amon's palace; and Amon's palace was in Hell itself!

So all they had to do was find a way into the Inferno, battle Amon and all his monstrous minions, and them somehow escape with the sorceress. Sweet!

But unless they did it - and did it quickly - they were doomed to stay in Fantasy Land forever!

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