Written shortly after William Eastlake's return from Vietnam where he was a reporter for Nation magazine, The Bamboo Bed was one of the first novels to proclaim the insanity of the Vietnam War. The plot revolves around Captain Clancy, who - mortally wounded while leading a charge up Ridge Red Boy - lies dying in a bamboo bed. His final thoughts about the war are juxtaposed against the escapades of Captain Knightbridge and Nurse Jane of the Search & Rescue Unit, who copulate in their helicopter - the "Bamboo Bed" - at 10,000 feet, setting a wartime record. Down below, two hippie kids wander the jungle trying to end the Vietnam War with a dream and a guitar.