Book Review Time
Jun. 6th, 2005 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
Just blazed through Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. I guess Annie's reading habits are rubbing off on me, this is a Young Adult book...although frankly, I don't remember so many cuss words in my Young Adult fiction as a Young Adult.
Anyway, it follows the story of a young high school graduate who joins the Army in the late 1960's and get's sent off to Vietnam -- just in time for Tet. The usual "War is Hell" kinda book. Although the events in the book seem to mirror the experiences of real soldiers, I have a preference for the real thing over fictionalized accounts. Still, the story pretty much nails the whole "and we're here because why exactly?" feeling soldiers experienced.
It makes me wonder if there are any accounts of the Viet Cong or NVA experience during the war. When you read the accounts of US Soldiers, there's a lot of stuff going through their minds and a lot of fear even when they possess overwhelming amounts of firepower. But for the VC or NVA trooper, were things really that much different? Did they dread being caught under artillery or aerial bombardment? Did they fear the day the way US troopers feared the night? Did they worry about the atrocities of war (those they caused and those the US caused)? I'm sure there was a fair amount of "no one's going to conquer us" mentality that gave them more comfort than US troopers might have had, but still, it couldn't have been very easy on them.
later
Tom
Just blazed through Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. I guess Annie's reading habits are rubbing off on me, this is a Young Adult book...although frankly, I don't remember so many cuss words in my Young Adult fiction as a Young Adult.
Anyway, it follows the story of a young high school graduate who joins the Army in the late 1960's and get's sent off to Vietnam -- just in time for Tet. The usual "War is Hell" kinda book. Although the events in the book seem to mirror the experiences of real soldiers, I have a preference for the real thing over fictionalized accounts. Still, the story pretty much nails the whole "and we're here because why exactly?" feeling soldiers experienced.
It makes me wonder if there are any accounts of the Viet Cong or NVA experience during the war. When you read the accounts of US Soldiers, there's a lot of stuff going through their minds and a lot of fear even when they possess overwhelming amounts of firepower. But for the VC or NVA trooper, were things really that much different? Did they dread being caught under artillery or aerial bombardment? Did they fear the day the way US troopers feared the night? Did they worry about the atrocities of war (those they caused and those the US caused)? I'm sure there was a fair amount of "no one's going to conquer us" mentality that gave them more comfort than US troopers might have had, but still, it couldn't have been very easy on them.
later
Tom
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no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 12:03 pm (UTC)Strangely, Vietnam was a lot like that in many respects.
If you put your foot down THERE, go to page 37
If you put your foot down OVER THERE instead, go to page 34
no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 12:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 01:58 pm (UTC)Nah dude,
Page 34: Suddenly your foot is in excruciating pain. You've impaled yourself on a shit-covered punji stake! You're screaming in an unearthly wail of agony. A medivac is called in. Roll a single die and subtract one if you're with LT. NEWGUY.
If you roll a 1 OR 2 turn to page 37
If you roll a 3 OR 4 turn to page 45
If you roll a 5 OR 6 turn to page 71
no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 02:42 pm (UTC)http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1573225436/ref=pd_sxp_f/103-2412063-9944661?v=glance&s=books
And really way way more links to things written about the war than you're ever likely to pursue:
http://www.vva.org/about_the_war.htm
Many of the referenced writings have input from NVA regulars and irregulars.
--wex
no subject
Date: 2005-06-09 10:45 pm (UTC)keep meaning to drop you a line and failing....
-k