I did not expect to find Max Boot’s book as impressive as I did. I approached the work with an open mind but anticipated a revised history of the war. Instead, his documented details rang true with so much of what I experienced on the ground in Vietnam. The author’s thoroughness in deciphering the decision making behind the war, including the personalities of the powerful men responsible for them, exhibited a sensitivity rare for one who was not involved directly with the war. As a veteran who still seeks understanding of how and why the war took on the dimensions that it did, I appreciate such a detailed work of scholarship.
Moral injury
The Sorrow of War (Bao Ninh)
A great war novel taps into the universal tragedy that runs deeper than any biased account of heroics on one side versus evil soldiers on the other. At the heart of war is a haunting ache that festers long after the acts of brutality necessary for survival cease. War taints the soul. It goes deeper than the “kill or be killed” rationale that many believe absolves participants of blame. It is not that simple.
Poisoned Jungle book launch (September 12)
Many thanks to those who attended the Edmonton book launch of Poisoned Jungle on September 12. Thirty-five arrived despite a cool and overcast day. The rain that fell lightly earlier in the morning lifted and allowed the event to proceed. Held outside due to Covid-19 considerations where social distancing could be followed, the crowd fit nicely into the yard of Kimberley and Henry Howard. A special thanks to them for hosting the event.
A shared experience
Both friends also wrote about the war. In Gene’s case, I have an unpublished manuscript that I find brilliant. Broader in scope than the Vietnam War, through a series of thematically related short stories, he connects the diversity of the lives in his pieces to the broader consequences of war. Interspersed with biographical details of his own life, a broad number of voices, diverse on the surface, flow together as a woven tapestry.