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77th out of 99 books
—
98 voters
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
More than twenty-five years after the official end of the Vietnam War, Dear America allows us to witness the war firsthand through the eyes of the men and women who served in Vietnam. In this collection of more than 200 letters, they share their first impressions of the rigors of life in the bush, their longing for home and family, their emotions over the conduct of the wa...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
May 17th 2002
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1986)
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This book was a real tear jerker. It is made up of letters written home by the American GIs that served there. It is unique in that it was written from the perspective of the soldiers that served there. Most of them are very graphic, leaving very little to the imagination. The letters are organized into eight chapters, which are topical in nature. The letters cover nearly every aspect of the war in all of its grim and gory detail. They are all followed by a short blurb about the author, i.e. whe...more
This is definitely a more interesting take on the vietnam war than a straight history book.
The interesting thing about this book is that after each letter it tells you the fate of the soldier who wrote it. So sometimes theres a letter of the "USA USA, I killed 20 gook commies yesterday and I'm damn proud of it. I'm reenlisting" variety which is followed up by a " ______ Is now president of an investment banking firm in New York". And sometimes there is a "Dammnit why did I have to get drafted? T...more
The interesting thing about this book is that after each letter it tells you the fate of the soldier who wrote it. So sometimes theres a letter of the "USA USA, I killed 20 gook commies yesterday and I'm damn proud of it. I'm reenlisting" variety which is followed up by a " ______ Is now president of an investment banking firm in New York". And sometimes there is a "Dammnit why did I have to get drafted? T...more
I thought the book was very good. It was different, but good. The book was basically just a collection of letters from hundreds of soldiers during the vietnam war. What i really liked about it was that some of the letters were from the same people, so you could kind of follow the solider’s and really get get a good perspective of what it was like over there. The letters where divided up into different chapters in the book based on what the soldier was doing at the time, for example, there would...more
Much has been made of the Vietnam War being the first shown to the American public on television and in relatively uncensored photographs, so maybe it's that narrative that prompts this feeling, but: as touching and painful as these letters are, they simply aren't as powerful alone as the HBO special (same name) for which the letters, read by actors, provide the only narrative over film and pictures of the war and the boys (the children) who fought it. I will finish reading this, and I will cont...more
this collection is incomparably moving and utterly compelling. it was adapted for the stage when i was in high school, and on opening night we had a large number of vietnam veterans in the audience. following the performance, we met privately with them, and we all sat stunned as grown men wept hysterically on account of the memories it brought back for them, as many of the veterans were the same age we were at the time of the performance when they first saw combat overseas. it was in that moment...more
I love to just walk around in book stores and look for treasures. I found this book in Half Price Books, and I knew I had hit gold.
I was just a little bit younger than the guys that served in Vietnam. However, I have worked with, and known, too many of them to count. This book gave an insight into their world that I had never been privileged with until now. I respect and appreciate these wonderful Americans of my generation.
I was just a little bit younger than the guys that served in Vietnam. However, I have worked with, and known, too many of them to count. This book gave an insight into their world that I had never been privileged with until now. I respect and appreciate these wonderful Americans of my generation.
This book is not for the faint hearted, but what could paint a more accurate picture of war than the letters of soldiers. They range from hopeful and beautiful to heart rending. You’ll find yourself smiling at the tenacity of the human spirit, and alternately crying at the futility of it all sometimes. The letters are fair in their representation of the men (and occasional woman) that served our nation, and fair in representation of the Vietnam. There are letters from soldiers writing about the...more
This book is a compilation of letters (and some poems) written by Americans in Vietnam during the war. Each letter is followed by a brief description of when the person served and either what they were doing at the time of publication, or how old they were when they were killed. It was sad to read comments about these guy's future plans only to find out that they never made it that far. However I found it very interesting to read about the varying thoughts that went through these young men's (an...more
Nov 03, 2012
Trevor
marked it as to-read
Saw the play called Letters Home which was about Iraq. I was so moved by the soldiers' stories that I would like to hear more of the day to day thoughts of the people who risk, and often lose, their lives fighting for freedom so far from home. Thank you soldiers for what you give and for sharing the experience so openly with those who easily forget that you are human and that there is a toll on those who fight and protect.
This is one of the very few books where I've both read the book and watched the movie. Both were equally powerful. One of the most difficult things to do is to stand in another man's shoes. That's what reading this book felt like. Men sharing parts of what serving in Vietnam was like through letters written home; many of them letters they never expected to be published. Another part of history that has touched me for a very long time.
This book takes a long hard look at wartime and how if affects the soldiers living it. Each chapter filled with letters that have a specific theme, be prepared to cry, cringe, and cheer your way through it. It made me more grateful for the sacrifices made by not only the soldiers during war, but their families as well.
Provacative book that reveals the humanity, horror, redemption, and a cry for peace within a war that is often kept locked inside the minds and imaginations of those who served. Highly recommended.
The end gets me...you will cry your eyes out. A great book for students to read about the Vietnam War. Students like the documentary as well.
i loved reading this. getting the true words and thoughts of the men and women who served at that time. very well put together.
Compelling...watch the now decades-old film companion. The combo may be too much for some, but the same grim tale is told.
The last letter breaks my heart every time. I carry that mother's message with me always and turn to it in time of loss.
The book is exactly what the title says -- actual letters home written by the men -- boys, really -- who served on the front lines of Vietnam. After each letter there is biographical information about the writer, including his fate.
The letters are so honest and compelling, and so wrenching that I can hardly wait to get to the end to see the author's fate. And there's the double-edged sword -- it's heartening to read that he came home, heartbreaking to read that he was killed in combat.
Collecti...more
The letters are so honest and compelling, and so wrenching that I can hardly wait to get to the end to see the author's fate. And there's the double-edged sword -- it's heartening to read that he came home, heartbreaking to read that he was killed in combat.
Collecti...more
Powerful stuff.
Loaned to me by Hong-My Basrai, whose family was imprisoned for seven years after the fall of Saigon.
Loaned to me by Hong-My Basrai, whose family was imprisoned for seven years after the fall of Saigon.
I read this many years ago and it was heart wrenching and a real eye opener.
The story kept my attention all the way. The relationships were interesting.
Aug 08, 2011
Randal Miles
added it
incredibly sad/beautiful
Read this, do it now.
great stuff
Moving, sad, but a must read if you lived during the Vietnam war. Any war is heartbreaking. A reminder of why wars should not be fought. So many young lives lost, most under 20.
This is a really bare-bones book. At the beginning of each chapter is a description of the letters contained therein (last letters home, "cherries", etc), and a little bit of melodrama. But after that, it's just letters home, with very helpful footnotes as to who each soldier was, what became of them, and where they are "now" (the book was published a while ago) if they survived the war. Very straightforward, and very, very moving.
Powerful!
Absolutely no words can describe exactly how this book made me feel. Not having much knowledge on the Vietnam war, this book really opened my eyes and my heart - it really made me feel something, just reading these simple letters home. I'm very, very glad I read this book.
Started reading this book on my summer vacation and couldn't put it down. I was sitting in this beautiful beach house, crying my eyes out at times because of the stories these letters told. A great book to read if you want to hear some of the real stories from the war.
I read this in the 6th grade when I was obsessed with the Vietnam war. Reading the letters sent home will tear your heart out. It gives an individual and human voice to those who are often thought of as a collective, rather than real people who lead real lives.
This book is incredibly powerful. It is a compilation of correspondence sent home from soldiers serving in Vietnam. To read their thoughts, desires, concerns, passions, etc. with the understanding of the circumstances underwhich they wrote them is very impressive.
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Sep 11, 2012 09:53am
Sep 11, 2012 08:04pm