What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dragon Soldier's Good Fortune
An ancient king of Vietnam commanded his subjects to cover their arms and thighs with dragon tattoos. The accepted belief of the time was that the Dragon Spirit protected farmers against evil spirits in their rice paddies.
In 1971, Private Ed Lansky seeks protection from a different form of evil, “Something” to guide him through his year in country. Each time the war tries to kill him or burden him with guilt, the dragon appears, guarding and guiding him. A weight lifts from his soul as he discovers the power of the Dragon Spirit…his Warrior Shield.
In 1971, Private Ed Lansky seeks protection from a different form of evil, “Something” to guide him through his year in country. Each time the war tries to kill him or burden him with guilt, the dragon appears, guarding and guiding him. A weight lifts from his soul as he discovers the power of the Dragon Spirit…his Warrior Shield.
Kindle Edition
Published July 21, 2018
2 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goswitz
1 bookAbout The Author
Robert Goswitz was born and raised in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin, graduated from Milton College and holds an MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.
He was drafted into the US Army in March of 1971 and served in Vietnam from September of 1971 to August of 1972 as a member of the 196th Brigade, the last American Army infantry unit in country. Goswitz was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for his service.
After the military Robert was a special education teacher from 1974 until his retirement in 2007. During his career he worked with cognitively disabled, emotionally disturbed and at-risk youth in the Wauwatosa and Waukesha School Districts.
Robert lives in Delafield with his wife Jody. He is the proud father of two adult children. His son Rob is a supervisor for Whole Foods in Minneapolis Minnesota. His daughter Andrea is in law school at The University of Wyoming.
His debut novel The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune, was published by Black Opal Books on July 21st, 2018. Excerpts from the novel have been published in O Dark Thirty, The Military Writer’s Anthology, and winningwriters.comliterarymagazine.
Robert Goswitz was born and raised in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin, graduated from Milton College and holds an MA in Education from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.
He was drafted into the US Army in March of 1971 and served in Vietnam from September of 1971 to August of 1972 as a member of the 196th Brigade, the last American Army infantry unit in country. Goswitz was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star for his service.
After the military Robert was a special education teacher from 1974 until his retirement in 2007. During his career he worked with cognitively disabled, emotionally disturbed and at-risk youth in the Wauwatosa and Waukesha School Districts.
Robert lives in Delafield with his wife Jody. He is the proud father of two adult children. His son Rob is a supervisor for Whole Foods in Minneapolis Minnesota. His daughter Andrea is in law school at The University of Wyoming.
His debut novel The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune, was published by Black Opal Books on July 21st, 2018. Excerpts from the novel have been published in O Dark Thirty, The Military Writer’s Anthology, and winningwriters.comliterarymagazine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2018
“The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune is an outstanding depiction of the Vietnam War told from Goswitz’s personal accounts. To read this is to live it through his eyes time and again. We, who have not experienced war or have only served in the Armed Forces, will never truly grasp the continuous memories that bombards the tortured souls who have. The only way we may be able to empathize is to read such works of literature and garner a much higher respect for every man and woman who has ever served during times of war. I highly recommend all, from teens up, to read this and say thank you to next person you see in uniform for enabling you to live in safety and security as a US citizen.”
— Jeanie Loiacono, US Army veteran
— Jeanie Loiacono, US Army veteran
Read
April 4, 2019MWSA Review
The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune by Robert Goswitz centers around a wonderful legend throughout Vietnamese history of dragon tattoos protecting against evil spirits. Upon arrival in Vietnam, American soldier, Private Ed Lansky, is asked if he’s a dragon or its prey by the first soldier he meets. Soon he becomes convinced his dragon spirit has magical powers to protect him. Lansky believes he has seen an actual dragon several times when he and his unit are in trouble. During his last week in Nam, an ambush threatens to destroy his entire platoon, but his dragon comes to the rescue. After they make it home, one of Lansky’s best buddies has questions for Ed about the dragon, leading Ed to finally conclude the dragon wasn’t his imagination; it was real!
As a Vietnam veteran, I was moved by the description of events and the reality of how things were for those who served. In summary, the story is realistic enough and an enjoyable read.
The overall story has great potential because the flow of the story is fast-moving and realistic. Unfortunately, much was lost by the writer’s use of verbiage that distracted from the flow and made the reader feel disconnected. However, those occasions when a dictionary was needed only distracted for a short time.
Reviewed by Tom Criser (April 2019)
The Dragon Soldier’s Good Fortune by Robert Goswitz centers around a wonderful legend throughout Vietnamese history of dragon tattoos protecting against evil spirits. Upon arrival in Vietnam, American soldier, Private Ed Lansky, is asked if he’s a dragon or its prey by the first soldier he meets. Soon he becomes convinced his dragon spirit has magical powers to protect him. Lansky believes he has seen an actual dragon several times when he and his unit are in trouble. During his last week in Nam, an ambush threatens to destroy his entire platoon, but his dragon comes to the rescue. After they make it home, one of Lansky’s best buddies has questions for Ed about the dragon, leading Ed to finally conclude the dragon wasn’t his imagination; it was real!
As a Vietnam veteran, I was moved by the description of events and the reality of how things were for those who served. In summary, the story is realistic enough and an enjoyable read.
The overall story has great potential because the flow of the story is fast-moving and realistic. Unfortunately, much was lost by the writer’s use of verbiage that distracted from the flow and made the reader feel disconnected. However, those occasions when a dictionary was needed only distracted for a short time.
Reviewed by Tom Criser (April 2019)
January 9, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I started it with caution, because I was concerned about emotions I had about this era, even though I was never in the military.
As an individual that lived through the 60's and 70's, I was aware of some of what Mr. Goswitz was describing, but not ALL of what he described. His descriptions of living conditions was eye opening. Through Lanskey I could understand why friends and relatives never shared their experiences.
I was also intrigued by the higher powers that helped the soldiers through this experience.
Even after finishing the book, I still am thinking about friends and relatives that served. Those that made it back and those that did not.
As an individual that lived through the 60's and 70's, I was aware of some of what Mr. Goswitz was describing, but not ALL of what he described. His descriptions of living conditions was eye opening. Through Lanskey I could understand why friends and relatives never shared their experiences.
I was also intrigued by the higher powers that helped the soldiers through this experience.
Even after finishing the book, I still am thinking about friends and relatives that served. Those that made it back and those that did not.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews