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China Beach: A Book about a TV Show about a War
Following his internationally published Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks (2014), author Brad Dukes returns with China Beach: A Book About a TV Show About a War. The book accounts for Dukes’s four-year journey documenting China Beach as he stands before the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, interviews the cast, crew, and Vietnam veterans; then treks to Vietnam in search of what it all means.
The book analyzes all four seasons of China Beach, and features interviews with series co-creators John Sacret Young and William Broyles Jr., along with nearly every cast member including Prime Time Emmy Award winners Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger, Chloe Webb, Robert Picardo, Brian Wimmer, Michael Boatman, Nancy Giles, Concetta Tomei, Megan Gallagher, Christine Elise, Troy Evans, Jeff Kober, and Ricki Lake.
A very special foreword begins the book, penned by writer and producer Carlton Cuse (Jack Ryan, Lost, Bates Motel, etc.)
China Beach:A Book About a TV Show About a War will be published in soft back on December 4, 2018, and exclusively distributed via Dukes’s own imprint, short/Tall press. Each copy purchased through shorttallpress.com can be signed and personalized by the author. A digital release will follow in 2019.
The book analyzes all four seasons of China Beach, and features interviews with series co-creators John Sacret Young and William Broyles Jr., along with nearly every cast member including Prime Time Emmy Award winners Dana Delany and Marg Helgenberger, Chloe Webb, Robert Picardo, Brian Wimmer, Michael Boatman, Nancy Giles, Concetta Tomei, Megan Gallagher, Christine Elise, Troy Evans, Jeff Kober, and Ricki Lake.
A very special foreword begins the book, penned by writer and producer Carlton Cuse (Jack Ryan, Lost, Bates Motel, etc.)
China Beach:A Book About a TV Show About a War will be published in soft back on December 4, 2018, and exclusively distributed via Dukes’s own imprint, short/Tall press. Each copy purchased through shorttallpress.com can be signed and personalized by the author. A digital release will follow in 2019.
- GenresWar
340 pages, Paperback
Published December 4, 2018
34 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 17, 2022
I'm between a 3 & a 5 star review because Dukes' style of writing is time-consuming to comprehend as he saturates his sentences with analogies throughout the book. It is heavily laiden with needless comparisons that take your mind away from what he is trying to convey. His style warrants a 3, but the content of the book is a 5.
I stumbled upon the book when I was looking for the China Beach DVDs to purchase online. Having loved the series, I later recorded, on video tapes, the episodes when they were aired daily on a different network a couple years after the series ended. No one watches video tapes anymore, including myself. So I bought the DVD set and this book which popped up in my search.
Dukes writes about the TV series from its inception to its final episode. In between, he recounts his trip to Vietnam which is fluid and interesting. He includes conversations with the creator, writers, actors, and the Vietnam vets who provided storylines. He included the documented conversations throughout the book. It is his narrative that I have issues with.
All in all, I really enjoyed hearing about the episodes and the series as a whole. The book is full of b&w photos from the actors that include on set images, Emmy wins and the Washington DC visit on the day of filming "The Wall." I only wish the author had tightened up his thought process in his sentences, leaving the creative analogies to a minimum or not at all.
I stumbled upon the book when I was looking for the China Beach DVDs to purchase online. Having loved the series, I later recorded, on video tapes, the episodes when they were aired daily on a different network a couple years after the series ended. No one watches video tapes anymore, including myself. So I bought the DVD set and this book which popped up in my search.
Dukes writes about the TV series from its inception to its final episode. In between, he recounts his trip to Vietnam which is fluid and interesting. He includes conversations with the creator, writers, actors, and the Vietnam vets who provided storylines. He included the documented conversations throughout the book. It is his narrative that I have issues with.
All in all, I really enjoyed hearing about the episodes and the series as a whole. The book is full of b&w photos from the actors that include on set images, Emmy wins and the Washington DC visit on the day of filming "The Wall." I only wish the author had tightened up his thought process in his sentences, leaving the creative analogies to a minimum or not at all.
December 26, 2018
This book was simply terrific. As the subtitle said “a book about a TV show about a war” meant this would cover a lot of ground.
Let me first say that I was a fan of the show when it aired, so this book caught my attention when I learned about it from Dana Delaney’s twitter feed. Reading about the show 30 years later was great in and of itself. But learning just how much was committed to honoring those who served and “getting it right” makes me a China Beach fan once again.
The approach to writing with the interviews intermingled with the story telling was very effective.
Such a great show and the author honored that with this book. Great read
Let me first say that I was a fan of the show when it aired, so this book caught my attention when I learned about it from Dana Delaney’s twitter feed. Reading about the show 30 years later was great in and of itself. But learning just how much was committed to honoring those who served and “getting it right” makes me a China Beach fan once again.
The approach to writing with the interviews intermingled with the story telling was very effective.
Such a great show and the author honored that with this book. Great read
December 9, 2018
Who knew a book about a tv show about a war could be so interesting to read. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down until it was finished. I loved reading what the actors had to say about certain episodes. Whether you’re a fan of the show or never seen it won’t matter the book will still keep you hooked until it’s finished.
November 4, 2022
This book was great! As someone who has binged-watched the DVD set many times, it was wonderful getting these wonderful and delicious BTS morsels.
December 8, 2025
China Beach has been my favorite TV show since I was about 10, and when I say "my favorite TV show", I mean I spent a good amount of my young adulthood attempting to tape all of the episodes off ABC, Lifetime, and The History Channel without commercials and in order onto VHS. I consistently turn back to a chin-length bob with bangs when I change my hair. I always identify actors from the show by their characters. I've purchased entire albums due to a single song's inclusion in the show.
It seems like Mr Dukes's experience with China Beach (and Twin Peaks, apparently) is similar to mine. We are of similar age, and have family members one generation past that are Vietnam vets. His research and interviews on the show, actors, and creators are fantastic and very thorough. It's exactly what a diehard fan would ever want from a China Beach book. I devoured it!!
It seems like Mr Dukes's experience with China Beach (and Twin Peaks, apparently) is similar to mine. We are of similar age, and have family members one generation past that are Vietnam vets. His research and interviews on the show, actors, and creators are fantastic and very thorough. It's exactly what a diehard fan would ever want from a China Beach book. I devoured it!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews