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dale_kooyenga's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a combination Studs Terkel like interviews and history relating to the politics of the Vietnam War. The book has a strong anti-war sentiment, but it's tough to tell the story of the Vietnam war without making it sound like the whole fight was a terrible mistake and tragedy.
sunshine169's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely love non fiction books that feature the words of those who were there. This was a great and educational read. Great young adult work of non fiction.
foofers1622's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book for my libraries young adult books for adults book club.
I love the way Elizabeth broke this book down. We get to see first hand accounts as well as historical facts. The pictures were great at well. I also like how she included what each person was doing now in their lives. A great introduction to the Vietnam war.
I love the way Elizabeth broke this book down. We get to see first hand accounts as well as historical facts. The pictures were great at well. I also like how she included what each person was doing now in their lives. A great introduction to the Vietnam war.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent choice for school libraries. Engaging book told with real life experiences of those who fought or who lived with the fighting. Tells of secrecy and rationale for war and vets’ experiences after the war. Also includes the story of how the Memorial came to be.
kamckim's review
5.0
What a powerful collection of narratives about Vietnam. The stories seem like they are all straight out of a Vietnam movie, but then you realize that the movies are based on such stories. It becomes very powerful. Partridge did an especially nice job in representing voices of color as well as female voices, as the stories consider the costs of war on all sides. The most interesting and moving chapter for me were the chapters on the building of the Memorial in DC. I was only young then and had no idea of the controversy surrounding it. This book would pair very well for O'Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. I would definitely use it if I ever had the chance. It also sheds light on the importance of oral histories and the therapeutic benefits of allowing a survivor to tell his or her story.
kristi_starr35's review
5.0
The pictures are amazing, many iconic. The stories are gut-wrenching. I appreciate the diversity of perspectives - soldiers, a civilian, a nurse, a medic, and Maya Lin. White, African-American, Asian-American, and Vietnamese stories are included. Both men and women. A chronology is maintained by inserting information about the presidents and state-side events. This book will appeal to a wide audience. “What became of the men and women interviewed…” provides an emotionally-satisfying conclusion.
molly_dettmann's review against another edition
4.0
A moving book about the Vietnam War told through the intimate stories from a few of those who lived through it. I was captivated by the way Partridge captured each person she interviewed and their story set in Vietnam and weaved in all the history and famous figures, presidents, and movements taking place at the same time in America about Vietnam. A pretty amazing piece of young adult nonfiction that personally taught me more about the War with such poignant gravitas.
annebennett1957's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Just Wow! By the end of this book full of first hand accounts from 'in country' I was in tears. It covers the Vietnam War from the early 1960s through the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial. This is an important book. If you are a secondary or teen librarian, get this book for your collection!
dlberglund's review against another edition
5.0
This is not a traditional nonfiction book, or an encyclopedia of the events of the Vietnam War. It is not a political treatise. It is not a factual rendering of the causes of effects of the war. It is personal, and memorable.
It is a linear telling of some of the stories of a few of the people involved. A few pivotal sections focus on the three US Presidents who made decisions about the war. The other stories filled in the intervening years with what their experiences were like “in country”. Many were soldiers, both volunteers and draftees, with the additional inclusion of a nurse, a musician, and a refugee. The stories bring us forward through the creation of the Wall. Most of them break your heart at least a little. There were photographs included, and it came together logically. An excellent way to get at the diversity of the people affected and involved, rather than only a political or military history.
Almost 5 stars.
It is a linear telling of some of the stories of a few of the people involved. A few pivotal sections focus on the three US Presidents who made decisions about the war. The other stories filled in the intervening years with what their experiences were like “in country”. Many were soldiers, both volunteers and draftees, with the additional inclusion of a nurse, a musician, and a refugee. The stories bring us forward through the creation of the Wall. Most of them break your heart at least a little. There were photographs included, and it came together logically. An excellent way to get at the diversity of the people affected and involved, rather than only a political or military history.
Almost 5 stars.