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The Afterlife of America's War in Vietnam: Changing Visions in Politics and on Screen

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Gordon Arnold, Professor of Liberal Arts at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts in his book 'THE AFTERLIFE OF AMERICA'S WAR IN VIETNAM: Changing Vision In Politics And On Screen' traces the development of how this complex and confusing war was portrayed in films, television, books, and politics since the final denouement in April of 1975 after 12 long years of conflict that tore our nation apart.

As he states, "Even as the generation that fought the war (and opposed it) recedes into their (so called) golden years, the war remains an emotionally charged topic. Eventually new larger scale events are likely to push the Vietnam conflict into a less visible place in the national consciouness. By the time that may happen, however, the Vietnam War (and its 'Afterlife') will have helped shape events that extended far beyond its time."

Professor Arnold in this book with his fine concise writing focuses our attention on how the conflict has been presented since 1975, often it seems warped and manipulated for a particular purpose in politics, on television, or simply to explain a limited viewpoint in books, or mainly for entertainment emphasis in film.

What I gained from 'The Afterlife of America's War in Vietnam' is how certain attitudes that evolved in our country out of the aftermath of the conflict, have contributed (rightly or wrongly according to a viewpoint) to the present situation our nation finds itself engaged in, forcing probing questions that will certainly surface in the 2008 presidential primary and election: WHAT ARE WE AS A NATION, WHO ARE WE AS A PEOPLE, WHERE ARE WE GOING, AND WHY? As a disabled Vietnam veteran I find these questions most important.

'The Afterlife of America's War in Vietnam' has helped me to see these issues more clearly and challenged me to ponder them. It is a worthy read. Not only for students, but also for people of all ages.