Customer Reviews

Echoes of Combat

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This is one of the most powerful books on the legacy of Vietnam I've ever read. It does for Vietnam what Paul Fussell's The Great War and Modern Memory did for World War I: It takes the experiences of combat vetrans, many of whom Turner has interviewed, and shows how the fighting they engaged in changed the culture they came from. Turner has done extensive research, but what I liked best about the book wasn't its comprehensiveness. It was the way Turner brought all his material together under the metaphorical umbrella of post-traumatic stress disorder. Where other writers sometimes seem to still be caught up in the old left vs. right, hawk vs. dove arguments of the war era, Turner has found a way to show how the actions of individual soldiers and of the nation as a whole have been completely intertwined. This book would be perfect for a college history class on the war and its effects, but it's also a good read. I recommend it highly

If you want to read a book about Vietnam veterans by a man who doesn't know any, has never been to Vietnam, hasn't done his homework but has been to the movies and hung around the facultry lounge and believes that that qualifies him to write a book on the subject, run right out and buy this turkey. Inaccurate, biased and insulting to everyone proud of his service (80%+ of all Vietnam veterans). Skip this childish rubbish and buy The Nightengale's Song instead; it's a much better book in every way