Voices from Vietnam [Mass Market Paperback]

Barry Denenberg (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Explains the unique events and practices that shaped the Vietnam War, bringing together the stories of people who experienced it firsthand, as told in their own voices. Reprint. AB. PW. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"This book is not about the politics of history of the Vietnam War. It is about what it was like to be in Vietnam," writes Denenberg (The True Story of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI). Using the words of men and women affected by the events in Vietnam, the author paints a disturbing picture of "the first war the United States ever lost." The quotes come from a variety of sources, including then-president Lyndon Johnson, Jane Fonda and Walter Cronkite, and provide conflicting viewpoints on the war and its purpose. But most memorable are those of the numerous soldiers who fought in Vietnam-they discuss, among other things, the fear of death, the use of drugs to escape the horror of fighting, the pressure to believe in what they were doing, and confusion over anti-war sentiment. Arranged chronologically, the statements (except those made by military officials) become progressively more doubtful and despondent as the war drags on. Throughout, the terrible suffering of all involved remains the central focus. A moving tribute to the lingering effects of a painful period in American history. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up?Denenberg has gathered accounts that attest to the terrible human cost of the long conflict in Vietnam. Although the entire period of U.S. involvement is covered, this is not meant to be a general history. The author supplies only limited background information, supplemented with primary-source material from scholarly works, to provide a structure for the quotes, letters, diary entries, and reminiscences (some of which are quite graphic) of Americans and Vietnamese who experienced the war. Their words provide a perspective that is often missing in books that have a more traditional historical focus. Denenberg includes some material that is critical of the North Vietnamese, but he saves his harshest criticisms for the U.S. and South Vietnam, an interpretation that does little to help readers gain a fuller understanding of the war. Although report writers will need to consult titles with more coverage and analysis, such as Albert Marrin's America in Vietnam (Viking, 1992), Voices from Vietnam will draw students who want to understand why the conflict continues to invoke such extreme personal reactions.?Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1St Edition edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590435302
• ISBN-13: 978-0590435307
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,563,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars worth the read, June 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Voices from Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was a short, concise way of explaining the Vietnam war. I enjoyed it because it speaks to an audience that doesn't know much about the war. A good read for teens and 20-somethings.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, August 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Voices from Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

For a history book, this was really good! I thought the quotations were well chosen and the bok as a whole was engaging and made me want to read more. It leaves a lot of questions, but for interesting and the Vietnam War, you can't do much better!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, October 25, 2000

By 

Student (Grand Junction, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book for a school project. I had to learn about the culture in Vietnam. The book went into great detail about the culture and the way people live there. It told true stories about the people who went through the war. Great book for young readers who want to know about the war.