...and a hard rain fell (20th Anniversary Edition) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Exactly twenty-three days before I was supposed to leave Vietnam, I stopped worrying about dying..." (more)
Key Phrases: bard rain, thirteen thousand miles, jungle fatigues, The Nam, New York, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Another recovered war memoir this one with a first printing of 15,000 is John Ketwig's ...And a Hard Rain Fell: A GI's True Story of the War in Vietnam, first published in 1985. Enlisting to avoid the draft in 1966, Ketwig ended up a platoon sergeant in Thailand, "in charge of 43 Americans and numerous Thais." He is articulate and perceptive throughout, voicing doubt, witnessing horrors, trying to fit in on returning. Ketwig has supplied eight pages of new photos and a new introduction for this edition; the press chat notes that Ketwig will do an NPR affiliate tour, and that the book is a "staple" in campus Vietnam courses.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"[Ketwig] is articulate and perceptive throughout..." -- Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.; 1 edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402210353
• ISBN-13: 978-1402210358
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #929,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Soldier's View on Serving in Vietnam, November 19, 2002

By	C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: And a Hard Rain Fell: A Gi's True Story of the War in Vietnam (Hardcover)

Not having ever served in the military I don't know how typical John Ketwig's experiences he relates in this book are, but I did find it to be a very interesting book. Given the choice, Ketwig would rather have not served in the military at all, but he enlisted in the hopes of avoiding being sent to Vietnam. His recruiter told him he would probably end up in Germany. He relates a story that took place in basic training involving a recruit named "Fatso" who was physically abused by a sadistic sergeant who took advantage of his authoritative position to bully this soldier in ways that this so-called officer will have to live with for the rest of his life. The soldier eventually took his own life and the officer was "relieved" of his duties. Ketwig's attitude probably was typical of other soldiers in that they just wanted to put in their time in Vietnam and survive. Rather than come home to an uncertain future after his year in Vietnam to serve the remainder of his time, he volunteered for a year in Thailand. Once home, he felt he didn't have much in common with his former classmates who were now in college. He saw a lot in his two years in the military and now came home to find it hard to get a job. Ketwig provides the reader with a cynical view of the army, and not having served in the military, who am I to say he is wrong. I can only say I enjoyed the book and found it easy to read. I'm sure a lot of veterans who served in a like capacity will be able to identify with him.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary! Why isn't this book still in print?, May 12, 2000

By	Geoff Pietsch (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And a Hard Rain Fell: A GI's True Story of the War in Vietnam (Paperback)

I was one of the lucky ones. I turned 26 in the fall of 1963, just before Vietnam got serious for Americans. That was the magic age - "they" didn't draft you after 26. John Ketwig was not so lucky. I stayed home and watched the growing horror as it unfolded in all its bizarre varieties - from napalmed kids to lying politicians and generals - Ketwig and millions of others (most of them Vietnamese) lived that horror every day. I've read many, many books about Vietnam; this is one of the two or three best. Had I not just retired from teaching in a college prep school, I would want to make it part of one of my courses. It's a shame - one almost wonders if it's a conspiracy - that it is no longer in print. Probably no one had to silence the book; it's just too real to be "marketable." Publishers don't promote such realism; they prefer the "Rambo" type absurdities. Besides conveying the reality of Vietnam from the ordinary soldiers point of view, Ketwig also devotes much of the book to the subsequent year he spent in Thailand. He was not an "ugly American;" he spent a great deal of time getting to know - and love - the people and their culture. This book moved me to tears for a lost generation of Americans and Vietnamese. Even those who survived bear the scars, both psychological and physical (e.g. Agent Orange) of that war. At the end, Ketwig quotes Vietnam veterans marching at the dedication of the Wall in Washington and chanting: HELL NO OUR KIDS WON'T GO. He's right, HELL NO.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars striking up a conversation, May 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: ...and a hard rain fell: A GI's True Story of the War in Vietnam (Paperback)

Like many Vietnam veterans, my father has not provided many details about his tour in Nam. I read this book hoping to get some insight about what he may have encountered while in the War and the internal conflicts he may have experienced. After reading this book I was able to ask specific questions to my father and he was willing to share for the first time....This book is a MUST READ for anyone looking for a personal experience, horror, mental hardships, relational issues that this Vietnam Veteran experienced.