Official Review: Vietnam Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fiction books or series that do not fit into one of the other categories. If the fiction book fits into one the other categories, please use that category instead.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
CataclysmicKnight
Posts: 912
Joined: 26 Jan 2015, 19:51
Favorite Book: Ready Player One
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 1693
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-cataclysmicknight.html
Latest Review: Simple Man Simple Message by Mark Dobosz

Official Review: Vietnam Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Post by CataclysmicKnight »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Vietnam Through Rose-Colored Glasses" by Richard S. Rose.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Vietnam seems to be a point in American history that people have either forgotten, choose to ignore or simply never learn about. Even as a nephew to a man who was a helicopter gunner in Vietnam and who died of cancer likely linked to Agent Orange, I know terrifyingly little about the Vietnam War. People don't talk about it, and even though I was in school from the 80s-90s, history classes never discussed it.

Vietnam Through Rose-Colored Glasses by Richard S. Rose is an insightful collection of poetry, random thoughts, speeches, reviews, songs and even a chapter from his book, which ended up being his Master's Thesis, all written over the course of about 25 years from when he spent a year in Vietnam between 1967-1968. The collection has around two dozen pieces total, and they range from when Richard was surprised by a call telling him he had new orders to Vietnam to thoughts many years down the line, reflecting on the things he saw as a Senior Chief Journalist (E-8). They all have Vietnam in common, of course, but they also almost all share some great insight and humor.

Each piece has at least a bit of intro text, giving insight into what was going on when it was written, where it was published (or spoken, if a speech) if applicable, and any necessary background knowledge that would be helpful. Despite the technical military terms and abbreviations used semi-often throughout, his explanations made it easy to understand what was going on. Each piece also ends with the year it was written and almost all have a link in the title that goes back to the table of contents. There were some mysteriously missing links (and missing from the table of contents), but otherwise this is very handy!

I kept notes as I read, and looking back I enjoyed far too many of these stories to even go into detail about them all! Here are a few of the highlights:
  • While there's a more serious (and poetic!) poem previously in the book, there's an entire section dedicated to poetry. This is a really awesome section - it gives insight into things folks had to deal with (the MAC-V bus poem is hilarious!) in a really humorous way. This poetry is lighthearted, doesn't stick strictly to poetic "rules" and is even sometimes something he made up on the spot, which really all lends to how genuine it is. There are even pieces done in the tune of Christmas songs!
  • He asks a pilot at one point how they know the people they shot were VC, and his reply is "because we killed them". It's a frightful epiphany that the author repeats as "We don’t kill people because they’re the enemy. They’re the enemy because we killed them."
  • There's a speech based on The Way We Were that delves into the language, half-truths and memories of Vietnam. It ends with a note that, 33 years later in 2012, perhaps people really have forgotten Vietnam and the lessons learned, leading to our involvement in Afghanistan, Desert Storm and Iraq. Another piece makes a similar point, stating that Vietnam has reached more "phrase status" than something we as a nation actually remember beyond saying things like "we can't let Iraq/Bosnia/Somalia become another Vietnam".
There are numerous really enjoyable pieces in this book, and I learned a great deal about the war by the time I was done. Aside from needing some editing work (odd punctuation, "in" instead of "on", etc. a total of a dozen or so times) it's an absolutely amazing collection and definitely something I'd suggest for anyone in the military (or anyone who ever was), anyone who had family in Vietnam and anyone interested in the Vietnam War in general, but I'd also suggest it to everyone else for the humor. I give the book 4 out of 4 stars.

******
Vietnam Through Rose-Colored Glasses
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like CataclysmicKnight's review? Post a comment saying so!
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
Post Reply

Return to “Other Fiction Forum”