Review of Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath
Posted: 02 Mar 2024, 11:59
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath" by Randy Miller.]
Deadly Waters: "The Vietnam Naval War and its Aftermath" by Randy Miller is a work of historical fiction that draws inspiration from actual events. This novel delves into how the US Department of Veteran Affairs exploited Congressional Law to deprive Vietnam Blue Water Navy sailors of any form of compensation for illnesses that arose due to their exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The protagonist of this book is Zachariah Martin, who left his family in Vermont at the tender age of 19 to join the Navy. During his years of serving on a ship, he goes through many difficulties and dangerous situations. He is also away from his family and, more importantly, his girlfriend, whom he loves very much. It is a tale of love and separation intermingling with the pride and joy of serving the nation. It is also a tale of betrayal and the disillusionment of such betrayal.
Told entirely from Zach’s point of view, we get to see and experience life on a naval ship. With great precision and brevity, the author manages to get us aboard the naval ship sailing to Vietnam and share the journey's dangers and thrill. The writing is crisp yet descriptive using minimum number of words. Whether it is Zach's life on the ship or the poignancy of his relationship with his girlfriend, the author makes us feel, empathize with, and root for Zach while never wasting any words or emotion. The author touches upon critical subjects throughout the book precisely as the emotional parts.
The book is fast-paced and reads like a thriller, never losing its pace or focus, even in the factual parts. Once you start reading this book, you just cannot put it down, and you must bow down to its insistence that you go for the ride at the pace the author wants you to go. However, I paced my reading as there was so much to reflect upon in this short book. Every chapter calls for introspection and understanding in the current context. The last few chapters, where the author talks about the plight of Navy sailors who had served in the Vietnam War, were eye-openers, and this book must be read by all if only to get to know the truth about such issues.
I loved reading Zach's arc and being a part of his growth as an individual and sailor. However, the author could have fleshed out these parts more. While I understand that the book focused on the reality of Navy Veterans of the Vietnam War, I still wanted to know more about the introspection in Zach's mind and how his relationship with others changed towards the end. Although I could see how the story would end in my mind while reading the book, I would have liked more on the interaction between Zach and Tally, and we get to see so little of that. Tally's reflections and her growth are also something that I would have loved to read about. The end was a little rushed and abrupt.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. While this book should ideally get a five-star rating given how it has been written and edited with no single flaw, I will still deduct one star from it for two subjective reasons. Firstly, I had difficulty with the spoken word in written form. It took me some time to get used to it, making me almost want to put down the book. However, I am glad I persevered, for it is a gem of a book. The second reason is, as I mentioned earlier, the lack of depth in the characters and their lives, something that is quite important. Otherwise, this book is excellent and deserves all the praise.
******
Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Deadly Waters: "The Vietnam Naval War and its Aftermath" by Randy Miller is a work of historical fiction that draws inspiration from actual events. This novel delves into how the US Department of Veteran Affairs exploited Congressional Law to deprive Vietnam Blue Water Navy sailors of any form of compensation for illnesses that arose due to their exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The protagonist of this book is Zachariah Martin, who left his family in Vermont at the tender age of 19 to join the Navy. During his years of serving on a ship, he goes through many difficulties and dangerous situations. He is also away from his family and, more importantly, his girlfriend, whom he loves very much. It is a tale of love and separation intermingling with the pride and joy of serving the nation. It is also a tale of betrayal and the disillusionment of such betrayal.
Told entirely from Zach’s point of view, we get to see and experience life on a naval ship. With great precision and brevity, the author manages to get us aboard the naval ship sailing to Vietnam and share the journey's dangers and thrill. The writing is crisp yet descriptive using minimum number of words. Whether it is Zach's life on the ship or the poignancy of his relationship with his girlfriend, the author makes us feel, empathize with, and root for Zach while never wasting any words or emotion. The author touches upon critical subjects throughout the book precisely as the emotional parts.
The book is fast-paced and reads like a thriller, never losing its pace or focus, even in the factual parts. Once you start reading this book, you just cannot put it down, and you must bow down to its insistence that you go for the ride at the pace the author wants you to go. However, I paced my reading as there was so much to reflect upon in this short book. Every chapter calls for introspection and understanding in the current context. The last few chapters, where the author talks about the plight of Navy sailors who had served in the Vietnam War, were eye-openers, and this book must be read by all if only to get to know the truth about such issues.
I loved reading Zach's arc and being a part of his growth as an individual and sailor. However, the author could have fleshed out these parts more. While I understand that the book focused on the reality of Navy Veterans of the Vietnam War, I still wanted to know more about the introspection in Zach's mind and how his relationship with others changed towards the end. Although I could see how the story would end in my mind while reading the book, I would have liked more on the interaction between Zach and Tally, and we get to see so little of that. Tally's reflections and her growth are also something that I would have loved to read about. The end was a little rushed and abrupt.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. While this book should ideally get a five-star rating given how it has been written and edited with no single flaw, I will still deduct one star from it for two subjective reasons. Firstly, I had difficulty with the spoken word in written form. It took me some time to get used to it, making me almost want to put down the book. However, I am glad I persevered, for it is a gem of a book. The second reason is, as I mentioned earlier, the lack of depth in the characters and their lives, something that is quite important. Otherwise, this book is excellent and deserves all the praise.
******
Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon