Review of Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath

Cashy Ryan · Post by **Cashy Ryan** » 17 Apr 2023, 20:41

[Following is a volunteer review of "Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath" by Randy Miller.]

5 out of 5 stars

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Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath by Randy Miller is a historical fiction novel. It is a story of love, war, and betrayal. The main character in this novel is Zachariah Martin, from rural Vermont. He leaves his home to enlist in the Navy. After training, Zack and his companions are deployed to Vietnam. With resilience and determination, he becomes a skilled gunman and helmsman. Zack and his companions face many dangers from the Viet Cong and the sea during the war. He survives, returns to his hometown, and marries his long-term girlfriend, Tally Goodwin. Although Zack and other veterans survived the Vietnam War, what happened to them afterward was so heartbreaking.

This is the best historical novel I have read. The author details how over two hundred thousand Vietnam War veterans were denied access to receive any possible compensation for illness caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The fact that Zack and other veterans had to face a fight with an organization that they believed would cover all their medical expenses but abandoned them when they needed it the most was so surprising. It was saddening to see how people in public offices downplayed health issues related to Agent Orange in the hope of covering their flaws.

I enjoyed reading this book. Everything seemed real. The ending was heartbreaking and devastating, but it perfectly fitted the book. The author gives enough background of each character, and he makes sure all of them are relevant to the story. I like how Zack and Tally loved and supported each other even through hard times. Seeing the Holmann family treating Zack as one of them was heartwarming. It's mysterious how the unnecessary fight at the Kit Kat Klub ultimately led to a disastrous outcome. I liked how the author added glossaries at the end to assist people in understanding terminologies and slang words used in the book.

My only issue is that I struggled to read and understand the first few chapters, maybe because I needed to familiarize myself with the author's writing style. The author used many intriguing dialogues. However, they were hard to read because the words were spelled phonetically. It took me some seconds to understand them at the beginning.

I did not find any typos in this book, so I believe it was well-edited. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The novel is so exciting and thrilling. I didn't want to put this book down.

I recommend this book to people who love reading historical fiction novels. History lovers will enjoy reading this.

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Deadly Waters: The Vietnam Naval War And Its Aftermath
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Alissa Deann Devargas · Post by **Alissa Deann Devargas** » 01 Mar 2024, 02:35

There was so much to read in this book. Zack's story was interesting as he went through life as a Navy officer. However, I was incensed by the government's refusal to help him and other veterans who were affected by the Agent Orange.