3 out of 4 stars
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Men, Wars and Sex of the 60’s is a memorable book written by Lowell Hamilton.
The book is divided into two stories between two men, that of Rudolph Lee Wilfang and that of his son, David Allen which comprises the greater part of the book.
At a young age, Rudolph Lee fell in love with Ellen May Frazier. Shortly after they had started a life together, Rudolph Lee enlisted in the navy as America joined the Second World War. After completing his military services, Rudolph Lee went home to his lovely wife to pick up where they left off. However, a tragedy struck which left Rudolph Lee a broken man.
David was a sweet and handsome boy. Behind his innocent visage, however, lay fear and a profound loneliness brought about by the unfortunate circumstances of his birth. As if that wasn’t enough, another tragedy befell his family which made his life even less cheerful. With no other more attractive options, David joined the air force and ended up with another disappointment. His discharge from the military was his first exposure to civilian life. Totally clueless about a lot of things, David found himself in unfamiliar San Francisco surrounded by long-haired hippies in bell bottoms and floral shirts.
This is, generally, a very interesting book with a multitude of subjects including the military life, discrimination against men of color, religious fanaticism, rebellion in the Congo, alcohol abuse, unconventional sexual practices and the mob.
What I like most about the book is the numerous references to actual events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Ku Klux Klan, the assassination of former Pres. John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War and the Flower Children. I find it not only interesting but also informative and entertaining. In addition, I find some parts genuinely intriguing especially the reference to former Pres. Lyndon Johnson’s possible involvement with JFK’s assassination.
Moreover, the book is much more than I expected. For one, I find the part about David’s birth specifically moving and touching. It describes the ultimate pain of losing the very reason of one’s existence. Second, I enjoyed the part about various kinds of organized religion. It is informative and enlightening. Finally, I find the ending immensely satisfying, exactly how I like endings to be.
However, I find the book extremely long with an inconsistent pacing from excitingly fast to ultimately dragging. Moreover, there are even more irrelevant details than those which actually make the book interesting. These make the plot of the book a little vague and ambiguous. Furthermore, the book is written in what I assume to be resembling the actual manner of speaking in the author’s hometown in Tennessee thus teeming with they was, there was instead of there were. Finally, there are several noticeable errors in the entire book including misspelled words (sense instead of since, conscious instead of conscience), missing words and improperly placed quotation marks.
I, therefore, rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is interesting, amusing, entertaining and informative. I recommend it to readers who enjoy war stories. Some sex scenes, however, may not be suitable for young readers.
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Men, Wars and Sex of the 60's
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