RESPONSE TO THE BOOK: ALONE IN VIETNAM:
A Matter of Soul
He leads us step by step, month by month, experience by experience to the moment his very soul seems to disconnect itself from the beaten and worn out body and mind and leaves him ready to curl up in a filthy, death-ridden foxhole and let the war pass him by.
For a man fortunate enough to be just the "right" age to have missed all last century's wars, this book satisfies that niggling curiosity about what we missed as non-warriors. Mr.Boyd writes his story, perhaps for the first time able to claim it, with such clarity and power that one can understand how veterans often long re-live their experiences as though they are happening over again. This, of course, is the plague of many a veteran who has had their war experience etched so deeply into their psyche that it is difficult to separate present from past, or fact from fiction. But the beginning of healing is to be able to tell one's story, and Boyd has done that remarkably well. He leads us step by step, month by month, experience by experience to the moment his very soul seems to disconnect itself from the beaten and worn out body and mind and leaves him ready to curl up in a filthy, death-ridden foxhole and let the war pass him by. The book is not without its color and humor and readability, but it is largely the brave action of a vet many years older now who is trying to reclaim his lost soul, searching for wholeness. In that, the author is well on his way to success.
- Rev. Richard A. Watson, July 28, 2008
Vivid memoir of a year in Vietnam
His memoir illuminates the complexities of human nature, war, survival and life threatening situations.
Boyd's account of his time in Vietnam is, at times, very difficult to read because of how vividly he described his 365-day tour of duty as a twenty-year-old draftee in the War. His desire to survive propelled him to make choices that I believe he never would have made if he was not sent to war. He makes no apologies for these choices, which at times might seem heartless or unforgivable.His memoir illuminates the complexities of human nature, war, survival and life threatening situations. It highlights how a caring human being will make choices in the face of extreme danger to protect his safety. I found his description of coming back to the United States and being met by protesters of the Vietnam War a sad commentary on where many in our Nation were during that War. It's tempting to connect this memoir to our present day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impact of war on our military and our response to war as civilians. I am grateful for the sacrifice he and other soldiers made so that I could be secure in freedom without fear and focus on raising my family.
– Marilyn Bucheri, August 13, 2008
I gave this book a five star rating,
Being a draftee he tells it like it was with the many men he had to serve with, good and bad. From the ones who though they were indestrutible, to the naive officers right out of OCS.
I gave this book a five star rating, one of a few good books just released about Vietnam on the market today. A true personal account of a young man drafted into the US Army to be trained as a straight leg Infantry man who ended up in Vietnam right out of AIT. Its a series of well written stories layed out in detail during his one year tour of duty. Being a draftee he tells it like it was with the many men he had to serve with, good and bad. From the ones who though they were indestrutible, to the naive officers right out of OCS. You will find it a enjoyable read with many interesting adventures not covered elsewhere that were comical, down right streesful to near death experiences. Worth reading even to a seasoned veteran.
– Fenton A. Sawyer "Three Tour Nam Vet"
A Truthful and Fascinating account of one man's experience in Vietnam
The author expresses his own experiences on a personal level in a way that allows you to see his viewpoint and better understand what it might have felt like to be there.
This is a simple, yet fascinating autobiographical account of one man's actual experience of being drafted and serving in the army infantry during the Vietnam war. The author expresses his own experiences on a personal level in a way that really allows you to see his viewpoint and better understand what it might have felt like to be there. The different chapters each describe different experiences that help you see through the author's eyes where you don't end up seeing the Vietnam War as a fight for any big cause, or even as a larger war, but simply as an effort by one man to find a way to survive each day in his immediate situation and what he figures out along the way. The stories are a combination of interesting strategies, fascinating events, as well as depressing and horrifying events. But you finish the book with a better understanding of the author, a surprising look at what you yourself might have felt in the same situations, and you will think about it for long after you finish it.
– Robert Snyder
Important and Readable First-Person Story of Vietnam:
From the shocking incidents during training in Louisiana to the first encounters in Vietnam, I was drawn in to the stories, even though the brutal subject matter was difficult.
Relating his experiences in the field in Vietnam, Robert Boyd has written his story factually. Yet, the facts are charged with emotion for both the writer and the reader. From the shocking incidents during training in Louisiana to the first encounters in Vietnam, I was drawn in to the stories, even though the brutal subject matter was difficult. It was as if Robert were talking to me through the book - just relating what happened in a very readable way. It leaves out the politics and focuses on one young man's experience. It gives you an understanding of why "grunts," as Robert calls them, came home with post-traumatic stress syndrome, and leaves you with the feeling that it's a miracle that veterans have been able to carry on at all, after their year in Vietnam. This is an important book, well worth reading. I recommend it highly.
– Susan Barlow, July 16, 2009