Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Car accident, Colonisation, War
I'm amazed by how many peoples' stories out there haven't been told. I'm so happy I came across this one.
Nez details his life from childhood on the reservation to creating the Navajo Code used in WWII. He actually tells about specific battles to the point where it felt like I was watching a movie. This was fascinating to read about. I wish there were more accounts.
Nez details his life from childhood on the reservation to creating the Navajo Code used in WWII. He actually tells about specific battles to the point where it felt like I was watching a movie. This was fascinating to read about. I wish there were more accounts.
informative
slow-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This was a powerful memoir and one that provided insight into the life of one of the "original 29" Code Talkers (I put that in quotes because Nez himself says that he prefers the "original 32" since other Navajo Marines joined in during the process of building the code and he considers them part of that original core).
There are some reviews that note that this is not a book about the code. I would agree, but I also don't think that it needs to be or that it said it was.
This is essentially a transcribed oral history. Nez shared his story with Judith Schiess Avila, who realized that he just needed someone to write his story down rather than turn it into a different project. As a memoir, it focuses in large part on joining the Marines and creating the code, but in equal measure about his time in the service and in the line of fire. While it starts slowly, his voice is accessible and interesting. It was well balanced with information and personal insights.
There are some reviews that note that this is not a book about the code. I would agree, but I also don't think that it needs to be or that it said it was.
This is essentially a transcribed oral history. Nez shared his story with Judith Schiess Avila, who realized that he just needed someone to write his story down rather than turn it into a different project. As a memoir, it focuses in large part on joining the Marines and creating the code, but in equal measure about his time in the service and in the line of fire. While it starts slowly, his voice is accessible and interesting. It was well balanced with information and personal insights.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Fascinating memoir from a real hero. The audio book narrator had clearly never heard Navajo spoken before, but his voice fit Nez’s well otherwise and he did a pretty good job following the pronunciation guide that I assume is provided in the physical book. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Mr. Nez in a special interview at the end, although the interviewer’s questions were all answered in the book itself at some length.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism
Minor: Child abuse, Child death
Enjoyed the book and the background. The writing was not exceptional, but it very effectively told the story of a humble man who came from very simple beginnings.