A review by kamckim
Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam by Elizabeth Partridge

5.0

What a powerful collection of narratives about Vietnam. The stories seem like they are all straight out of a Vietnam movie, but then you realize that the movies are based on such stories. It becomes very powerful. Partridge did an especially nice job in representing voices of color as well as female voices, as the stories consider the costs of war on all sides. The most interesting and moving chapter for me were the chapters on the building of the Memorial in DC. I was only young then and had no idea of the controversy surrounding it. This book would pair very well for O'Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. I would definitely use it if I ever had the chance. It also sheds light on the importance of oral histories and the therapeutic benefits of allowing a survivor to tell his or her story.