Asian-American Books

"Next of Kin" is a remarkable first-person memoir that reads like a novel. Tom Reilly's story will take your breath away, whether or not you accept all the details. This is not another war story that revisits battles and the soldiers who fought them. Instead, this is a coming-of-age story that is catalyzed (but not defined) by the Vietnam War. Thanks to clean, straighforward writing, Reilly's story is a breeze to read. Critical readers may wish to see additional corroboration or evidence of this harrowing journey. The more casual reader will take it at face value and may appreciate the brotherly bond that made this story possible. May we all be so fortunate to experience such devotion.

Just a great story about the caring relationship between two brothers, about love and commitment, set in the era of Vietnam.

An adventure that covers half the world by an 18 year old from the midwest who lost his brother. He had to know what happen and it was clear, it was not war reltated.

This was a great read, a story that was hard to put down at night and when the book was finished, I felt like I lost a
friend.

The book is outstanding. I had my daughter pick me up a signed copy because the author lived in my town and I have always been interested in Vietnam as it was from my era.
I had no idea that I would be so enthralled from the very first page. I feel like I know the whole family and recognized all the places that the author speaks of. The pain and courage of both of the brothers reached out from the pages into my heart.
This book was so great I hated to have it end.

What a great story. What a dedication to a brother. we all could learn from this man. This is what family is all about. I highly recomend this read to everyone.

I am a woman in my early 40's and don't usually read books on war or enjoy hearing about war, but I couldn't put this book down. It was written so well that I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. It begins with young Tom Reilly, losing both of his parents and how his brother, Ron, was a constant in his life. Tom, at the age of 19, goes to Vietnam to find out the truth about his brother's death and his "adventure" over there. Tom has written a wonderful, loving dedication to his brother that will touch each and every person that reads this story. It doesn't matter if you are a man or woman, young or old, this is a book you'll want to read. You'll have such a good feeling when you finish.

We bought this book for my 4 year old son as a christmas present based on a review in the San Francisco Chronicle's "The Poop" blog and we couldn't be happier with it! This is wonderful adventure that had an extra benefit in that the monster is in fact a very lonely octopus (which my son sees as a giant squid ala Pirates of the Carribean). This has become his favorite book since christmas, and once you see the pictures and read the story you will understand why. Highly recommended!

This book is fabulous. It's incredibly innovative with appealing characters that conjure up Hello Kitty or Pokemon -- without the mass market/cult following; the story is sweet and adventurous, focusing on individualism and friendship; the art is exciting; the presentation is sometimes daredevil. Like that last description? What I mean is that this book takes exciting risks. For example, four fold-out pages are devoted to the octonauts and the lonely sea creature traveling to extreme places underwater on the planet -- so when they go south, for instance, the two-page spread is upside down. This is confusing and funny, especially when you turn the next page, and/but it really works. A terrific book.

I bought this book today at the Long Beach Aquarium for my almost five year old. She LOVED it. Every page is a blast, and she keeps going back to see something she saw before. I'm sure this would be great for an older child also.

Like Pixar films, this book offers as much for adults as it does for kids. First off, it's beautifully designed with fun little details that you notice over time. Anyone interested in old school book illustrators (Maurice Sendak, Ezra J Keats) will appreciate how closely knit the story is to it's lush imagery. This works really well.

The basic story is about this group of unique critters in an underwater world who wake one morning to find their submarine is under attack. When they go out to explore, they find an enormous octopus-like creature who took a liking to their submarine (which looked a lot like itself and is even called an octopod!). The octopus monster was as so lonely for companionship that it just hugs their little submarine. And that begins their adventure: the cast of critters head off with the big octopus monster to help it search for another of it's kind.

It's an adorable and imaginative story about friendship, told in a style that kids and adults will love.

The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster is the debut picturebook story about the Octonauts, eight talented animals who seek undersea adventure, roaming the ocean from their "Octopod" base. The stunning, stylized color illustrations emphasizing simplicity, curves, and a "big head/small eye" anthropomorphic look gives Octonauts a unique appearance, while the story tells of their encounter with a lonely sea monster leading to an important lesson about the values of friendship and individuality. A wonderfully imaginative and enchanting tale.

My 18 month old children (boy/girl twins) both love this book, but my daughter is especially taken with it. I read it to her before bedtime and she is just absolutely mesmerized by the beautiful, flowing poetry, the gorgeous saturated colors and the lovely images. I look at my kids' faces while reading it to them, and I see them each carefully and thoughtfully scanning each page, enjoying the colors and images and taking it all in. It's a perfect bedtime book. It is truly a treasure in our growing library. I give it to all my friends for baby showers or new baby gifts.

We have Red Is A Dragon and One Is A Drummer, both collaborations between Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin (as well as other Grace Lin books - which we just love!). Both books are beautifully illustrated and so fun to read with my 2-year-old daughter. Grace Lin's illustrations are our favorite. This is a wonderful book to learn a little about Chinese culture. Highly recommended!

Wrap this and Round is a Mooncake, One is Drummer (other Thong and Lin collaborations) for a fantastic gift to one of your young Asian American friends!

The main attraction for my 2 1/2 year old son is that it had a dragon in a parade AND firecrackers! Of course that's not all, the book is very colorful & we enjoyed couting orange crabs at the sea, green toads in the graden,yellow taxis on the road, purple kites in the sky, dumplings on a plate & much more.
Very intertaining.

Although my daughter was born in China and now living here in the US. I want her to know her heritage. Grace Lin and Roseanne Thong have created many terrific books that let me share with my daughter about Asian families and how they celebrate and most importantly how color plays such a vital role in the Asians eyes and lifestyles.

I love that Grace lin included dragon dancing and put feet under it for your child to see. I am trying to show my daughter that the Dragons used in Dragon Dances for the Chinese New Year is not a "live" dragon, but that there are many people or one person underneath and that they are wearing a dragon costume. Just like my daughter wheres a costume at Halloween. And then maybe this year she won't cry... or maybe not as much... she's only 2 1/2 years old.

I love that the book introduces us to the Chinese culture and how they eat different foods and instead of using forks, knives and spoons they use chopsticks! I love that one of the last lines in the book prompts your child to see what colors are around them, be it in their homes, backyards and else where. I also love that there are definations of certain words that we might be unfamiliar with. No matter if you live in America, Australia, Canada or Neatherlands or anywhere that Asains have found a place to call home, this book will help you open your child & families lives & eyed to how Asians live.

There are may terrific books by Grace Lin and Toseanne Thong, here's to many, many more books to come in the future!!!!!

When I first read this book, I realized I had found a very personal and sensitive resource to share with a friend who was just beginning the journey through breast cancer survival. Dr. Chang's words provided what I did not know myself or did not yet have the courage to offer to my friend. This book gives information that one needs to know about breast cancer. Of equal importance, it captures the whole array of feelings that cancer unleashes on a person. Add this book to your personal collection -- some day you or someone you know will be glad you did.

This book is a must read for students of medicine, psychology, counseling, social work, and health related fields! Dr. Chang provides insightful and educated information concerning helpful and harmful behaviors of helping professionals. Her description of her cancer treatment was detailed and realistic. I could not put the book down! Dr. Chang's emotions and behaviors during various stages of her treatment were very similar to my experience undergoing treatment for colon cancer. I think that this book will give the average population an awareness of what it is like to have cancer!

Dr. Chang's book A Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer is a pehonmenal read. For the newly diagnosed, it can prepare and educate the patient and those who support her. for those in the midst of treatment, this book will help confirm and validate a patient's emotional and physiological experiences. The patient that has completed active treatment will be able to use Dr. Chang's book as an adjunct to therapy, to help process and bring to closure the ordeal she has been through. A patient's family members, friends, and even treatment team would benefit from this candid book. It is through Dr. Chang's selfless and uninhibited sharing that any one interested, will come to know "first hand" what it's like to have breat cancer. Dr. Chang leaves nothing out - from resources to practical suggestions, to coping strategies including the value of humor. It's a must read for breast cancer patients and anyone that works with them.

Dr. Alice Chang has written an incredibly moving account of her own bout with breast cancer. The book is truly an inspiration! The parts I like best include first, the conversational tone. Second, Alice models ideal patient behaviour. I'm taking this book with me next time I visit my physician. Third, she's very methodical in what she reports. I never doubted the accuracy of her word. Fourth, I really like the photographs. At first I thought the idea was kind of hokey, but once I looked at them, I quickly changed my mind. Last, there is a wonderful resource guide for anyone dealing with cancer, either personally or for a loved one. Alice, thank you so much for your more than wonderful work!

I bought the book early on a Saturday at a fund raiser for Handi-Dogs. I was privileged to meet Alice in person before I read the book. She was introduced to me by my brother and we spoke briefly. I went home, sat down and thought I would read just a bit of the book. About 2 AM I finished the book. I shed tears, laughter, humility, pride, joy in this brief time. What a special, special person she is. I am purchasing her book for my friends. Even if one does not have cancer or have a friend or relative that does, it is a book about an intelligent, gentle, brave woman with a deep sense of responsibility to help others. I felt I had sat at the feet of a "true teacher" and "superior person". There are indeed angels here on earth to guide us.

I grew up in Wyoming about the same time as Lee Alley. While I wasn't in the military I know many that were and this book really helps me get a feeling of what they and their families went through and are still going through. I often wonder how I would have reacted under the circumstances these men faced. The feelings expressed in this book about how these veterans felt about their mission, about their brothers in arms and about their feelings after they returned home are very insightful. Perhaps even more insightful are the feelings expressed by some of the family members. I would recommend this book for anyone who knows a veteran.

I have read almost all the Vietnam books, even authored one myself. Gun Totin' Chaplain However, this book is unique for its personal testimonies. I can just imagine the tenacity expended in collecting them. Great kudos to the author. Most of us Vietnam combat vets have similar experiences and we all have our war stories. For a long time, nobody wanted to hear them. They now do. And, if as Vietnam vets, we have any legacy, it is the fact that we have paved the way for present day warriors. They will not have to be so shabbily treated as us because most Americans who care don't want it to happen again. For this we can be proud. Back From War is a classic. Recently, a psychologist, working with returning Iraq combat vets wanted to discuss Vietnam and Iraq. I immediately suggested she order Back From War. The testimonies are textbooks. I appereciate more than I can convey the immense effort that then Lieutenant Alley made in giving us this book. I will cherish mine given to me by a frined. I would have been honored to serve with Lt. Alley and his platoon and those who've written these incredibly useful testimonies.

I am the wife of a veteran. This book opened my eyes about the emotions by husband has fought so hard to supress. We have been married for 36 years, and until he wrote this book, I never know the pain he carried.

This should be given to every veteran of every war, and every person who knows a veteran should read it.

The book offers a first-hand account from Lee Alley and his men about the war and how it has affected them since. After reading the book, I decided to use the book as a basis for my high school students' study of Vietnam and as a means of working within the schools content reading goal. The results were powerful. The kids were totally engrossed in Lee's book. There were times when their scheduled reading time was up and they would beg me to let them keep reading!" Lee is a moving storyteller and the kids hung on every word."

The written histories and reactions really demonstrated the impact of the book and summed up its value in helping kids (and anyone for that matter) understand the Vietnam war and why we must care about those who have worn a soldier's uniform, regardless of the conflict. One student wrote, "I had always thought that most if not all men in war only cared about their own lives until I met and read about Lee. I have always thought of war as fighting and killing, but the real war is with us everyday and the decisions we make. I thank Lee for teaching me these life lessons."
Another student added "I guess you never know how someone is going to act when they come back from war because its one of those gray areas you never get to hear about in school but I look at veterans a different way now because of what Lee went through. The real hero is made when the soldier returns from war and tries to become a better person. Lee is that hero and not only that but a role model for people around the nation."

And finally, another student summed up the importance of the activity. "Although Vietnam wasn't the noblest endeavor in American history, it wasn't the worst, even though it is often portrayed as such. These men defended freedom...and that is why we must learn about it, and the sacrifices they made, or we can never truly appreciate what they did."

A great read for anyone.

This book isn't entirely about Lee Alley and his Vietnam experiences, but it easily could of been. His experiences of Nam are no different then the countless other experiences that have been shared over the years. However, what makes this book such an interesting, helpful and uplifting read is the other stories. The stories about the families trying to heal, looking for any information about their lost loved ones. The stories about the Veterans struggling with the loss of their comrades and the continual nightmares they carry around as never easy to lose luggage. The book is filled with stories of hope and how some vererans eventually find some piece of mind.
The last part of the book is filled with resource information for Veterans. How to file a VA claim, where to go to find information on line, a list of do's & don'ts for returning Veterans, even a SOP for setting up reunions.
This is a book that should be given to every service man and woman, along with their DD-214. If you know of any Veteran from any war struggling with the transition back to civilian life, get this book for them!

I stumbled on The Banquet Bug by Geling Yan in my "local independent book store." I just spent two weeks in Hong Kong and two days in Macau, so I am fascinated with anything Chinese right now. I want to better understand this vast culture and how it currently manifests.

I just finished reading the book and I am stung by the hugeness of what Geling Yan reports, of the layers and complexity she exposes, in a book presented as a "comedy" and "entertaining." This book is a brutal commentary on life not only in China but in the United States. What is presented here could be written anywhere that the disparity between rich and poor continues to stretch, anywhere where the politicians and builders are corrupt, anywhere where some people have to sell their own blood to live.

This book ends with strong, gentle acclaim for Motherhood, for Little Plum, in her outspoken wisdom, nonjudgment, and innocence. The last word, "Good" is a knife to the soul. Has he compromised his principles, or does he continue to know that what matters can never be bartered, purchased, or sold?

"The Banquet Bug" by Geling Yan centered around Dan Dong, who was laid off as a factory worker and who accidentally stumbled a lucractive part-time job, as a "banquet bug." Dan was mistaken as a journalist at a conference and he was treated to a banquet and it was the best meal he had eaten. On top of that, at the end of the conference, he along with other journalists were given some money which were "a little something for their trouble." He printed fake business cards and thus, began his journey as a professional banquet bug. Soon, he discovered the world of journalism, corruption, and basically deception. His fake job as a journalist became "real" when he was commissioned by the unfortunate, such as peasants, massage girls, and laborers to expose injustice.

This was a interesting satirical novel. Even though the premise of the novel seemed to center on Dan's job as a banquet bug, but it was actually just a stage for the author to write about more serious issues, such as corruption and poverty. The characters in the novel were memorable; such as Dan's fellow assertive journalist, Happy and his quiet but fiery wife, Little Plum. This was somewhat different from the typical Chinese novels that I have read in the past. Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed Banquet Bug. In this novel, we meet Dan Dong, a laid-off factory worker who is mistakenly ushered in to the world of corrupt journalism, decadent foods, and "money for your troubles". Highly observant of protocol and customs, Dan becomes adept at passing. Dan gradually begins to transform into that which he was pretending to be.

Geiling Yan has given us a treat. All of the characters are vividly created - from Dan's wife Little Plum, to the assertive journalist Happy, and the great artist Ocean Chen. Moreover, the descriptions of the food and locations are wonderful. The novel raises many questions - about identity, oppression, happiness, and authenticity - without sacrificing an enjoyable story. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from Geiling Yan.

Russians have long been notorious for their satirical view of life under the Communist Party government and their willingness to invent jokes about it. For example: "After waiting five hours in line to buy meat, in the dead of winter, Igor begins to snap. He starts jumping up and down, yelling, "I can't stand it anymore! This developed socialism sucks! The system is totally corrupt!" After a couple of minutes, a grim-looking type in a black trenchcoat approaches Igor, shakes his head slowly, points his finger to Igor's temple mimicking a pistol, then walks off without saying a word. Igor comes home especially dejected. His wife asks, "What's the matter? Are they out of meat again?" "Worse," Igor says. "They're out of ammo."

The Chinese are not as well known for cynically humorous self-criticism, but Yan Geling's THE BANQUET BUG adds admirably to an emergent wave of such books from Ma Jian (THE NOODLE MAKER), Ha Jin (THE CRAZED, WAITING), Dai Sijie (MR. MUO'S TRAVELING COUCH), and Annie Wong (THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE). Ms. Yan tells the story of Dan Dong, an emigrant from rural China into Beijing, where he has become a married but unemployed factory worker. Dan and his wife, Little Plum, live in an unused part of the factory, subsisting on canned goods that have passed their expiration date, electricity tapped from the nearly defunct factory, and industrial waste water of indeterminate but suspect quality. One day, Dan inadvertently gets invited to a media event that includes a sumptuous banquet of exotic dishes along with an envelope containing "money for your troubles," the Chinese way of buying good press coverage. Thus begins Dan's new career as a "banquet bug," a person who falsely represents himself as a journalist in order to enjoy the banquets and receive the money for his troubles.

The bulk of Ms. Yan's novel follows Dan's misadventures as he gradually evolves into a poor man's journalist, inadequately educated for the role but instinctively honest in his desire to report truth and express outrage at corruption and injustice. No matter what Dan does or how uninformed he is, he miraculously manages to make the right decisions and say the right things, each time gaining more credibility and greater access to important people; in this, his character is reminiscent of Kosinski's Chauncey Gardiner in BEING THERE. Along the way, Dan Dong meets the renowned artist and fellow landsman Ocean Chen, the ruthlessly ambitious reporter Happy Gao, a foot massaging prostitute named Old Ten, and a small collection of oppressed individuals and rapacious businessmen who each want Dan to write news stories that will help them. Even as Dan practices his own form of banquet crashing deceit, he sees that those he meets simply want to use him for their own ends. In Ms. Yan's China, nearly everyone is both a user and a prostitute, living without principles and selling themselves for whatever gain it affords them. Truth is utterly relative, a product of each individual's particular motivations and objectives, further perverted by State censorship and editors' fears of government sanction.

As Dan becomes increasingly worldly from his journalistic experiences, his moral decline is contrasted with that of his oddly childlike wife, Little Plum. Throughout the book, Little Plum offers an almost saintly presence - uneducated, unassuming, undemanding, forbearing, and unwaveringly persevering. When confronted, she demonstrates flashes of anger and instinctive peasant savvy, but otherwise, she seems so devoid of affect and oblivious to her husband's unfaithfulness as to be almost robotic. In the end, however, it is Little Plum to whom Dan Dong will ultimately return after his two years' exposure to the workings of modern Chinese society - the unjust factory manager who has just upgraded to a Lexus even as he claims he is unable to pay his workers, the sleazy property developer Mr. Wu, the suffering peasants looking for justice in the capital city, even the self-serving guards at a car dealership who threaten to rape Little Plum.

Yan Geling's story is filled with trenchant observations about modern Chinese life, presented in a low key, satirical voice. Whether she is riffing on China's penchant for abstruse statistics and its materialistic perceptions about art (Happy Gao chooses as a gift from Ocean Chen one of his largest paintings based on her computations of the market value per square inch of the master's work), spoofing a saleslady's real estate pitch for an as yet unbuilt complex ("She is like an instructor of Marxism, teaching beautiful ideas of communism, helping you see things far beyond the way they appear now, so you can enjoy them in advance while they are still beautiful ideas."), or simply remarking the moral emptiness of modern Chinese life (Just tell him there's no right or wrong in China; it all depends on who you know."), Ms. Yan is an entertaining and spot-on observer. She wraps her commentary in a creative and engaging story line filled with memorable characters. The end result is a delightful read as well as education in the manners and mores of the "new China" - I heartily recommend THE BANQUET BUG to those interested in China and anyone who enjoys a well-told tale from a different culture. I recommend as well Ms. Yan's earlier novel, THE LOST DAUGHTER OF HAPPINESS, a stunning book that made me an instant fan.

Dan Dong was laid off by the cannery where he worked, so he and his wife Little Plum are forced to live on only noodles and out of date canned sardines. It's not the best fare in China, but it's better than the tree barky gruel with roasted grasshoppers they'd lived on in the past. Still, it's pretty awful, so when Dan is mistaken for a reporter while he's at a posh Bejing hotel looking for a job and is ushered into a press banquet, he goes with the flow and enjoys a fancy meal.

He quickly learns that with a business card saying he is a reporter, he can crash any number of press banquets, and there are a lot of those, banquets supporting causes and products and the press not only gets to eat haute cuisine for free, but they get paid (a small bribe actually) to write favorable stories. Dan goes on an internet site and gets himself a business card and thus he becomes a banquet bug, someone who pretends to be a reporter for the free meals and the cash.

However, much to Dan's chagrin, this banquet bug business isn't exactly on the up and up and the government has spies posing as, well as banquet bugs, trying to root out the phonies. Also, Dan would like his wife Little Plum to sample some of these very high class meals, and that could lead to his downfall. Plus, he begins to grow a conscious. He starts writing, but alas it's not the kind of stories the press wants.

Dan's deception is going to lead him on a roller coaster ride of corruption, greed, great food, an affair with a reporter and will even get him arrested, but through it all Dan's inner goodness shines through. He is a great character in a great book. It's been a couple years since I read THE LOST DAUGHTERS OF HAPPINESS which I adored and I liked BANQUET BUG even better. Perhaps, because BANQUET was written in English, so there wasn't a translator between me and the author, although Cathy Silbers translation of HAPPINESS flows very well. Actually these are both five star books, just wonderful, both of them.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

As a modern day "River Rat," I started reading this book, while waiting to kick off that little invasion down in Panama, affectionately known as "Operation Just Cause" in Dec 1989, and managed to finish reading it in between "Brown Water & coastal Patrols." It's hard to put down once you start reading, and CDR Cutler does this small, sub-community of Navy Special Warfare Sailors justice (pretty unique thing to do for an officer). It's the roots & history of the U.S.N.'s "Brown Water Navy", the combat tactics and actions that are still in use to this date. I highly recommend this literature work to any person(s) that's interested in the Navy, and the and the personnel that forged the Brown Water Navy's history in the volatile rivers, canals and coast line of Viet Nam. A true reflection of courage, human spirit and dedication in the most adverse conditions. PBR= Proud, Brave & Reliable! Keep the Faith

This is a great introduction to the US Navy's river war in Vietnam. Well written, informative, excellently researched, and very fair, it really is a must have for Vietnam history buffs. Plenty of black & white photos. I wish the Cutler had included more maps to go along with the firefights he describes so well, but this is about my only complaint.

In an interesting plot twist, the 2004 Presidential Election has brought a little known arena of the Vietnam War to light. Because Senator John F. Kerry, the Democratic nominee, made his valorous service in Vietnam a central component of his primary run and the centerpiece of his nomination speech at the Democratic Convention, a group of fellow veterans has challenged his version of events that occurred in Vietnam and ran a series of commercials attacking his credibility and calling him to account for the accusations that the young lieutenant had directed at his fellow veterans after coming home. The angry rhetoric that these two groups of veterans have exchanged has been the impetus for the press to write and speak about warfare on the coffee-brown waters of Mekong Delta back in 1968. Unfortunately, it seems like many members of the press haven't done their homework and thus the stories lack the valuable background and contextual information that would have made them more accurate.
"Brown Water, Black Berets" (which is still available) is one of the few books that have been written about the fresh water and coastal navy in Vietnam and I wish it were in wider circulation. It mainly covers the southernmost part of Vietnam, which the military cut into four tactical zones, so the bottom of the country was IV Corps. If we look at a map of Vietnam, we can see that there is a wide river, the Mekong, which empties into a vast delta, just south of Saigon. Because the Mekong ran right into the heartland of South Vietnam, it became a conduit for the North Vietnamese to smuggle arms and supplies into the south in order to equip their allies, the Vietcong guerillas. To interdict these vital supplies, the United States Navy and the Vietnamese Navy had to equip a force of boats that was small enough to navigate the rivers and yet strong enough to fight off attacks from well armed guerillas. Additionally, the Vietcong brought supplies down the coast using sampans and other small boats, requiring offshore Navy and Coast Guard patrols to chase and intercept them.
To fight this new type of war, the United States Navy created a new force of light including the little "Skimmer" a tiny "Boston whaler" used for offshore use, equipped with an outboard engine, the PBR (Patrol Boat River) which was a purpose built 31 ft. long, fiberglass hulled, diesel engined boat with a jet drive (it was made by Jacuzzi - a name familiar to many suburban homeowners) which enabled it able to turn on a dime. Then, there was the Louisiana built "Swift Boat" or in the Navy parlance, the Patrol Craft, Fast (PCF). The now famous Swift was built on the hull of a transport boat that ran crews on and off the oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. These Swifts were a bit larger craft, fifty feet long, with an aluminum hull, powered by twin diesels, with screws, not the jet drive of the PBR. The boats were fast - about 28 knots - and powerfully armed with a pair of twin .50 caliber machine guns mounted over the pilothouse, with another mount on the fantail, this one an over/under arrangement of a single .50 over a 81mm mortar. Despite their weight and the firepower that allowed them to put a great deal of lead on target, the Swift Boats had a shallow 3 ½ foot draft, making it possible to get up small rivers and canals.
In addition to these craft, the Navy had larger boats designed to transport ships upriver and even constructed "Monitors" which were powerfully armed with a 40mm cannon in a rotating turret, hence the name. All these craft were necessary because in the vast delta, there were few roads and the waterways were the easiest way to get around for friend and foe alike. The men of the United States and Vietnamese navies used all of these craft to interdict the enemy's supplies and to transport ground troops and Navy Seals up river. Confronting the small boats of the Vietnamese was a perilous activity because in South Vietnam, every sampan could carry innocent peasants or a Vietcong guerilla with the machine gun or grenade. Additionally, the enemy would lie in wait along the canals, ready to seize the opportunity to ambush the patrol boats with heavy machine guns, mortars and small arms fire.
As the war went on, the Navy came up with some innovative programs in order to take the fight to the enemy, so about the time John Kerry volunteered for them, the Swift Boats and PBR began to operate more aggressively, operating in small flotillas to provide cover to each other. So, up until the later years of the Nixon administration when the United States Navy began winding down its operations, the men of the "Brown Water Navy" performed a difficult task and by all accounts, did it well. As a result, a large percentage of Navy losses in Vietnam - extremely light for offshore sailors - were on the small boats of the inland navy.
"Brown Water, Black Berets" is an award-winning book that interweaves personal stories of heroic fresh water sailors with the "big picture" of the strategic decisions. It also includes information about the design and deployment of the boats. The author, Thomas Cutler, was a veteran of the "Brown Water Navy" and his service in the last year of the war gives him the authority and experience to tell his fellow veteran's story well. Solidly written and well researched, this book will please anyone interested in military history, the Vietnam War or someone who is just curious about the type of boats Senator John F. Kerry commanded as a young lieutenant some thirty-five years ago.

An excellent and highly informative narrative of the nearly unknown world of the United States Navy's small craft fleet in Vietnam. A fine reminder to the sailors of today that individual heroism in a war fought with the machine gun and not missles is part of the recent naval tradition. If anyone can say they followed the path of John Paul Jones and went into harm's way, these sailors can, and LCDR Cutler has told their story well.

I was in the Naval Advisory Group at the same time as LCDR Cutler and I know where he's coming from. He did a great job of research. I'm really surprised at the volume of good factual info he managed to scrape up! BRAVO ZULU from an ex advisor at Rach Soi, Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Bay.

Pittalwala may allow his characters to be baffled by their surroundings, but he never leads his readers astray. Unforgettable!

I happened on this book via an interview with Mr. Pittalwalla in a South Asian-audience magazine. My curiosity was piqued by the fact that he was a graduate of my University (in atmospheric sciences, no less). That he stumbled into a writing workshop, and went on to the Iowa Writer's Workshop - that impressed me no end.

I am not normally a fan of short stories, but these are INTENSE. You need to put the book down, catch your breath, and reflect on what you've just read. I haven't even finished reading the book, but the stories "A Change of Lights," "Ramadan," and espescially "Lost in the U.S.A." are some of the best things I've read in a long time. I'm a habitual book-byer (rather an oddity for a librarian) but this is one book that will stay in my personal library for a long time.

By the way, Iqbal, if you ever read this, I love the subtle dig on page 111 about "those idiots Mistry and Narayan" never shutting up.

Mr. Pittalwala is a gifted writer and a keen observer of the individual spirit. I have never been a short story reader; I prefer losing myself in the pages and chapters of a novel. Dear Paramount Pictures changed that! With his perfectly chosen words and incredibly sensitive insights, Mr. Pittalwala magically captures sights, sounds, smells and emotions in his stories about a rich culture of India, both in that homeland and in the U.S. Each story took me into the hearts and minds of the characters, and leaving me satisfied that I have shared their secrets, fears, discoveries and resolves.

A great book. A much needed easy read. Excellent stories and could relate to quite a few of them. Great humour with serious undertones.

Iqbal Pittalwala's first book of short stories is a very good read. Pittalwala has put together a fine portrayal of the characters in the stories as well as their own readings of their life situation. He has kept the style simple and the pages pretty much turn themselves. It calls to mind Rohinton Mistry's writing in its somber take on life for, mostly, middle class "Bombayites". However, despite its dark world view, the book allows for a gently sly humor at the expense of the vivid characters that populate it.

Whether it is woman confronting her horrific history as a homeless crippled mother in "A Change of Lights" or a father and a daughter's trip to the movies in "Bombay Talkies" or a woman deluding herself about her relationship and her talent in "Guruji" or two wives of one man and their three perspectives on the same situation, we are led with a quiet wisdom into truths about their lives.

Seeing the same thing from the point of view of multiple characters is wonderful, but not particularly unique in fiction writing. Pittalwala's talent is that he can reveal multiple takes on a particular situation from within the same character as well. And all these perspectives live together in this book in a manner entirely appropriate to the multiplicity of viewpoints and life truths that exist, not just for the book's characters, but that most of us encounter in the "real" world.

The author skillfully relates his combat experiences, the delayed onset of P.T.S.D., its effect on his family, his treatment, and eventual conquest of his condition. The suspense slowly builds until the ultimate cause of his trauma, "the darkness" is revealed to the reader. Schedule your reading of "Farewell Darkness" when you have a lot of spare time. You may not be able to put this one down.

Of the numerous books written on the War in Vietnam, I believe this is the defining work of the life and times of a Marine Helicopter Crew Chief and his battles fought during and after the war.
It is a story of undying friendship, terror, laughter and the sadness of loss. But most of all it is a story about the heart of a man and his sense of duty to friends and family. It is a journey none should wish to take, but it raises the spirit to follow Ron and his battle to overcome his personal war.

It is the essence of "Semper Fidelis" (always faithful). It is the story of one VMO-3 Marine Crew Chief, a title not given nor easily earned, and the men with whom he served.
Outstanding, well written and a clarity next to none.

Great book. I have given it to my son in the hope that he may better understand his father.

When I first came across "Farewell Darkness," I was looking for an account that would give me a solid insight into the effects of combat trauma. As a novelist, I needed to get more deeply inside the head of one of my characters, and though my subject's time was different, war is still war, only the technology changes. Not only did I find what I was looking for in this book, but I also found a tremendously moving, intense story of war, trauma and recovery that should be read by anyone who lived in the Vietnam era, veteran and civilian. Ron Zaczek writes with eloquence, crisp detail and a straightforward honesty rarely found in personal accounts of serving In Country. With profound insight and courage, he sorts through the fear, guilt and anger that he suffered. And even without having been in war personally, I have learned quite a bit about how fear, guilt and anger are irrevocably interconnected and how we face similar degrees of them in everyday life. Highly recommended.

As the wife of a Khe Sanh Viet Nam veteran, I have watched my husband of 25 years deal with his own personal war - struggling through his memories of Viet Nam. In "Farewell Darkness", Ron Zaczek helped me to understand more clearly the phases my husband has gone through and the emotional hell he lives with every day. This book is a must-read for anyone whose loved one suffers from PTSD as a result of Viet Nam.

I don't know why I feel this way, but you'd think there would be a lot of Newbery winning children's authors who'd switch their focus from time to time to picture books. And yet, this is not the case. In fact, it's rather rare for someone of Lunda Sue Park's stature to go about writing for children younger than her usual fare. It's almost as if she's slumming. But Park (who won the Newbery for "A Single Shard") has discovered what most winners fail to realize. That a picture book can be every bit as morally complex and intricate as a 230-some page novel. All it takes is excellent writing and an illustrator who knows their stuff. Which makes, "The Firekeeper's Son" a perfect example of a picture book that does everything right and ends up wowing the reader with its intensity.

Sang-hee lives in a small, unassuming, and peaceful village in Korea. One day, his father informs him that their little space is infinitely important (a fact that Sang-hee has a bit of difficulty believing). But his father is absolutely correct. Located beside the sea and just next to the first of a row of mountains, it understood that in the event of a seaward attack by Korea's enemies, this village is the first line of defense. That is why, every night, Sang-hee's father climbs the nearby mountain and lights a fire that can be seen for miles. Then, someone on the next mountain will see that fire and light their own. This continues all the way to the king's palace where, if the king sees the last mountain lit, he'll know that all is well. Of course, if the fire is not lit, the king would immediately send his soldiers out to battle with the enemy. Now this system has gone on for generations, but Sang-hee is not content. He would love to see the king's glorious soldiers more than anything else in the world. Then, one night, his father hurts his ankle while climbing up the mountain. Sang-hee is given the task of lighting the fire himself, but as he nears the pile of dried twigs he thinks about how much he'd like to see a soldier up close. And the hot coals are slowly burning out...

The book weighs an individual's personal wants and fantasies against the greater good of the whole, and does so beautifully. You completely understand Sang-hee's dilemma. On the one hand, there's the fact that not lighting the fire would be a callous lie. On the other hand, "Maybe there is a soldier who would be glad for a chance to visit the sea". Park's story is based on factual information, as she mentions in her Author's Note. However, the system by which bonfires informed the king of potential attacks was, in real life, far more complex than the one featured here. As Park herself mentions, "additional fires could be lit to convey further information, so the court would know not only which province was facing danger but things like the size of the enemy forces and how well armed they were!". She provides additional resources for further reading.

It was a real stroke of luck that Park was paired with illustrator Julie Downing too. Downing plays with lush watercolors and pastels that perfectly convey not only the cool blue nights Sang-hee must run through, but also the glow of the slowly dying coals and eventual hot orange flames. If you look on the cover of the book, you can see dream soldiers fighting in the fire and the bright orange flickers reflected in the black of Sang-hee's eyes. Downing's images are the perfect compliment to Park's deeply rich story.

As historical fiction picture books go, this one has to be one of the most beautiful on record. If you'd like a picture book that lures those sometimes hard to interest boy readers, but is just as doggone interesting to the girls of the world, this book's a safe bet. It's beautiful to look at and remarkably complex to contemplate. Art in the purest sense.

The book is so interesting, so informative, and so gorgeous. Also, my kids enjoyed comparing the fires on the mountains to their favorite fantasy, LORD OF THE RINGS. The tie-in made it even batter for them.
Well done, Ms. Park, and while I am here, let me say, KEOKO is my other favorite of yours.

Set in Korea, some time in the nineteenth century, a young boy discovers the great responsibility of lighting the bonfires. When Sang Hee and his mother see that his father has not yet lit the bonfire, and see that there is no enemy coming from the sea, the boy takes up a responsibility that has been in the family for generations. He follows the path up the mountain to find his father injured and unable to climb the mountain. His internal conflict is against the temptation of satisfying his curiosity of soldiers versus responsibility. Good judgment outweighs his selfishness and the bonfire is lit. The systematic communication sends the message to the palace that the kingdom is peaceful. Park is an accomplished writer. The narrative is moving and interesting. The radiant colors of Julie Downing are well crafted.

Perhaps for centuries, the royal court of Korea kept infomred of invading forces and problems in it eight provinces through a series of bonfires lit from one hilltop to the next. In this story, a young boy and his father live in a seacoast village on the first line of defense for the bonfires. Each night, the boy's father lights a bonfire which is seen by hilltop after hilltop all the way back to the king. But when he in injured, his son must light the fire. But would it not be better to not light it, so that some excitement and soldiers will come to the village? Or does reponsibility win out?

Linda Sue Park's The Firekeeper's Son is a picture book that tells of life in a Korean village several hundred years ago. At that time fires were lit as signals that all was well. It is an exciting story the pits a young boys dreams for excitement against his duty and responsibility. Julie Downing's illustrations showing traditional Korean village life really bring the past alive.