Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
by Elizabeth Partridge
Viking Books for Young Readers (April 10, 2018)
Nonfiction * History * Military & Wars
Audience: Young Adult
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads: In March 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops into Vietnam. 57,939 American soldiers would be killed and seventeen years would pass before this controversial chapter of American history concluded with the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982.
The history of this era is complex; the cultural impact extraordinary. But it's the personal stories of eight people--six American soldiers, one American nurse, and one Vietnamese refugee--that form the heartbeat of Boots on the Ground. From dense jungles and terrifying firefights to chaotic medic rescues and evacuations, each individual's story reveals a different facet of the war and moves readers forward in time. Alternating with these chapters are profiles of key American leaders and events, reminding readers what was happening at home, including Kent State, Woodstock, and Watergate.
Quick thoughts on the book:
I realized that there are certain periods of history that I am more familiar with than other time periods. Lately, I find myself wandering back to the 1960's and 1970's. Searching for answers to questions about the future. And though I lived through much of these two decades, I realized that I was oblivious of so much that was happening maybe because I was really too young and also just politically disconnected.
I picked up Elizabeth Partridge's newest book, in part because I had read her previous book Marching to Freedom, and in part because the cover was so compelling. As I began to read, I was drawn in by Partridge's personal connections shared in the prologue. What I wasn't expecting was the way she utilized alternating voices of soldiers and presidents and protesters, and back and forth between Vietnam and America, finally wrapping it up with Maya Lin and the Vietnam Memorial. Partridge captures the complexity of the war through nuanced stories of individuals and multiple perspectives.
In addition to the alternating voices, the book is filled with black and white photographs. The final pages include source notes, bibliography, and an index.
Look for a copy of this at your local indie bookstore or community library.
About the author: Elizabeth is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen books, including Marching to Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary, as well as biographies of Dorothea Lange, Woody Guthrie, and John Lennon. Her books have received many honors, including National Book Award Finalist, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Michael L. Printz Honor, SCBWI Golden Kite Award, SLJ's Battle of the Books, and the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. Elizabeth is on the core faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults. www.elizabethpartridge.com
Artwork by Sarah S Brannen ©2017
Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...