Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Review of "Light Casualties: A Private War" by J. C. Willis

"Light Casualties: A Private War" is an extremely well written book. It offers an unusual perspective in war memoirs. It gives us the view of a young, draftee private just doing his best to stay alive and get home during the peak of the Vietnam war. It carries us all the way from being drafted to arriving home as J.C. makes his way through time with the artillery and the infantry. The dialogue is realistic. The characters are well-developed. The voice is familiar and friendly. It's a very personal story that strikes me as a truly authentic look at what service in Vietnam was like for many people. I enjoyed reading Mr. Willis's story very much. It's one of the most authentic, real war memoirs I've ever read.

This book also has some very nice touches. The beginning of each chapter in the Kindle book has a personal photograph and map to match the setting. I love the way he scatters letters home through the book. This is simply a wonderful book, and I thank Mr. Willis for his service and for sharing his story with us. It's a good read that I recommend to anybody who'd like to see what life on the ground was probably like for many, many Vietnam veterans.
Light Casualties: A Private War

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