The review below, by Michael Keating, VVA Magazine, while reluctantly and unsuccessfully struggles to appear objective, reeks of the common disdain and lack of understanding regarding the Vietnamese people and the country which many Vietnam veterans had during their time there and that some still cling to and ignorantly perpetuate to this day.

It is sadly indicative of the closed minded rigidness that many Vietnam veterans have locked in their beliefs that there is little good about Vietnam based on their experiences there during the war. Their narrow focus and lack of empathy would not allow them see any kind of bigger picture or embrace a deeper perspective. Many of those people considered Vietnamese people sub-human or unworthly of any kind of respect, consideration or admiration. There is an inability in those to separate the people from the politics.

It seems as though Mr. Keating has trouble separating past from present. After all, it has been 50 years. Most of us have gained perspective.

One of the main reasons I wrote this book was an attempt to try to change that extremely unenlightened, narrow and predjudiced perspective.

Those who are more open-minded, who have actually studied the history and culture, and who have actually traveled back to Vietnam and spent time there, know different.

No, Vietnam as a country is not perfect. It is a struggling Third World country, currently ruled by pseudo-Communist Plutocrats. There is no democracy.

But there IS massive free enterprise and it's people and culture continue to shine with hope and determination on their journey into the future and continue to demonstrate the resilience and extreme friendliness that many of us American soldiers loved and admired about them.  

The Vietnamese people are very proud, extremely friendly, industrious and welcoming, the country is stunningly beautiful, the food is exquisite and everything is very, very cheap.

Hopefully Mr. Keating can pry himself out of the past someday.