Wednesday, December 24, 2014

"Good for One Ride," by, Gary McGinnis

"Good for One Ride" by, Gary McGinnis


Written from the point of view of a man that was on the battlefield

                The Vietnam War has drawn many deep scars in the souls and mind of so many of us. Regardless is we are relatives of the war heroes, we have war veterans in our family, or we fought the war ourselves, this war was and will remain a deep wound within our beings. The author, Gary McGinnis, served the military system in the Tet Offensive in 1968. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of the war and had to undertake more than ten years of therapy to release the inner pressure created by that hostile environment. So this book is written from the point of view of a man that was there, on the battlefield, and witnessed the events and atrocities that happened back there.

                If you want to have a unique inner view of what has happened during the war in Vietnam, this is the book you should read. Considering its length, the novel is short, comparing it to others. But, even in so little pages, the content is so concentrated and intense that it will be able to move you in the deepest ways. You always wanted to know what your dear ones experience while fighting in Vietnam, but you never had the courage to ask them to share their memories, as they still hurt after so many years. Now, you have a chance to finally understand the ordeal our family members and the veterans of the country had to endure in the battle zone.

                The author did not only concentrated on details about what he sees, like soldiers running around with an enormous number of weapons on their sides, harsh weather conditions and gun fires all over the place. He also told the story from his point of view, sharing thoughts, fears, and feelings about what was happening and what might happen. So this is a complete story, containing real facts and information and, as well, the human part with emotions and experience. It is a book with an amazing story for both a history enthusiast and a reader that has nothing to do with the Vietnam War. The author uses a clear and comprehensive style, almost like words have too little meaning compared to the full significance of the live scenes experienced by him. But, he manages to offer a sophisticated view of that this war meant for him and his fellow soldiers.

                The Vietnam War, with all its negative aspects, will remain a part of our history and, for so many, a constant part of their person. No matter how many books have been written on this particular subject, this war meant something different for each of us. Through this book, the author managed to offer a personal overview or the war site and managed, above all, to transmit with the help of words, how he felt during those endless days. It is a short book that is worth to be read, because it hold the unseen side of what that war meant. It is unbelievable the emotional charge a book, with so limited content, can offer the reader. It is the proof that you don’t need a lot of words to transmit an important message. The only important thing is the way you do it, and the author of the book did an excellent job regarding this part.


Good for One Ride is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1770764453


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