Review of From Boy Scout to Battlefield and beyond

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "From Boy Scout to Battlefield and beyond" by Ray CARLIN.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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According to economists, there's always a price to pay for forgone alternatives. It means we lose things for every choice we make because of the other choices we don't make. Ray Carlin's life is an example of this principle at work.

Ray always wanted to have an adventurous life. Top on the list was to be a serviceman. In this memoir, he shared how he tried to achieve this lofty dream. He also shared how he managed his romantic relationships as a young man and an advanced person.

The first thing I noticed about From Boy Scout to Battlefield and Beyond was the amount of detail it contained. Even though I would have preferred a summarized version of each story the author shared, the details were necessary to understand the author's person and approach to life. I could see every story play out as the author narrated them. For instance, when the author shared how he almost drowned, I could feel him choking as life was leaving him.

The author's photographic memory found full expression in this book. He could remember every piece of information he needed to drive home every story segment. Although I might not be able to verify some personal stories, they seemed authentic. I could believe the stories because they were told with precision.

I saw the author's effort to help the reader understand the book. He provided things to aid the reading. Pictures and diagrams served as visual aids for some parts of the narrative. The book started with a glossary of the terms and abbreviations used in the book. The glossary helped address the challenge of navigating through the military and police jargon.

The honesty and sincerity of the author was evident. He did not attempt to appease the reader by sugarcoating his stories. For instance, when he almost made the mistake of retiring earlier than he should have, he was honest about how that decision could have cost him so much. However, he could have used diplomacy in some places. Here was a statement on Page 180 that I expected the author to have moderated: "I've actually met some anti Vietnam War types who couldn't even tell me which countries actually sent forces to Vietnam. To them, I say burn in hell." While I respected the author's candidness, the people who didn't share his ideologies didn't deserve to be addressed like that. It would offend some readers.

I noticed that the author asterisked the letters of some words. I assumed they were variations of the f-word. I understood the need for the author to do that. However, I had two issues. First, there were other vulgar words that their letters were not asterisked. If the author wanted to censor vulgar words, he should have been consistent. Secondly, there were times when the entire letters of the words were asterisked. At those times, it was challenging to know what words they were. Also, the book was not professionally edited. As a result, I'd deduct a star from the rating.

The memoir was tremendous and inspiring. However, because of the poor editing and the challenge caused by the use of asterisks to censor some words, I'd rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the memoir of an ex-serviceman.

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From Boy Scout to Battlefield and beyond
View: on Bookshelves

[Rashad Deniro Price]

I think I am interested in reading about Ray Carlin's life, including his ambition to become a serviceman as well as his romantic life. Perhaps I could gain Sim insights from it.

[Aaron Joseph Maupin]

This review provides detailed insights into the book "From Boy Scout to Battlefield and Beyond" by Ray Carlin. It contains a balanced assessment of the book, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. While the reviewer found the memoir tremendous and inspiring, they deducted a star due to poor editing and inconsistent censorship. Overall, the review appears helpful, sufficient, and can motivate readers interested in ex-servicemen memoirs. However, the decision to add the book to one's library depends on individual preferences.

[Donaking]

Based on the review, it seems that "From Boy Scout to Battlefield and Beyond" is a detailed and authentic memoir written by Ray Carlin. The author's photographic memory brings the stories to life, and the provided visual aids aid in understanding. The book is honest and sincere, although it could use more diplomacy in certain parts. The use of asterisks to censor words is inconsistent and confusing, and the lack of professional editing deducts a star from the rating. Overall, it appears to be a tremendous and inspiring read for those interested in the memoir of an ex-serviceman.