Review of Boot Camp 1963

[Rajaee R]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Boot Camp 1963" by Joseph D. Frizzi.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Boot Camp 1963 by Joseph D. Frizzi is an autobiographical book that chronicles the early life of the author and the important events that happened at the time that changed the fate of America forever. The author blends his life experiences in the army and the major historical events that happened in 1963, the year that the author believes to be the last year of America’s innocence. This book is a compelling look at the state of America in the 1960s, which witnessed events like the ongoing Cold War, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, civil unrest, student protests, the rise of the radical left, etc.

This book is divided into three parts in which the author describes his early life, life in the army, and America’s upheaval, respectively. Each part is further divided into chapters. This book serves as both autobiographical and historical at the same time. The author revisits his life in the 1960s, training at Fort Ord, through which he lived to witness a few of the most important historical events. Training at Fort Ord comprises the most part of the book, and the rest is his views and opinions on America’s politics back then and how it changed the country’s future. From the autobiographical point of view, it was an exciting experience to read about his early life and the life in the army. The author had his good as well as bad days while training at Fort Ord. When it comes to the historical part, the author explained some of the major events that took place at the time, like the Cuban missile crisis, the civil rights movement, the signing of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream speech”, America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, etc. Towards the end of the book, the author talks about America’s upheaval and his views and opinions on various areas like politics, race, gender, and religion. Even though I had disagreements with some of the author’s views on such topics, I enjoyed this book to the core.

The author’s language, exciting presentation of his life at Fort Ord, proper placement of the descriptions of the historical events, and the inclusion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream speech” were what I liked the most in the book. There is nothing I dislike about the book. The book was professionally edited.

As I did not find any negatives and considering the above-mentioned positives, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

As the author mentions, a lot of revisionist history is being taught in the schools and colleges nowadays. So I recommend this book to young people, as it is the author’s firsthand experiences of growing up and being a part of major historical events in the 1960s.

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Boot Camp 1963
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[Priya Murugesan]

I believe this book will fascinate someone who is interested in autobiography and also American history. Thanks for your detailed review!

[Anu Anand]

I enjoyed your review, especially how you highlighted the author’s training at Fort Ord and the mix of personal story with key events like JFK’s assassination and MLK’s speech. You explained your views well, even where you disagreed. Nicely done!