Review of Thirty Days Has September

[Michael Valentine]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Thirty Days Has September" by James Strauss.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Thirty Days Has September: The First Ten Days is the first installment of a trilogy set during the Vietnam War and written by James Strauss. This book is a fictional novel that depicts the horrific conditions of war from the soldier's perspective and from the perspectives of people on war fronts.

The main character, a second lieutenant, is dropped into Vietnam during the Vietnam War. With his first night being a rude shock from what he'd expected, he brashly confronts the Colonel, and within the next hour, he finds himself caught up in a series of events that changes his life forever. Immediately assigned, he is dropped into the middle of a live war zone unprepared. With the position of Company Commander suddenly thrust upon him, he finds himself well over his head and is completely clueless. Soon enough, he discovers that the training and principles which had been taught to them previously had no place in a combat zone that seemed completely without order. Caught in between his obvious ignorance and a couple of people who preferred him dead, he finds himself staring into death's face a couple of times. What becomes of this young and hopeful fighter?

This book is an amazing illustration of war and its casualties. I absolutely loved how graphic and descriptive this book is. From the very first pages, I could easily envision the scenarios, and it was really easy to get caught up in each situation described in the book. I also liked how the book showed the realities of war, away from the tidy order often found in most books and movies. It was clearly a war in which everyone was fighting to survive. Again, I liked the way the book ended. The last chapter ended with just enough closure to create satisfaction and just enough suspense to keep the reader primed for the next installment.

However, I had some issues with a few things in this book. The first point is that not a lot of things changed in the officer's daily account and its many chapters. It was often a repetition of another chapter with just a little difference. It made the book get tedious and a bit dull. I also didn't appreciate not knowing the main character's name. With the main character not being referred to by name throughout the entire book, it was a bit of a struggle for me to complete the book. I consider this a major setback.

I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I removed a star from my rating because of the issues I pointed out. However, I rated it this high because, despite its negative aspects, I enjoyed reading this book, and I look forward to reading the second installment. In addition to that, this book was professionally edited; I only found a few errors while reading it.

I would recommend this book to readers interested in military fiction, particularly ones about the Vietnam War.

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Thirty Days Has September
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[Chris Agbara]

I appreciate how the book illustrated the realities of war and its casualties. The graphic and descriptive nature of the book was also commendable. While I acknowledge the issues you pointed out, I still think the book is a must-read for those interested in military fiction.