Review by DC Brown -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
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DC Brown
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Review by DC Brown -- A Police Action by A. A. Freda
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Police Action" by A. A. Freda.]
4 out of 4 stars
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A Police Action by A. A. Freda is a book about life, love, and loss during the Vietnam War. Or, as the author notes, it was called a police action at the time. The social atmosphere in the US was crazy then. In the midst of this crazy is a draftee on his way to 'Nam and the beautiful woman who picked him up in a bar.
James Coppi is training in Colorado, his last stop before being deployed to Vietnam. His first weekend in Colorado he goes to town with his buddies. There he meets Samantha Powers, the young woman who picks him up by saying: “You're either gay or married. Which is it?” They spend the rest of the weekend together, and she shares some of her problems.
We see some of the training before Coppi is deployed. He marvels at the simple errors the Army makes. They are going to a wet tropical area. Why are they training in desert-like Colorado? Why don't the trainers know how to keep the guns from misfiring? Coppi becomes known as a thinking man, even though he is a draftee, a short timer.
After his deployment, the story takes place on both sides of the Pacific. The young woman who stays home struggles. She deals with sexual harassment on the job, ups and downs in her relationships with friends, and her loneliness. On the other side of the Pacific is the war. With rules often made to be broken, the men deal with orders from officers that don't have a clue. These officers see the soldiers as grunts, and as disposable.
There is excellent care taken in this novel to show us both sides of the Pacific without a lot of the politics going on in the States at the time. The War was hated, seemingly by the majority of the country. It was, after all, the era of 'make love, not war.' The social atmosphere of the times is portrayed accurately. It was barely socially acceptable for Catholics and Protestants to marry, and living together without marriage was not mentioned in polite society.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is well edited and well written. The author used his knowledge of the era well, and the story flows smoothly. I would recommend this story to mature readers who would like to know more about the Vietnam War and what society was like at that time. Also, the letters that go back and forth make it like a love story. This book has explicit sex, foul language, and violence. For this reason, I would not recommend it to young adult readers.
A.A. Freda has written a novel that is historically correct in a very appealing manner. I look forward to reading more work from this author.
******
A Police Action
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A Police Action by A. A. Freda is a book about life, love, and loss during the Vietnam War. Or, as the author notes, it was called a police action at the time. The social atmosphere in the US was crazy then. In the midst of this crazy is a draftee on his way to 'Nam and the beautiful woman who picked him up in a bar.
James Coppi is training in Colorado, his last stop before being deployed to Vietnam. His first weekend in Colorado he goes to town with his buddies. There he meets Samantha Powers, the young woman who picks him up by saying: “You're either gay or married. Which is it?” They spend the rest of the weekend together, and she shares some of her problems.
We see some of the training before Coppi is deployed. He marvels at the simple errors the Army makes. They are going to a wet tropical area. Why are they training in desert-like Colorado? Why don't the trainers know how to keep the guns from misfiring? Coppi becomes known as a thinking man, even though he is a draftee, a short timer.
After his deployment, the story takes place on both sides of the Pacific. The young woman who stays home struggles. She deals with sexual harassment on the job, ups and downs in her relationships with friends, and her loneliness. On the other side of the Pacific is the war. With rules often made to be broken, the men deal with orders from officers that don't have a clue. These officers see the soldiers as grunts, and as disposable.
There is excellent care taken in this novel to show us both sides of the Pacific without a lot of the politics going on in the States at the time. The War was hated, seemingly by the majority of the country. It was, after all, the era of 'make love, not war.' The social atmosphere of the times is portrayed accurately. It was barely socially acceptable for Catholics and Protestants to marry, and living together without marriage was not mentioned in polite society.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is well edited and well written. The author used his knowledge of the era well, and the story flows smoothly. I would recommend this story to mature readers who would like to know more about the Vietnam War and what society was like at that time. Also, the letters that go back and forth make it like a love story. This book has explicit sex, foul language, and violence. For this reason, I would not recommend it to young adult readers.
A.A. Freda has written a novel that is historically correct in a very appealing manner. I look forward to reading more work from this author.
******
A Police Action
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like DC Brown's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: The Byrds of Victory by James Robert Campbell
