Official Review: My "Enemy" in Vietnam" by Billy Springer

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Re: Official Review: My "Enemy" in Vietnam" by Billy Springer

Post by MsH2k »

Starilanka Glowy wrote: 04 Oct 2021, 07:53 The whole"unassuming" talk seems pretty interesting especially because it is based on true stories. Thanks for the nice review.

I liked that the author's stories weren't ones of a high-ranking military leader or a top gun, but they were stories of a regular guy fulfilling his duty to his country and his conscience. They gave me a better appreciation for the veterans of this divisive conflict.

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Post by Salah bourouba »

i am against war any oppression in any kind, what the Vietnamese people said was right but the people have no choice. good review, interesting book
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Obinna9058 wrote: 04 Oct 2021, 08:45 I wish there was no more wars
I do too. I firmly believe we will get to that point eventually, but God only knows what it will take to get us there.

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Post by MsH2k »

DyanaFl wrote: 04 Oct 2021, 11:28 The matter seems worth way more than 56 pages. I'm not really a fan of histories with this particular theme but your description of 'unassuming' has awakened my curiosity. Thanks for the review.
Even after removing the duplicated section, I believe this short book shares the author’s perspective well. Part of what made him unassuming to me was that he distilled the contents to tell his experiences and nothing more. The simplicity was powerful.

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Post by MsH2k »

Fareed Regal wrote: 04 Oct 2021, 11:50 Much of what has been written about the Vietnam war focussed on the politics involved. I am very interested in hearing from someone that was actually there. Thanks to your excellent review I will give this one a try.
I think you will enjoy this book. I truly appreciated the simplicity of the format and the touching relationships the author formed in this complicated setting. Thank you for your visit and your kind comment.
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Post by MsH2k »

Iqra Rafiq 1 wrote: 04 Oct 2021, 12:39 Wars only bring misery to nations and people. Books on wars are saddening. I like the fact that you mention that the book is only 56 pages as I'm not in long stories and I like to read books with fewer pages and meaningful themes. Thanks for the detailed review.
Wars truly are sad. I think the author would agree with us on that point. What I liked about this book was how the author shared the personal relationships he formed with people that he would have not ever encountered if he weren’t in this situation. His stories are brief and meaningful.
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Post by MsH2k »

Medhansh Bhardwaj wrote: 05 Oct 2021, 03:49 I am fine with the grammatical errors: the author can and will remove them in the newer editions. But the repetition of an entire chapter? This will definitely remove a star from this book's rating. I hope the author reads this review and does what is needed to be done.
The duplication of the section was surprising, but it is an easy fix. The stories are compelling and share his unique experiences.
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Post by MsH2k »

AfraBrb wrote: 07 Oct 2021, 04:43 i am against war any oppression in any kind, what the Vietnamese people said was right but the people have no choice. good review, interesting book
Yes, it sounded like the author tried to make the best of a difficult situation.
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Post by Astral Magi »

The Vietnam War was a highly contraversial point in history and this book sounds like it approaches the time from a different perspective. Thank you for a great review.
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Post by Edit_or »

War stories are sometimes boring but the review is making me think this would be exceptional. Thank you for the review.
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Post by MsH2k »

Niens Now wrote: 08 Oct 2021, 03:01 The Vietnam War was a highly contraversial point in history and this book sounds like it approaches the time from a different perspective. Thank you for a great review.
Yes, the stories in this book approach this time from a perspective of relationships between people rather than a political or military perspective. It was a worthwhile read.
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Edit_or wrote: 08 Oct 2021, 04:02 War stories are sometimes boring but the review is making me think this would be exceptional. Thank you for the review.
For me, what made this book exceptional was the focus on relationships between people. It did not feel like the author embellished anything. He simply shared the relationships he had with others and that was more than enough.
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Post by Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala »

I may not like this book, but I like Muhammad Ali's words. Why must I inherit other people's grudges?
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Post by AvidBibliophile »

It sounds like Springer effectively described how the intersection of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War affected him personally, and the racial taunts and retaliation that so many experienced during that era must have been crushing, to say the least. I’m sure the added illustrations also gave this one a uniquely memorable quality as well, so thank you for providing such an insightful and helpful analysis of this title!
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Post by MsH2k »

Nqobile771 wrote: 09 Oct 2021, 14:24 I may not like this book, but I like Muhammad Ali's words. Why must I inherit other people's grudges?
Indeed, this is one of life’s dilemmas.

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