Vietnam - An Epic Tragedy 1945-1975
Everyone thinks of Vietnam as a late 1960's war but for 30 years the Vietnamese fought to make a country for their own. I was hoping to get some additional insight as to why the U.S. got involved but the book failed to supply that. It told the truth. There was no threat of this small, beautiful country invading our homeland. They wanted a communist regime, have at it. It wasn't hurting our side of the world. Yet our American egos thought we could take anyone down, anywhere. We had no idea how jungle war would play out and that the north was not going to quit; ever. Mix that with the south Vietnamese having a government they had no faith in fighting for. It was a no win situation. Yet we still continued to send individuals over to fight.
I love my country but if I was 18 in 1960-whatever and you sat me down with the information noted above, I would find whatever means to avoid fighting someone who is no threat to my homeland. The government would tire after the 10,000th time of me asking "Why?"
Great read.Hillbilly Elegy
A non-fiction account of one person's view growing up in more or less, the sticks, and working his ass off to get out of said sticks. People from his area weren't supposed to go to college, let alone an Ivy League school. He was the less than one percent that made it; with a few bumps along the way.
Relating to my grade school time, I'll put money there were some of my classmates that had some form of hillbilly upbringing and went home to something different than what I had. I wasn't richy rich but never thought twice about missing meals or having the heat off at home; they were constants for me and not sure others had the same. I never thought twice about it at the time as if you could play kickball worth anything, talk about meals or lack of heat never came up.
It's never over. That pretty much sums up the book. Those that were behind the terror paid, even if it took the locals their entire lives to do it. A more fact-based account (a shi* load of research) of the massacre versus the Hollywood puffed up version, 'Munich'.
Greg Giraldo - A Comedian's Story
The story similar to many other comedians on the road. Searching for the next bit, drugs/booze, loneliness, repeat.
Then death unfortunately in his case. He was one of the best roast comedians. Always prepared. Do a search on the person and you'll find some of the funniest roast lines.
