Across the Pond by Michael McCormick

Original Title: Across the Pond

Year Published: 1994

Published by: Vantage Press (I got my hands on this through NetGalley)

Number of Pages: 42

First Sentence: "Sean McBride, or Mac, as he was called in Vietnam, had a very bad feeling about this patrol."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

Across The Pond by Michael McCormick is the story of a young American who fights in the Vietnam War for his country, only to be rejected when he comes home. The author based the book on his experience as a U.S. Marine who served in combat.

My thoughts:

This is a really short book, only 42 pages, but it packs a heavy punch. We all know that war is never pleasant, but this did not hold back in detailing some of the gruesome things happening at war. What was worse was almost the apathy with which the author had when he talked about it. Why? Because that something so horrible becomes everyday life for a soldier after a while. 

A boy at 19 should not have to see the things that a boy at war does. Nor should he be as mistreated as so many of the Vietnam veterans were on their return home. This is also described in the book. The slow realisation that your country, which you have risked your life for, just turns its back on you. How horrible that must have been for these soldiers. 

This books should be a requirement for anyone studying the Vietnam war. 

Do I recommend it? 

Yes, I really do. It's honest and heartbreaking. Short and to the point. Go read!