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According to the book description of
Aint Much of a War it "is a remarkable collection of fictional tales
about the Vietnam conflict. Author Frank Grzyb salutes the men and women
involved by presenting them as human beings, illustrating their loves and fears.
Filled with wry humor, pathos, and the horrors and boredom of war, Grzyb has
crafted a meticulous document. He admits that he wishes some of these stories
were real. Contains illustrations by Russian-born and educated artist Alexandre
Kouznetsov."
According to the book description of
Hidden History of Rhode Island and the Civil War, "The smallest state to
defend the Union and one far from the battlefront, Rhode Island's stories of the
Civil War are often overlooked. From Brown University's John M. Hay, later to
become Lincoln's assistant secretary, to the city of Newport's role as the
temporary headquarters for the U.S. Naval Academy, the Civil War history of the
Ocean State is a fascinating if little-known tale. Few know that John Wilkes
Booth visited Newport to meet his supposed fiancee just nine days before he
assassinated President Lincoln. The state also contributed several high-ranking
officers to the Union effort and, more surprisingly, two prominent officers to
the Confederacy. Remarkably, Kady Southwell Brownell also openly served as a
soldier in a Rhode Island infantry regiment. Join author Frank L. Grzyb as he
investigates Rhode Island's rich Civil War history and unearths century-old
stories that have since faded into obscurity."
According to the book description of
Touched by the Dragon: Experiences of Vietnam Veterans from Newport County,
Rhode Island, "it details wartime accounts of average servicemen and
women-some heroic, some frightening, some amusing, some nearly
unbelievable-extracted from interviews with Vietnam War veterans residing in
Newport County, Rhode Island. The work is a historical compendium of fascinating
and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes this book
truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness. Relating oral
accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way. As seen
through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person experiences
of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat engineer, an
intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities emerge
gradually as the veterans discuss their pre war days, their training and
preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories
speak of fear and survival: the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy
was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a
life in a instant; and going home with a CMH--not the Congressional Medal of
Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak friendships and
simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing-both
physical and mental."
According to the book description of A
Story for All Americans (Vietnam, Victims, and Veterans) "details
wartime accounts of average servicemen and women-some heroic, some frightening,
some amusing, some nearly unbelievable. The work is a historical compendium of
fascinating and compelling stories woven together in a theme format. What makes
this book truly unique, however, is its absence of literary pretentiousness.
Relating oral accounts, the veterans speak in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact way.
As seen through the eyes of the veterans, the stories include first-person
experiences of infantry soldiers, a flight officer, a medic, a nurse, a combat
engineer, an intelligence soldier, and various support personnel. Personalities
emerge gradually as the veterans discuss their pre war days, their training and
preparation for Vietnam, and their actual in-country experiences. The stories
speak of fear and survival: the paranoia of not knowing who or where the enemy
was; the bullets, rockets, and mortars that could mangle a body or snuff out a
life in an instant; and going home with a CMH--not the Congressional Medal of
Honor, but a Casket with Metal Handles. The veterans also speak of friendships
and simple acts of kindness. But more importantly, they speak of healing-both
physical and mental."
According to the book description of
Rhode Island's Civil War Hospital: Life and Death at Portsmouth Grove, 1862-1865,
"During the Civil War, thousands of wounded Union soldiers and Confederate
prisoners convalesced in a general army hospital in rural Portsmouth Grove,
Rhode Island. Because of its location on the periphery of the action, the
hospital has remained a footnote to the dramatic sweep of Civil War literature.
However, its history and the experiences of the doctors, nurses, patients and
guards that gave it life provide a new perspective on the interaction between
the army and society in wartime and on life in Civil War America. This in-depth
account also explores the barbarities of medicine, daily routine in a general
army hospital, the role of citizens in providing aid, the later adventures of
former patients and staff, and the final resting places of those who died on the
grounds."
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