I have read books before about the Vietnam War, but from the Australian perspective (since I am Australian), so reading this memoir from an American's point of view was very interesting indeed.

This was a very powerful book written by an unusual man. He was a medic AND a soldier - most people are one or the other. He was brought up in a strict Christian household and lived his life in that way and yet he was open to the cultures and beliefs of others and he questioned everything.

I think I would like Lanny Hunter if I met him. His story was a whole lot of things - confronting, shocking, honest, fair, contemplative.

The Vietnam War was awful and there were no winners anywhere. Nevertheless, you have to admire those men and women who step up and say "yes, I will defend my country, you can depend on me".

Good on you, Lanny Hunter, the world is a better place for having had you in it.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.

This was a great book. As the son of a Vietnam veteran, I always heard that the doctors and medics had the worst jobs in Vietnam, with nothing but blood, guts, and gore. It's true, and this author proves it.