John Pepin

I read this book in paper form first, as it was a book required by the U North Carolina required freshman reading (I find that list a very good recommendation of reading material!).
Then I listened to it on Audible, and was as enthralled with it as when I first read it. Hilarious at times, epsecially with the descriptions of the Jewish author's interactions in the South and with fervent Civil War re-enactors.
He tries to bring out how we're still effected, and how the war is continuing into modern society, but that's where I lost him. I never got a completed sense of conclusion of what the author learned, but maybe that's the message. Wonderful listen however, and heartily recommended.

Yes I would, but with the proviso that Dr Drout seems to spend WAY too much time doing detailed synopses of the Viking literature, and far too little time on their actual history. I downloaded the book for HISTORY. While I'm that a goodly part of what historians must draw on is derived from the literature they left to us, the author spends too much time relating what happens in the epicss, which has limited value for someone who wants to know how the people lived, interacted with others, what lands they occupied, and how they impacted history. The book has limited value in that regard, and I'm somewhat disappointed.

The aurothor prefaces almost every chapter with a reading in the mother tongue. This is interesting, up to a point. After one round, OK I get it, the language is interesting and unique, but completely unintelligible. Simply not needed every chapter.

The Anglo-Saxon book was better.

Overall a very good effort by the author, I appreciate the studies and knowledge, I just wish there was less literature and more history.

I turned 18 in 1973, and Vietnam was not really in-scope for me as it became obvious the war was winding down as I finished high school and I was likely not to get called up. I have always wondered what it was really like for the people who served there. This book is it. The author is a former Rhodes scholar who entered the Marines for reasons he describes and fought well, earning a number of commendations. He is one of our nations best. He went through hell, both physically and emotionally and is very open about his thoughts and experiences, and the guilt and other feelings afterwards. He describes the difficulties in making the transition back to normal life with a number of observations and suggestions which make a lot of sense and are worthy of being acted on. This book is a vital part of our nation???s history. Well-written and easy to follow.

This is a very important book for anyone who wants to understand what the people who served in Vietnam went through, both in-country and on the home front when they got back. A must listen.

Good book, got me thinking about all of the current (and soon to come) issues with water supply. Ending is a disappointment. OK, we need to have a paradigm shift on the "costs" of water, need to charge for it such that it is not considered "free". Ya don't need to expound on that for an hour of book time especially when that point is made several times previously. I skipped the last hour, it got boring!

But overall highly recommended, the author makes some very good points and is well-written.

I will be visiting Las Vegas before it dries up.