NAM: Story of the Vietnam Generation

by Mel Smith

A riveting, historically accurate tale of war’s horror, impossible love, and ultimate redemption. This is the Vietnam generation’s story.Through battle, love's heartbreak, and unbelievable loss, follow the lives of three Vietnam War a North Vietnamese patriot and two untested American boys, as they deal with the legacy of their nations' tragedy. A historically accurate, riveting account of war, its personal cost and lingering aftermath. It was the sixties. We were the baby boomers and our fathers had fought in World War II—the heroes who saved the world from tyranny. It was our obligation to serve, as they had. To duck service, was not an option; not if you believed in life in America, the American way, and family values.• • •“No, Cam...I’m right about Vietnam and World War II,” he said, pointing the two fingers holding his cigarette at me like darts. “You’d better have a damn good reason to ask a man to put his life on the line ’cause there’s no greater sacrifice he can make. Our fathers had Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo to fight...some of the biggest evil the world has ever known. They really were fighting for freedom and our way of life. Losing wasn’t an option.“What did we have?... Huh? What the [*] did we have to fight for? Not a goddamn thing! We went because we were Americans...because we were asked by our country to go...young men always have been. So we went...and we died. That’s bravery and sacrifice above and beyond the call, my friend. Dyin’ for nothin’...that’s a hell of a thing to ask of a man.”• • •"NAM, The Story of a Generation" is a tale of times that defined a the counter culture that grew out of it; commitment without conscience; love in impossible circumstances; the unimaginable horror of war, healing hope, and renewal. The Vietnam War is the common thread that binds together the lives and fortunes of the three main characters.An epic novel about a generation and the conflict that changed two nations.

Genres: Historical Fiction

489 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2017

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 stars
This is a searing account of what the Vietnam war did to a generation of Americans. Those who went to war came home maimed in body and spirit. The author served in the US Navy during the Vietnam war. He has incorporated stories that he heard from Vietnam vets into the book. It is also a love story, of 2 Vietnamese caught on opposite sides of the war. This book made me sad at the suffering of so many people for an avoidable war. The author makes it clear that the Vietnam vets think that the war was a mistake. The book opens with two vets talking about Vietnam and worried that a new generation of politicians will send American soldiers into an unnecessary war. They are watching a little league baseball game in 1998. The book was published in 2017, so the author has made his characters look into the future with good reason. The Iraq war was another mistake.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone trying to understand what the Vietnam war did to America.
One quote: "The heavens weep at our parting, NU Chi, but the future is a bright sunny promise."
I thank LibraryThing, First Steps publishing and the author for sending me this book.

[Daniel Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

NAM: The Story of a Generation, by Mel Smith, is a look back at the 60s, to what I’ve often referred to as ‘my war’. Not because I served in it, but rather because it was what my generation talked about and debated, both during, and after the conflict. It was almost always the lead story on television newscasts, and although Canada did not have a direct part in the war, more than a few Canadians joined the US military so they could fight in it. The Canadian Army did end up there in 1973 (as they had in 1954 when the country was split after the French debacle) with a Peacekeeping force to help enforce the Paris Peace Accords, which seemed more or less like a moot point by then.

The only negative thing I found with the novel, and this may very well just be my opinion, is the skipping between locations/characters, which you would expect, and the skipping between times on top of that. Perhaps by using a recent time and giving us the background as flashbacks would have made the story a bit easier to follow. Don’t get me wrong. It was only a nuisance; but a nuisance nevertheless.

In Nam, Smith focuses more on the characters, than the war itself, and this pays off with great character development, a crucial aspect of any successful novel. The various personalities within the pages are clearly defined and although we meet people from both sides of the conflict, the personal struggles between characters mostly take place with others on their own side. I can’t say much more without giving away the complex but fascinating plots of Nam, but I can recommend this book to anyone looking to understand what life was like back then. I also commend Smith on his research into the conflict. Having studied the Vietnam War over the decades since, I was unable to find a single instance when something did not ring true.

All and all, Nam is a fascinating and important look back at a war that should have never happened.

Reviewed by Daniel L Little - November 19, 2017 – I received a free advance copy of this book to read on Librarything.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a story about war, in particular Viet Nam and how it effects all phases of our lives. This story follows the story of three combatants from the Viet Nam war. Quite a roller coaster of emotions as we relieve this period of history from the 60's. I received an arc copy and voluntarily chose to review this book.

[Martha Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in the era of the Vietnam war but saw it from a completely different standpoint as I did not go into country. Many of my friends had to go to Vietnam and my husband was scheduled to go but didn’t have to. The feelings the descriptions the accounts were excellent. This is a great historical fiction and I highly recommend it especially of those who lived through the era.

[Laura Ostermeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I could barely put down while reading. It felt timely to be reading it prior to Memorial Day. The 3 main characters lives and beginnings are neatly interwoven in a way that make their stories, and the whole novel, work so well. I don't want to give away anything so I'll just say that I highly recommend it. Skip the "Memorial Day Sales" and buy this book to read instead.

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

For The Generation Often Forgotten

This novel easily blends history with fiction to present the trials and tribulations of the generation defined by the Viet Nam War. As a men er of that generation, and a retired Army veteran myself, I found the story engrossing and difficult to out down. Highly recommended.

[Alane L Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I loved this book. It told the story of how this war affected all Americans and also gave a Vietnamese perspective. Engaging.

[Richard Failla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nam

A well written book about the era I grew up in. Proud veteran. Thank you for well written book about a difficult period in our country's history.

[Steve Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a Vietnam-era veteran, not a veteran of Vietnam, meaning I served during the Vietnam War but was never sent there. I’m eternally grateful, but never more so than after reading Mel Smith’s novel—partly, of course, because some vivid descriptions of harrowing firefights remind me of the danger I never had to face. But largely because this book captures the upheaval the controversial war caused in the lives of three combatants in a telling, impactful way.
Two are Americans from distinctly different backgrounds. The third is a fast riser in the North Vietnamese military who often feels at odds with it. He understands his countrymen in the South feel neither oppressed nor eager for the North to win. “No, these Vietnamese were content with what they had: a big sugar daddy.”
The perspective from a soldier on the other side of the war is compelling and unexpected. So is his romance with a woman in the South and where that leads.
Much—maybe even most—of this book takes place in the U.S. We’re at the Monterey Music Festival of 1967 (“a generation on the brink of cultural interruptus”), then experience aging ‘Nam vets decades later still struggling through painful re-adjustment. We’re invited to an all-night party that follows high school graduation and we witness returning vets being greeted by egg-throwing protesters. “Killers!” they shout. “We don’t want you back here.”
If you’re a Vietnam vet, or know one, or are just a younger person wanting to better understand the conflict that altered two nations, I commend this book to you. It’s meticulously-researched historical fiction that deserves more attention than it’s received.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

EarlyReviewer sent this book to me Free for a review. I did not think I would like it, but was way wrong. I would give this ten stars. Mel Smith did a fantastic job, going back and forth in time to tell this story, giving insight into a sad period of life-shattering history. He used different characters with wide-ranging perspectives and positions to represent the many different sides of this issue.