Full Product Details
Author: James G. Van Straten
Publisher: University of North Texas Press,U.S.
Imprint: University of North Texas Press,U.S.
Volume: 8
Dimensions:
Width: 16.00cm
, Height: 3.80cm
, Length: 23.60cm
Weight: 0.865kg
ISBN: 9781574416176
ISBN 10: 1574416170
Pages: 576
Publication Date: 30 October 2015
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Reviews
A Different Face of War presents a soldier and practitioner of medical diplomacy discharging his duty to conserve fighting strength while fully meeting the requirement to protect the weak and the unarmed. One hopes Van Straten's legacy will inspire serving and future MSC officers. -- On Point, the Journal of Army History
[A] captivating account of Americans serving in Vietnam during the early days of a tumultuous time in our nation's history. While written as a memoir, it also serves as a heartfelt tribute to military service members and the South Vietnamese who battled communism a half century ago in the hopes of a better tomorrow. -- San Antonio Express-News
Daily letters home are the basis of this important memoir. The author s insight into all that was swirling around him was outstanding. He was on the move all the time, in the air and on the ground, in hostile territory and in the relative sanctuary of the cities. He witnessed what is recorded. If you have any interest in the history of the Vietnam War, the age-old culture, values, and religions of the Vietnamese people, the terrible effects of the war on the civilian population andthe challenges of providing medical advisory support this book is for you.I had one problem with it. I could not lay it down. LTG Quinn H. Becker, U.S. Army Retired, Former U.S. Army Surgeon General This is a fine memoir that will add significantly to the historiography of the Vietnam War. Van Straten witnessed more death and destruction than most combat soldiers, and his memories of those moments are riveting. No one can tell the story of the devastating effect of war on civilians better than a medical department officer. Ron Milam, Texas Tech University, and author of Not a Gentleman's War: An Inside View of Junior Officers in the Vietnam War In this sensitive and compassionate account of his year as an advisor, Colonel Van Straten provides valuable insights into the lives and culture of ordinary South Vietnamese struggling to survive a hellish war. An important addition to the literature of the conflict. Highly recommended. Lewis Sorley, author of A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America s Last Years in Vietnam The outcome of the Vietnam War might have been different if President Johnson had had the insights and information of then-Major Jim Van Straten, so thoughtfully shared in A Different Face of War. His stories of little Ho Thien, the gifted Dr. John Henry Giles and the German hospital ship, the Helgoland, presage what we know today as medical diplomacy. He is inspired and inspiring as he describes winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people through the best of medicine and education. John P. Howe III, M.D., Former president andCEO of Project HOPE Van Straten was a very attentive observer and has thoughtful and detailed observations of numerous aspects of Vietnamese culture. The book is full of great snapshots of Vietnamese life during the war, and of many aspects Western accounts rarely discuss. James E. Westheider, University of Cincinnati-Clermont, and author of Fighting in Vietnam: The Experiences of the U.S. Soldier In stark, yet humane language, Jim Van Straten has rendered a great service for those who still seek to understand America s failure to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. In graphic detail he describes tragedies witnessed by few Americans, and provides clues for today s leaders of America s wars on behalf of, and against, indigenous peoples. He was true to the principle that a soldier is charged with protection of the weak and unarmed. Thomas M. Hatfield, Director, Military History Institute, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
Author Information
After his thirty-year military career ended in 1986, James G. Van Straten moved into academia. In 1990 he was appointed dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA. He and his spouse now reside in Windcrest, Texas.
