Born on the Fourth of July
Book description
A former marine paralyzed from the chest down as a result of an injury suffered in Vietnam recalls his youth, battlefield experiences, and the agonies of his slow reentry into American society.
Why read it?
1 author picked Born on the Fourth of July as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Ron Kovic’s story powerfully mirrors the history of the 1960s. He was inspired by JFK’s passionate 1961 inaugural speech (“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. . . “); devastated by JFK's assassination in 1963; joined the Marines right out of high school to do his part and landed in Vietnam in 1965; suffered paralyzing wounds there in 1968; and became a lifelong anti-war activist by 1975.
It’s on my list because of the way it traces the dramatic arc of those times. The flag-waving kids of the late 50s…
From Alice's list on the Vietnam War and what it all meant.
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