Review by Booklist Review
Any competent oral history of the 1960s should have nostalgic value. Any oral history of draft evasion should raise moral and ethical issues of more than passing interest. Gottlieb's oral history of draft evasion in the 1960s works on both those counts and is also surprisingly entertaining and literate. Literate because its storytellers are mostly gifted anecdotalists. Entertaining because, given time's license to exaggerate, many have transformed memories into tall tales. The humor that some of them find in choices that were, after all, criminal infuriated patriots in the 1960s and still may today, but it is funny. Gary Isringhaus, for instance, took group therapy "to develop a case of passive-aggressive behavior--in other words, I was a pacifist, but if I was pushed into the army, I might kill my superiors." His performance convinced his draft board to conclude that "if you're the kind of guy who would kill his superiors, you're probably the kind of guy we want." Professionally edited, sorted by type of evader (expatriates, conscientious objectors, etc.), these memoirs' attractions as documents and as literature well may increase with time. ~--Roland Wulbert
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Opposition to war is as old as war itself but, writes Gottlieb, a Southern California bookseller, who collected these oral histories, resistance to the draft during the Vietnam War was also fueled by 1960s moral and political consciousness and the failure of government to make credible the Communist menace. While many draft evaders sought refuge abroad or went to prison, 172,000 draftees, citing pacifists and religious convictions, served periods of alternative service. Draft dodgers also employed a variety of ingenious scams, from flunking or falsifying physical and mental tests and records (often in connivance with physicians) to feigning drug addiction or homosexuality, or by prolonging their academic studies. Draft evaders of that era might find the book nostalgic, but other readers will wonder at its point, especially since few of the contributors have interesting observations to make. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
During the late 1960s, nothing concerned the young American male more than the Selective Service--the draft. Thousands of these young men, draft dodgers, took any means to avoid compulsory military service. Some left the country, many turned to conscientious objector (CO) status, while others feigned physical or psy chological problems to avoid the draft ``legally.'' This volume is their story in interview form, as compiled by Gottlieb over a two-year period in southern California. Contributors run from actor Chevy Chase to mostly obscure men. While many had legitimate moral objec tions to an unjust war in Southeast Asia, others opposed military service or admittedly were afraid. Although there is no literary merit here, some testimonies will stir strong emotion in readers, especially anyone who ever served in the military. If the truth hurts, then this book carries quite an impact. Nevertheless, it is an important volume. Scholars will still want to turn to Chance and Circumstance : The Draft , the War and the Vietnam Generation (LJ 4/1/78). Highly recommended. For one CO's tale, see John Balaban's Remembering Heaven's Face: A Moral Witness in Vietnam, LJ 5/15/91.--Ed.-- Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., Ala. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
