Book review on The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War

Thesis Statement

Veterans in Vietnam have a long lasting psychological and physical impact of the war and pain and anguish faced by them in the war zone has been carried by them till the end of their lives.

Introduction

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War is a relatively brief and trenchant narrative account of Frederick Downs Jr. about the period when he was serving in Vietnam as a platoon commander in Delta Company in United States Army in 1967. The book demonstrates his experiences in the Vietnam War. The book is penned in the format of a diary and Downs does not move into his political opinions or his perspectives on the war; rather it gives an impression of day to day close range encounter of Vietnamese Corps with the I Corps in the jungles.

Discussion

Portrayal of Vietnam War Era in Novel

Downs writes a very hard topic in a very easy style of writing, and does not present it in a sensationalized manner, but in a more touching way realizing the fact that it is a true account and the people associated with the war are still present. The reflective and to some extent self-appraising warts-and-all style covers all the aspects of Vietnam War; debatable achievements and undeniable tragedies of the operations, and the sharp consideration of the policies and tactical operations provides a complete analysis of the whole situation of that particular period.

I believe that killing zone is quick way to get across with the historical significance of Vietnam War. It provides a complete scenario of that time as it is narrated by the “first person” so there are less chances of biasedness and a real portrayal of the war time is depicted in the novel.

Down enlists all the significant events that happened during his short stint, get-go with his advent in Tan Son Nhut in Vietnam and terminated with his injuring through a land mine. The book is simple with clear sentence structure, purple patches. Though, there are some inconsistency in the presented ideas and truth, however as a whole, the book provides a brief background of the occurred during that spell. The book moves from several narrative shifts; from portraying a terrible picture of life and death in the jungle to friendly fire incidents, unmotivated Vietnamese Corps to the ground-emplaced mines. There will be no uncertainty in ...