Perspective

The book is autobiographical about the author's experiences in the Vietnam War, and as a whole is in the 1st person point of view. There are points in the book where the author describes in depth what other soldiers are experiencing. For example, on P. 93-95, there is a detailed description of what Fouel, the former Vietcong, does when he confronts Vietcong soldiers. However, the reader never gets inside Fouel's thoughts, or anyone else's except for Lt. Downs. There are a few passages that question the policy and tactics of the United States in Vietnam. These passages attack the lack of combat readiness of the ARVN, and the fact that they will not fight their own battles. In these passages, the author takes the Point of View of "we, the American forces," so these passages have a more generalized point of view, as observations and recommendations to the...