Point of View

Unfit for Command is written in the third and first person reportorial voice. Except for occasions when O'Neill is speaking as an eyewitness, the authors report mainly from official records and the testimony of other Swift Boat veterans.

Setting

Section 1 of Unfit for Command is set largely in South Vietnam from November 17, 1968 through March 17, 1969; when John Kerry served there. There are some mentions of Kerry's earlier service on the U.S.S. Gridley, a guided missile frigate that maneuvered for five weeks off the coast of Vietnam. There is also mention of his anti-war activities after returning to the U.S. in1968. Section 2 of this two-part volume deals with Kerry's anti-war and political activities leading up to and during his 2004 presidential campaign. The settings include Washington, D.C., Boston, and Kansas City.

Language and Meaning

The language in Unfit for Command is simple and straightforward with...