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Born on the Fourth of Julyby Ron Kovic Memoir/Autobiography | Trade Paperback
"A great courageous fellow, a man of deep moral convictions and an uncompromising disposition." --Senator John Kerry on Ron Kovic "As relevant as ever, this book is an education. Ron is a true American, and his great heart and hard-won wisdom shine through these pages." --Oliver Stone, filmmaker "Born on the Fourth of July brings back the era of the Vietnam War at a time when the Establishment is trying to make the nation forget what they call the "Vietnam syndrome." Ron Kovic's memoir is written with poetic passion and grips your attention from the very first page to the last. It is a classic of anti-war literature and I hope it will be read by large numbers of young people, who will be both sobered and inspired by his story. --Howard Zinn "Ron Kovic is one of the premier voices of a generation. The large irony of his birthday provides the background for a journey which begins with the unquestioning service in Vietnam, his terrible wounding with all the anger and bitterness that follows, and ends with his passionate discovery of a large and all too human heart. I'll say this flat out: If you want to understand the everlasting reverberations of our war in Vietnam and how it impacts our current events, you must read this book." --Larry Heinemann, author of Paco's Story, winner of the National Book Award "There is no book more relevant in the 21st century to healing the wound of Vietnam, which continues to bring so much pain to our country, as reflected in the last presidential election. Ron Kovic is the kid who John Wayne sent to war -- though the actor, like so many others in the macho pantheon of American culture, never saw combat. The incredible thing about Ron is that he never lost his sense of humor nor his deeply felt outrage, which has made him an incredibly effective witness, determined that other young peoples' bodies not be wasted, as was his. It remains to Kovic to remind us that history matters, and that the cost of our high follies persists." --Robert Scheer, Los Angeles Times columnist, bestselling author This New York Times bestseller (more than one million copies sold) details the author's life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film version)--from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country's most outspoken anti-Vietnam War advocate, spreading his message from his wheelchair. Ron Kovic served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the co-screenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award-winning film based on the book (Tom Cruise stars in the role of Kovic in the film). More praise for Born on the Fourth of July:"A private and personal hell . . . absolutely essential reading." --Minneapolis Tribune "Ron Kovic's terrible tragedy is America's . . . and it has never been written 'with more force and feeling!'" --Los Angeles Times "Ron Kovic has returned from the dead and given us an honest, unrefined account of his struggle." --Washington Post "Tears you to pieces . . . everyone ought to read it!" --Kansas City Star "This book will make you cry . . ." --Pittsburgh Press "Extraordinarily effective . . . Kovic's unabashed expression of feelings . . . becomes a form of bravery." --Newsweek |
