Bloods: Black Veterans of the Vietnam War: An Oral History
As a senior in high school I took a class on the History of the Vietnam War.  BLOODS was not required reading for the class nor do I remember the teacher talking specifically about Black Veterans, but since I enjoyed the class I wanted to read some more firsthand accounts of what the soldiers went through.  I noticed BLOODS in the Vietnam section of the bookstore and on a whim I started reading it in the store and was really into it, so I bought it.BLOODS is the oral history of twenty black veterans of the Vietnam War, and the author is also a veteran.  The stories in it are gripping and you can sense what a horrible experience war is, particularly for these minority soldiers who are fighting for an America that hasn't always been fair to them.  This book gave me a perspective that I was glad to get.As a result of Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," there has been a renewed interest in stories of our war veterans. BLOODS provides the kinds of insights into war and the military that only those who've experienced its horrors can convey. The additional (and key) component of race adds another dimension to this remarkable tale.