A History of What Ifs
Thank you to everyone who responded to my Facebook pestering. It's not much of a marketing strategy, but it does offer some instant validation which is always appreciated. I had hoped the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War would have generated a few more column inches to augment my efforts. Apparently our news organizations forgot the event entirely. Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers received more coverage in the United States it seemed. I didn't get the dates wrong. So are medi
The Hard - as in Anxious - Sell
The family is now reading the book. This is potentially the most combustible part of the entire writing and publication process. A couple of years ago I sent out an earlier version to get corrections and comments back. I got a few brief notes, but overall the response was muted. I could have taken that as a Cease and Desist notice, but I'd already put in too much work. Worst case scenario, I thought, I'll just change all the names and locations. Even put it out under a pseudo
Cereal History
We are nine days away from Uprooted's March 8th release. I am trying to breathe a little easier now the hard work is done. I also have the opportunity to read and watch the books, TV serials and movies about Vietnam that I had avoided during the latter part of the writing process, for fear they would lead me off Tung's story. The merits of such avoidance will soon become clear. I have just started watching the History Channel's recent “Vietnam In HD” series. An emotive docume
So, Who Started It?
On March 8th 1965, the first American combat troops landed on a beach outside of Danang. It was only the most prominent of a thousand tiny steps that had been leading American soldiers closer to full involvement. My first exposure to the Vietnam War was the films that unpicked the American soldiers' experience. The subject became a sub-genre of its own in the 1980's, as a generation of film-makers each released their own depiction. These films were mostly tales of individual
So, You've Written a Book?
This story has been a long time coming. I first met Tung in the spring of 2008. Everyone in the family told me that my fiancee's grandfather had lived through some incredible experiences. “One day someone should write them down.” The arrival of my work permit timed in perfectly with the economic crash that year. So between shooting off resumes and figuring out the differences between UK and U.S. driving codes, I began reading up on the Vietnam War. Three things quickly became
