What do you think?
Rate this book
Across the Pond
Across The Pond by Michael McCormick is the story of a young American who fights in the Vietnam War for his country, only to be rejected when he comes home. The author based the book on his experience as a U.S. Marine who served in combat.
- GenresFiction
42 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Michael McCormick
2 books1 followerMichael McCormick is the author of Across the Pond, the story of a young American who fights for his country during the Vietnam war, only to be rejected by the very society that sent him to war in the first place. Upon returning to the United States, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart. After the war, Michael earned his B.A. in psychology and his M.A. in clinical psychology. He has worked with other Vietnam veterans. He lives in Oakland, California with his wife Gina and rides his motorcycle daily, rain or shine.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 1, 2015
2.5 Stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I always find it hard to say something about a book that's obviously as personal as this one. It is without a doubt a very felt account of one's time in Vietnam. But as a story, it fell short for me.
Basically because it was all over the place. It is a very short story and it's divided into so many flashbacks and changes of timepoints that I still got confused and it was hard for me to get into the story.
I think it might probably work a lot better if you have your own memories to the Vietnam war or that time period, but I noticed that it wasn't really for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I always find it hard to say something about a book that's obviously as personal as this one. It is without a doubt a very felt account of one's time in Vietnam. But as a story, it fell short for me.
Basically because it was all over the place. It is a very short story and it's divided into so many flashbacks and changes of timepoints that I still got confused and it was hard for me to get into the story.
I think it might probably work a lot better if you have your own memories to the Vietnam war or that time period, but I noticed that it wasn't really for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 3, 2015
For those of us who stayed home, praying for brother, boyfriend, cousins to come home safe after Vietnam, this is a shocking reminder of those times. Michael McCormick brings back into focus the horrors of war: killing, fear of being killed, turning around to find that your buddy is dead. Day after day, here in the States, we saw TV reports of the "body count." But the bodies and souls of our military warriors are real; those who survived came home. Some, like the character Sean McBride, kept riding, looking for something to make it all worthwhile. We cry, shout, lament. There surely are many more stories to tell. The crisp, staccato pace of this novella is like war.The homecoming does not sound like peace. We need to keep working on that. Superb, must-read story!
March 7, 2015
This book brought lots of memories for me. My dad was in the Vietnam War and he used to tell me a few stories. He told me about what he did while there and ARMY songs they sang. He never told me anything bad, usually. This book reminded me of my Dad, I lost him 6 years ago and I miss him sooo much everyday. I enjoyed this book a little more since this made me feel closer to him again and I have always been a little curious about the war because of him. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
March 30, 2015
This is an interesting short novel about a young soldier who fought in Vietnam War. I felt so much emotions in this book, with the descriptive details of the violent scenes in the war and the struggles of the protagonist's life after his homecoming.
A compelling yet emotionally painful read. If this was a full-length novel then i don't think I will be able to finish reading it without having an emotional breakdown.
A recommended read that will give the readers insight of what the Vietnam War veterans' life were after the war.
A compelling yet emotionally painful read. If this was a full-length novel then i don't think I will be able to finish reading it without having an emotional breakdown.
A recommended read that will give the readers insight of what the Vietnam War veterans' life were after the war.
April 24, 2018
This might be better called a short story than a book. I finished it in one reading this morning. My cousin never came home from Vietnam. This book was an eye-opener, for sure. I cannot imagine what the Vietnam Veteran went through serving in Vietnam. This book helps to open one's eyes to what we sent our boys over there to do and then didn't welcome them home. Shame on us as a country. I see Veterans almost every day in my job. I always make sure to thank them for their service to our country. Welcome home.
February 15, 2017
Short, but powerful. This is an honest and no-nonsense account of the Vietnam War from a marines point-of-view. It doesn't hold back and makes you realise just how gruesome the Vietnam War really was. A recommended read to accompany anyone interested in the war or currently studying the Vietnam war for school. Full review over here: https://rickusbookshelf.wordpress.com...
May 30, 2015
Review of Across The Pond by Michael McCormick
I was awed by Michael McCormick’s stunning novella, which is based on his experience in Vietnam during the Tet offensive in 1968. There is such power and emotion in this simply told story of a young Marine, Sean, or Mac, as he is known in Vietnam.
Gripping, raw, visceral, McCormick assaults your senses, telling the story in a straightforward manner, like the great masters, with showing, never telling, without distracting embellishments and, in McCormick’s own beautiful imagery, like a pebble skimmed across a pond with ripples expanding outward.
It is a story of betrayal, of sights, experiences, and behaviors too horrifying and painful to be analyzed or interpreted. McCormick leaves that to the reader. He paints with a broad brushstroke, never sparing the depth of atrocity and yet at times, writing like a poet, speaking to our hearts and souls.
McCormick gives snippets of life before Vietnam to flesh out the man Sean is, to give a glimpse at how the man of courage and honesty and loyalty develops: a man who loved his family, his country, and felt it his duty to serve, a man who pushed aside his fears in Vietnam to attempt to save his brothers, to do what no one should ever have to see or do.
I’ve seen realistic portrayals of Vietnam in movies but this novella has the urgency and ring of truth like no other. I felt the action, the fear in the belly, the dry mouth McCormick speaks of. This is pure story without a false move. McCormick does not step out of the moment. You, as reader, are always in the present. No details, analysis, or introspection distract from the sense of immediacy.
How does McCormick do it? By putting us there: we are on the battlefield going house-to-house, street-to-street, searching out the enemy, ever fearful of mines and bombs and gunfire. We feel the betrayal of authorities, the turning of backs against returning Veterans, the compassion of a woman wounded by a war death, her search of understanding, because it is our own.
I can’t help but like Sean with his love of family and country, his courage and integrity, his loyalty to comrades. There is a lovely scene of how Mac is touched by the honesty of a woman looking for answers: two people wounded by war who come together briefly to heal. There are other poignant moments, an encounter with a homeless vet, sharing a sandwich. Stunning, simple, evocative.
I know someone who risked his life in Vietnam to save others. I’d always wondered why he did it, what went through his mind. He’d get embarrassed and couldn’t explain it—“it’s what I was supposed to do.” With one paragraph in this story I understood a soldier’s perspective: the fear, overcoming it, perhaps the call of duty, the desire to help fallen comrades that stirs the altruistic action we call heroism and courage. I don’t think anyone knows how he or she will respond in this situation, but that episode made it clearer to me on a feeling level.
In his eloquent Forward Ron Kovic, author of the autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, compares McCormick to Erich Remarque and Steven Crane. I would add Hemingway to that list for McCormick’s brevity of language, the sparse descriptions, and letting the story speak for itself. I hope McCormick will write more. He is a great voice for a generation of Veterans who were not treated well by the country they fought for. As Ron Kovic points out, this story, like All Quiet on the Western Front and Red Badge of Courage, rises above one war; it speaks of the brutality and horror of every war and of the men and women who fight it.
I was awed by Michael McCormick’s stunning novella, which is based on his experience in Vietnam during the Tet offensive in 1968. There is such power and emotion in this simply told story of a young Marine, Sean, or Mac, as he is known in Vietnam.
Gripping, raw, visceral, McCormick assaults your senses, telling the story in a straightforward manner, like the great masters, with showing, never telling, without distracting embellishments and, in McCormick’s own beautiful imagery, like a pebble skimmed across a pond with ripples expanding outward.
It is a story of betrayal, of sights, experiences, and behaviors too horrifying and painful to be analyzed or interpreted. McCormick leaves that to the reader. He paints with a broad brushstroke, never sparing the depth of atrocity and yet at times, writing like a poet, speaking to our hearts and souls.
McCormick gives snippets of life before Vietnam to flesh out the man Sean is, to give a glimpse at how the man of courage and honesty and loyalty develops: a man who loved his family, his country, and felt it his duty to serve, a man who pushed aside his fears in Vietnam to attempt to save his brothers, to do what no one should ever have to see or do.
I’ve seen realistic portrayals of Vietnam in movies but this novella has the urgency and ring of truth like no other. I felt the action, the fear in the belly, the dry mouth McCormick speaks of. This is pure story without a false move. McCormick does not step out of the moment. You, as reader, are always in the present. No details, analysis, or introspection distract from the sense of immediacy.
How does McCormick do it? By putting us there: we are on the battlefield going house-to-house, street-to-street, searching out the enemy, ever fearful of mines and bombs and gunfire. We feel the betrayal of authorities, the turning of backs against returning Veterans, the compassion of a woman wounded by a war death, her search of understanding, because it is our own.
I can’t help but like Sean with his love of family and country, his courage and integrity, his loyalty to comrades. There is a lovely scene of how Mac is touched by the honesty of a woman looking for answers: two people wounded by war who come together briefly to heal. There are other poignant moments, an encounter with a homeless vet, sharing a sandwich. Stunning, simple, evocative.
I know someone who risked his life in Vietnam to save others. I’d always wondered why he did it, what went through his mind. He’d get embarrassed and couldn’t explain it—“it’s what I was supposed to do.” With one paragraph in this story I understood a soldier’s perspective: the fear, overcoming it, perhaps the call of duty, the desire to help fallen comrades that stirs the altruistic action we call heroism and courage. I don’t think anyone knows how he or she will respond in this situation, but that episode made it clearer to me on a feeling level.
In his eloquent Forward Ron Kovic, author of the autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, compares McCormick to Erich Remarque and Steven Crane. I would add Hemingway to that list for McCormick’s brevity of language, the sparse descriptions, and letting the story speak for itself. I hope McCormick will write more. He is a great voice for a generation of Veterans who were not treated well by the country they fought for. As Ron Kovic points out, this story, like All Quiet on the Western Front and Red Badge of Courage, rises above one war; it speaks of the brutality and horror of every war and of the men and women who fight it.
January 30, 2017
I was awed by Michael McCormick’s stunning novella, which is based on his experience in Vietnam during the Tet offensive in 1968. There is such power and emotion in this simply told story of a young Marine, Sean, or Mac, as he is known in Vietnam.
Gripping, raw, visceral, McCormick assaults your senses, telling the story in a straightforward manner, like the great masters, with showing, never telling, without distracting embellishments and, in McCormick’s own beautiful imagery, like a pebble skimmed across a pond with ripples expanding outward.
It is a story of betrayal, of sights, experiences, and behaviors too horrifying and painful to be analyzed or interpreted. McCormick leaves that to the reader. He paints with a broad brushstroke, never sparing the depth of atrocity and yet at times, writing like a poet, speaking to our hearts and souls.
McCormick gives snippets of life before Vietnam to flesh out the man Sean is, to give a glimpse at how the man of courage and honesty and loyalty develops: a man who loved his family, his country, and felt it his duty to serve, a man who pushed aside his fears in Vietnam to attempt to save his brothers, to do what no one should ever have to see or do.
I’ve seen realistic portrayals of Vietnam in movies but this novella has the urgency and ring of truth like no other. I felt the action, the fear in the belly, the dry mouth McCormick speaks of. This is pure story without a false move. McCormick does not step out of the moment. You, as reader, are always in the present. No details, analysis, or introspection distract from the sense of immediacy.
How does McCormick do it? By putting us there: we are on the battlefield going house-to-house, street-to-street, searching out the enemy, ever fearful of mines and bombs and gunfire. We feel the betrayal of authorities, the turning of backs against returning Veteranss, the compassion of a woman wounded by a war death, her search of understanding, because it is our own.
I can’t help but like Sean with his love of family and country, his courage and integrity, his loyalty to comrades. There is a lovely scene of how Mac is touched by the honesty of a woman looking for answers: two people wounded by war who come together briefly to heal. There are other poignant moments, an encounter with a homeless vet, sharing a sandwich. Stunning, simple, evocative.
I know someone who risked his life in Vietnam to save others. I’d always wondered why he did it, what went through his mind. He’d get embarrassed and couldn’t explain it—“it’s what I was supposed to do.” With one paragraph in this story I understood a soldier’s perspective: the fear, overcoming it, perhaps the call of duty, the desire to help fallen comrades that stirs the altruistic action we call heroism and courage. I don’t think anyone knows how he or she will respond in this situation, but that episode made it clearer to me on a feeling level.
In his eloquent Forward Ron Kovic, author of the autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, compares McCormick to Erich Remarque and Steven Crane. I would add Hemingway to that list for McCormick’s brevity of language, the sparse descriptions, and letting the story speak for itself. I hope McCormick will write more. He is a great voice for a generation of Veterans who were not treated well by the country they fought for. As Ron Kovic points out, this story, like All Quiet on the Western Front and Red Badge of Courage, rises above one war; it speaks of the brutality and horror of every war and of the men and women who fight it.
Gripping, raw, visceral, McCormick assaults your senses, telling the story in a straightforward manner, like the great masters, with showing, never telling, without distracting embellishments and, in McCormick’s own beautiful imagery, like a pebble skimmed across a pond with ripples expanding outward.
It is a story of betrayal, of sights, experiences, and behaviors too horrifying and painful to be analyzed or interpreted. McCormick leaves that to the reader. He paints with a broad brushstroke, never sparing the depth of atrocity and yet at times, writing like a poet, speaking to our hearts and souls.
McCormick gives snippets of life before Vietnam to flesh out the man Sean is, to give a glimpse at how the man of courage and honesty and loyalty develops: a man who loved his family, his country, and felt it his duty to serve, a man who pushed aside his fears in Vietnam to attempt to save his brothers, to do what no one should ever have to see or do.
I’ve seen realistic portrayals of Vietnam in movies but this novella has the urgency and ring of truth like no other. I felt the action, the fear in the belly, the dry mouth McCormick speaks of. This is pure story without a false move. McCormick does not step out of the moment. You, as reader, are always in the present. No details, analysis, or introspection distract from the sense of immediacy.
How does McCormick do it? By putting us there: we are on the battlefield going house-to-house, street-to-street, searching out the enemy, ever fearful of mines and bombs and gunfire. We feel the betrayal of authorities, the turning of backs against returning Veteranss, the compassion of a woman wounded by a war death, her search of understanding, because it is our own.
I can’t help but like Sean with his love of family and country, his courage and integrity, his loyalty to comrades. There is a lovely scene of how Mac is touched by the honesty of a woman looking for answers: two people wounded by war who come together briefly to heal. There are other poignant moments, an encounter with a homeless vet, sharing a sandwich. Stunning, simple, evocative.
I know someone who risked his life in Vietnam to save others. I’d always wondered why he did it, what went through his mind. He’d get embarrassed and couldn’t explain it—“it’s what I was supposed to do.” With one paragraph in this story I understood a soldier’s perspective: the fear, overcoming it, perhaps the call of duty, the desire to help fallen comrades that stirs the altruistic action we call heroism and courage. I don’t think anyone knows how he or she will respond in this situation, but that episode made it clearer to me on a feeling level.
In his eloquent Forward Ron Kovic, author of the autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, compares McCormick to Erich Remarque and Steven Crane. I would add Hemingway to that list for McCormick’s brevity of language, the sparse descriptions, and letting the story speak for itself. I hope McCormick will write more. He is a great voice for a generation of Veterans who were not treated well by the country they fought for. As Ron Kovic points out, this story, like All Quiet on the Western Front and Red Badge of Courage, rises above one war; it speaks of the brutality and horror of every war and of the men and women who fight it.
February 12, 2015
This book is brilliant! It’s remarkable to think that truth exists behind the narrative of this book as many of us have heard the stories of the Vietnam vets that were rejected and abused after serving their country overseas during a war. It’s disgusting to think that we can treat our own men and women with such disservice yet we can give others that have become burdens on society better treatment. People forget that if it wasn’t for these brave young men and women that we wouldn’t be living the way we are now. Anyways, I digress from the point of the book.
This may be a short novel but it’s definitely not short on detail or emotional grip. It recounts a story of a young soldier who is not a Vietnam vet and after having fought in the very controversial and dangerous war has come home to the USA only to be rejected – to be deemed the enemy by those that fail to recognize that their rights only exist because of what these brave soldiers do. This book will have you hooked from the very beginning as it tells of barbaric and disturbing scenes from overseas in Vietnam to the story of the young vet that has to come home and deals with utter hatred from his own country. If this doesn’t cause you to feel some sort of emotion then I don’t think you’re reading the right story or in the right country. I struggled past my emotions and kept on reading until the very end, hoping that there was some peaceful resolve, some happy ending, some consolidation – but folks, this is real life and not a story book so what you get is real and unfortunately real doesn’t always amount to happiness.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a riveting, heartfelt, and real book about the atrocity of the USA towards the Vietnam vets.
I’ll leave you with a quote from the book: “He understood now. There would be no help from his country. He had only himself, his family, and his Vietnam veteran brothers. They would have to help each other.”
This may be a short novel but it’s definitely not short on detail or emotional grip. It recounts a story of a young soldier who is not a Vietnam vet and after having fought in the very controversial and dangerous war has come home to the USA only to be rejected – to be deemed the enemy by those that fail to recognize that their rights only exist because of what these brave soldiers do. This book will have you hooked from the very beginning as it tells of barbaric and disturbing scenes from overseas in Vietnam to the story of the young vet that has to come home and deals with utter hatred from his own country. If this doesn’t cause you to feel some sort of emotion then I don’t think you’re reading the right story or in the right country. I struggled past my emotions and kept on reading until the very end, hoping that there was some peaceful resolve, some happy ending, some consolidation – but folks, this is real life and not a story book so what you get is real and unfortunately real doesn’t always amount to happiness.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a riveting, heartfelt, and real book about the atrocity of the USA towards the Vietnam vets.
I’ll leave you with a quote from the book: “He understood now. There would be no help from his country. He had only himself, his family, and his Vietnam veteran brothers. They would have to help each other.”
March 29, 2015
Across the Pond by Michael McCormick is the story of a young American who fights for his country during the war in Vietnam, only to be rejected when he returns home. The author, based the book on his personal experience as an infantry squad leader who served in combat.
In the foreword for the book, author Ron Kovic writes, “This little book grips the reader from the very beginning and does not let go.”
Across the Pond is a novella that has a total of 54 pages, so it’s easy to sit down and read in one sitting. I think I read it in about an hour, stopping to take short breaks when the story got too overwhelming.
I have always had a heart for the veterans of the Vietnam era. They were treated poorly when they came home from a horrendous war. Most were unable to even talk about the horrors they witnessed and many suffered with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These are some of the topics that the author touches on in Across the Pond.
Ron Kovic mentions in his foreword that Across the Pond should be required reading of high school students and I agree. The book, while fiction, gives an accurate view of the American soldier in Vietnam and doesn’t have any questionable language or sexual content. There are some times that I was overwhelmed enough to stop and put it down for a few minutes because what I was reading was emotional.
I highly recommend this book for Vietnam veterans and their families, students wanting to learn more about our American soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and those who are interested in warfare’s effect on the Vietnam soldier.
I received this book for free from Elite Book Promotions and I am a part of the blog tour for Across the Pond running from March 30, 2015 through April 3, 2015.
http://www.sandyspov.net/across-the-p...
In the foreword for the book, author Ron Kovic writes, “This little book grips the reader from the very beginning and does not let go.”
Across the Pond is a novella that has a total of 54 pages, so it’s easy to sit down and read in one sitting. I think I read it in about an hour, stopping to take short breaks when the story got too overwhelming.
I have always had a heart for the veterans of the Vietnam era. They were treated poorly when they came home from a horrendous war. Most were unable to even talk about the horrors they witnessed and many suffered with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These are some of the topics that the author touches on in Across the Pond.
Ron Kovic mentions in his foreword that Across the Pond should be required reading of high school students and I agree. The book, while fiction, gives an accurate view of the American soldier in Vietnam and doesn’t have any questionable language or sexual content. There are some times that I was overwhelmed enough to stop and put it down for a few minutes because what I was reading was emotional.
I highly recommend this book for Vietnam veterans and their families, students wanting to learn more about our American soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and those who are interested in warfare’s effect on the Vietnam soldier.
I received this book for free from Elite Book Promotions and I am a part of the blog tour for Across the Pond running from March 30, 2015 through April 3, 2015.
http://www.sandyspov.net/across-the-p...
March 29, 2015
Across the Pond by Michael McCormick is the story of a young American who fights for his country during the war in Vietnam, only to be rejected when he returns home. The author, based the book on his personal experience as an infantry squad leader who served in combat.
In the foreword for the book, author Ron Kovic writes, “This little book grips the reader from the very beginning and does not let go.”
Across the Pond is a novella that has a total of 54 pages, so it’s easy to sit down and read in one sitting. I think I read it in about an hour, stopping to take short breaks when the story got too overwhelming.
I have always had a heart for the veterans of the Vietnam era. They were treated poorly when they came home from a horrendous war. Most were unable to even talk about the horrors they witnessed and many suffered with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These are some of the topics that the author touches on in Across the Pond.
Ron Kovic mentions in his foreword that Across the Pond should be required reading of high school students and I agree. The book, while fiction, gives an accurate view of the American soldier in Vietnam and doesn’t have any questionable language or sexual content. There are some times that I was overwhelmed enough to stop and put it down for a few minutes because what I was reading was emotional.
I highly recommend this book for Vietnam veterans and their families, students wanting to learn more about our American soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and those who are interested in warfare’s effect on the Vietnam soldier.
I received this book for free from Elite Book Promotions and I am a part of the blog tour for Across the Pond running from March 30, 2015 through April 3, 2015.
http://www.sandyspov.net/across-the-p...
In the foreword for the book, author Ron Kovic writes, “This little book grips the reader from the very beginning and does not let go.”
Across the Pond is a novella that has a total of 54 pages, so it’s easy to sit down and read in one sitting. I think I read it in about an hour, stopping to take short breaks when the story got too overwhelming.
I have always had a heart for the veterans of the Vietnam era. They were treated poorly when they came home from a horrendous war. Most were unable to even talk about the horrors they witnessed and many suffered with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These are some of the topics that the author touches on in Across the Pond.
Ron Kovic mentions in his foreword that Across the Pond should be required reading of high school students and I agree. The book, while fiction, gives an accurate view of the American soldier in Vietnam and doesn’t have any questionable language or sexual content. There are some times that I was overwhelmed enough to stop and put it down for a few minutes because what I was reading was emotional.
I highly recommend this book for Vietnam veterans and their families, students wanting to learn more about our American soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and those who are interested in warfare’s effect on the Vietnam soldier.
I received this book for free from Elite Book Promotions and I am a part of the blog tour for Across the Pond running from March 30, 2015 through April 3, 2015.
http://www.sandyspov.net/across-the-p...
April 23, 2015
Characters: Mac was an amazing and strong character who suffered much because of the war and the aftereffects of war. I don't know if I would have been able to endure everything that Mac had went through. After his first horrible experience in the book, which began my never ending tears for him, I don't think I could have continued like he had. I was so appalled by how people reacted toward him near the end (except for Lupa), and it makes me mad that this book was a reflection of what really happened after the war. Mac had suffered a lot (like every other Vietnam Veteran) and came back to home just to suffer more at the hands of people who should have been there as emotional/mental support.
Plot/Content: This was a war novella so there are scenes that are very depressing and Michael McCormick wrote it very bluntly and suddenly.
Other: Surprisingly (good surprisingly), the novella didn't have much language even though it was a war novel (and usually when reading war novels, there is a lot of language). This novella was short, and I am torn between wishing it was longer and glad that it wasn't that long. I wished it had been longer because I would have loved to have delved deeper into Mac and his life, but I think that it would have caused me to have an emotional breakdown. It was an easy novella to get into but hard to put down.
*Note: I received this book free from Elite Book Promotions and Michael McCormick in exchange for an honest review.
Plot/Content: This was a war novella so there are scenes that are very depressing and Michael McCormick wrote it very bluntly and suddenly.
Other: Surprisingly (good surprisingly), the novella didn't have much language even though it was a war novel (and usually when reading war novels, there is a lot of language). This novella was short, and I am torn between wishing it was longer and glad that it wasn't that long. I wished it had been longer because I would have loved to have delved deeper into Mac and his life, but I think that it would have caused me to have an emotional breakdown. It was an easy novella to get into but hard to put down.
*Note: I received this book free from Elite Book Promotions and Michael McCormick in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2015
Having read some reviews of this novel, all of which laud it to the skies, and having read the equally eulogistic introduction from Ron Kovic, who compares it with other great war novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front and The Red Badge of Courage, I was expecting something quite special. But I didn’t get it and I simply don’t understand why readers are so enthusiastic about this spare, short novella which although visceral and obviously deeply felt, is not particularly good fiction. Based on the author’s own experiences as a US Marine in Vietnam, it tells the story of Sean McBride, or Mac, as he experiences all the horrors of that terrible war, and we follow him on his return to the States where the war has become increasingly unpopular and, as so many of the vets were, Mac is rejected by society. It is indeed a moving and compelling story with a universal application, but as a piece of literature it doesn’t have much to commend it. The narrative is simply a chronicle of events with no attempt to get inside the character’s head, and with no analysis or character development. As a true-life account it certainly has merit, but to compare it to Remarque, or Leon Uris, is to overpraise it. Nevertheless, as an authentic account of the Vietnam War seen through the eyes of one of the protagonists it does have merit, and I was glad to have discovered it thanks to Netgalley.
February 17, 2015
What a powerful little novel this is. It is only 42 pages long but filled with word images that may never leave me. I know a lot of guys who went to Vietnam. Those who came back were disillusioned and angry, not the same people as when they left. None of them to this day will talk about it. If you ask them, they will kind of glare at you and turn around and walk away. I was not one of those who took part in the anti war movement--but I definitely remember it like it was yesterday.
Because this was not a "declared" war the returning vets got very little help and a lot of them ended up jobless and homeless. There are still Vietnam vets out there jobless and homeless and still very angry.
This book answered a lot of my questions--but be careful what you wish for and most important-don't ever let this happen again to another generation of young Americans. Across the Pond
Because this was not a "declared" war the returning vets got very little help and a lot of them ended up jobless and homeless. There are still Vietnam vets out there jobless and homeless and still very angry.
This book answered a lot of my questions--but be careful what you wish for and most important-don't ever let this happen again to another generation of young Americans. Across the Pond
February 12, 2015
Across the pond is extremely well-written and full of graphic details that are painful to read. As I read the book I found myself zoning off and putting myself in Mac’s shoes. The multiple firefights became easy to picture, watching friends die, and smelling so much death around. I feel like the burdens that are burned into McBride’s mind are passed onto the reader in many ways. War is something that nobody should ever have to experience; the things you see are horrendous and terrifying. Reading this story it shows how terribly veterans were treated and forgotten after Vietnam. Our countries vets are vital to our everyday life and have skills and knowledge that is beneficial to our workforce. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand veterans and what they go through. I’d like to thank the author for having the courage and motivation to share his story with the world.
September 26, 2015
Across the Pond is a powerful novella that shows how the Vietnam War, and its immediate aftermath, affected one man and those around him. It does contain realistic, and sometimes emotionally painful to read, descriptions of war. The author does not hold anything back. While the book was short (I wanted more!), it was a complete story that ultimately left me a bit sad but satisfied with what I read. I have admit this book touched me personally. My father initially enlisted during the Vietnam War (he retired from the military about 12 years ago), and I married a former U.S. Marine.
McCormick did an amazing job recreating the Vietnam War, what it is like being in the Marines, and how hard it can be coming back home after serving during a war. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military history, history, and/or memoirs. Actually, this book is great for anyone who enjoys a well written, powerful, story.
McCormick did an amazing job recreating the Vietnam War, what it is like being in the Marines, and how hard it can be coming back home after serving during a war. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military history, history, and/or memoirs. Actually, this book is great for anyone who enjoys a well written, powerful, story.
June 5, 2015
Dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War, Across the Pond tells of a young man who fought for his country in Vietnam, returned home, and faced abandonment and hostility because of his actions overseas. This subject might not be a new one to many, but the heart of any story lies in the way it's told - and Across the Pond is an enlightening, moving saga that explains not just one young man's changes, but how America changed because of Vietnam.
One might anticipate a weighty survey, but the pleasure in this book, in contrast to similar-sounding discussions, lies in its brevity, which succeeds in packing a punch using only 50 pages.
So if it's an in-depth tome that is appealing, look elsewhere. Across the Pond is more of a quiet statement, based on the author's personal experiences, and proves that one need not be excessively wordy to capture the emotions and power of the aftermath of war and the plight of war veterans who received little or no support upon returning home.
One might anticipate a weighty survey, but the pleasure in this book, in contrast to similar-sounding discussions, lies in its brevity, which succeeds in packing a punch using only 50 pages.
So if it's an in-depth tome that is appealing, look elsewhere. Across the Pond is more of a quiet statement, based on the author's personal experiences, and proves that one need not be excessively wordy to capture the emotions and power of the aftermath of war and the plight of war veterans who received little or no support upon returning home.
April 20, 2018
My dad was haunted by the experience if being in Vietnam & the only time he would talk about it was if he was drinking. When I was younger I didn't realize just how much he was affected & that the stories he told were the few, little things that were what he held on to as he tried to mask & forget the more terrible things. This book shines a flashlight on all of that. Nicely put together to give you a little glimpse of what the vets went through & experienced but it's only the tip of the iceberg, it would be great to read a full novel.
I was provided with an Arc though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided with an Arc though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2015
Review: ACROSS THE POND by Michael McCormick (Vietnam Veteran)
The Vietnam War has a literature all its own--really, I suppose all wars do--and that fact is important. Keeping alive memories and reminiscences, emotions and recall, facts and events, is essential, not just in potentially dry history ( though some gifted historians know how to bring an era to life), but through memoirs and fictionalized accounts. Vietnam Veteran Michael McCormick provides a visceral introduction to the sights, sounds, terror, horrific injuries, and fatalities of this War. Reading ACROSS THE POND will vivify Vietnam, and no reader will depart this story untouched.
The Vietnam War has a literature all its own--really, I suppose all wars do--and that fact is important. Keeping alive memories and reminiscences, emotions and recall, facts and events, is essential, not just in potentially dry history ( though some gifted historians know how to bring an era to life), but through memoirs and fictionalized accounts. Vietnam Veteran Michael McCormick provides a visceral introduction to the sights, sounds, terror, horrific injuries, and fatalities of this War. Reading ACROSS THE POND will vivify Vietnam, and no reader will depart this story untouched.
February 9, 2015
This book transports you back in time 30+ years to the Vietnam War. The author tosses you right into the action on the first page. It's intense and you can't put it down.
This is the story of a young man that experienced many atrocities of war and came home alive. The country he came back to was very different from the one he left, as there was no welcome home. The emotions the book evokes are raw, as raw as it probably was for the author when he returned after his own tour.
I would recommend this book. It's realistically written, heart-wrenching and a compelling story.
This is the story of a young man that experienced many atrocities of war and came home alive. The country he came back to was very different from the one he left, as there was no welcome home. The emotions the book evokes are raw, as raw as it probably was for the author when he returned after his own tour.
I would recommend this book. It's realistically written, heart-wrenching and a compelling story.
February 10, 2015
I have always been fascinated with the Vietnam War and I was extremely excited to find Across the Pond. This is a work of fiction about a young soldier that would do anything for his country, yet like many soldiers upon his arrival home he has a hard time fitting back into society. This book was full of emotion, drama and suspense. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the era surrounding it or just a plain good novel.
February 13, 2015
An outstanding book that disclosed the history of the Vietnam War. I could not put the book down. The actions and the suspense captivated my attention from the very first page.
It's a story of a young American who survived during the war. The way this story has written by Michael McCormick, I'm impressed. The feelings of survival were amazing, and I loved it.
Across The Pond by Michael McCormick is a masterpiece, that I must recommend.
It's a story of a young American who survived during the war. The way this story has written by Michael McCormick, I'm impressed. The feelings of survival were amazing, and I loved it.
Across The Pond by Michael McCormick is a masterpiece, that I must recommend.
February 23, 2015
Captivating and simple, this book relays the experiences of a man stuck in the Vietnam war, both in Vietnam and at home.it was a lot shorter than i would have expected, and the bpok would do well with adding a few more stories into its depths. As it stands, it takes less than an hour to read, but the images will stay with you a lot longer than that. There's nothing overly graphic, just a feeling of the desolation the war brings.
Well done, mate.
5/5
Well done, mate.
5/5
March 25, 2015
This gripping and intriguing novel kept me interested from the first page to the last. Author Michael McCormick really illustrates the attitude of a war torn America during a changing era. Between the well-written dialogue and the vivid descriptions, I wouldn't be surprised if this one was required reading material for students in the future. I definitely recommend this read for anyone interested in the Vietnam war.
September 2, 2016
An excellent book. The pathos of the "welcome" home that greeted these heroes strikes me and makes me cry. It also makes me madder than hell that the cowards who wouldn't stand up and go when called by their country made it harder on those who met their commitments.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews