Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam

★ "Partridge proves once again that nonfiction can be every bit as dramatic as the best fiction."*

America's war in Vietnam. In over a decade of bitter fighting, it claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American soldiers and beleaguered four US presidents. More than forty years after America left Vietnam in defeat in 1975, the war remains controversial and divisive both in the United States and abroad.

The history of this era is complex; the cultural impact extraordinary. But it's the personal stories of eight people--six American soldiers, one American military nurse, and one Vietnamese refugee--that create the heartbeat of Boots on the Ground. From dense jungles and terrifying firefights to chaotic helicopter rescues and harrowing escapes, each individual experience reveals a different facet of the war and moves us forward in time. Alternating with these chapters are profiles of key American leaders and events, reminding us of all that was happening at home during the war, including peace protests, presidential scandals, and veterans' struggles to acclimate to life after Vietnam.

With more than one hundred photographs, award-winning author Elizabeth Partridge's unflinching book captures the intensity, frustration, and lasting impacts of one of the most tumultuous periods of American history.

*Kirkus Reviews, starred review of Marching for Freedom

Author: Elizabeth Partridge
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Published: 04/10/2018
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.90lbs
Size: 9.70h x 7.90w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780670785063
Age Range: 12-17

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.1
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 195755 / Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam

Award: Yalsa Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction for Young Adults - Finalist
Award: Golden Kite - Winner

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 01/01/2018 pg. 63
Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2018 pg. 160
Shelf Awareness 04/10/2018
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2018 pg. 110
Publishers Weekly 03/05/2018
School Library Journal 04/01/2018 pg. 150
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 04/01/2018 - Book Of Special Distinction
Voice of Youth Advocates 06/01/2018 - Recommended - Better Than Most
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2018 - Outstanding, Noteworthy In Style

About the Author
Elizabeth Partridge is a National Book Award finalist, Printz Honor winner, and author of several nonfiction books for children, including Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange;This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie; John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth; and Marching for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don't You Grow Weary. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.