There’s a Man with a Gun Over There

In this autobiographical novel, Rick Ryan, a young American desperate to avoid Vietnam in 1968, is drafted but manages to maneuver his way into a German language class, where he is promised a post as a translator by an army recruiter. Despite this, he is sent to Germany to work with the American military police, who themselves are working with former Nazis. Rick’s role was to arrest other American soldiers for minor infractions such as smuggling cigarettes, but when a routine arrest leads to violence, Rick is summarily ejected from the Army so he can escape local justice. The book’s message is clear and repeated throughout the book: the Army is not a game, and no matter what you tell yourself to get through it, you are still a trained killer. Ryan offers a side to Vietnam that most people don’t see: the lucky enlistees who managed to avoid going to the jungle to do their service. Ryan’s style may be a bit repetitious, but he drives his points home about the dangers of the military and how it affects people. (Mar.)