An unfocused but deeply felt plea for better treatment of veterans.
A Vietnam veteran argues for better health care for veterans and a conservative surge in the 2016 elections.
In this follow-up to Condemned Property? (2013), Trimmer returns to the challenges Vietnam veterans have faced since the 1970s, with particular emphasis on the recent shortcomings of the Veterans Administration. Trimmer draws on his own story—he has clashed with the VA over conditions related to his Vietnam service—and those of other veterans, along with research and news reports, to present a portrait of a system incapable of meeting its users’ needs. The book also includes copies of letters Trimmer sent to government officials, replies he has received from them, and testimonials from readers of Condemned Property? He proposes a number of solutions, including punishment for VA officials, sufficient funding, and supporting Ben Carson’s campaign for the presidency. Although Trimmer gives the president credit for some improvements in the services offered to veterans, his dislike rings clearly, often in strident terms: “If his majesty, Barack Hussein Obama has enough time on his hands”; “If Dr. Ben has decided to enter the brutal presidential election, may God be with this fine gentleman. Too bad he wasn’t out first black President instead of Barack Hussein Obama who is not a great American.” Throughout, Trimmer is explicit about the role he plays—“I am a Christian Crusading Militant who has vowed to remain a soldier for the rest of my life, which means I am prepared to put my life on the line for America...again.” However, the book’s detours into polemic territory are often unfocused and uneven, adding little to the central arguments about the treatment of veterans from Vietnam and more recent wars. Trimmer is at his most successful in moments when his passion and knowledge of the veteran experience combine to make a compelling case for the country’s continuing responsibility to its soldiers.
An unfocused but deeply felt plea for better treatment of veterans.Pub Date: May 31, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4984-3834-6
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Liberty Hill Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
