The Last Parade

by Hiland Doolittle

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0966274202
• ISBN13: 9780966274202
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Rome Pub Inc
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

The Last Parade

Primarly a love story. A rite of passage for a young American GI in Viet Nam. A story that comes from many viewpoints...From young GI's thrust into a war with little understanding of why; to the villagers of 'Ben Cat' trying to survive and maintain their history; to those actively involved in the resistance. From the Vietnamese characters(of all idealogies)comes an insight into their humanity posed against the backdrop of the futility of War. Strong human characters that remain trapped in your thoughts after the book is closed. I enjoyed this read.

A heart-wrenching story of love amid the chaos of war.

The Last Parade falls into the distinguished ranks of stories that highlight the confusion, contradiction and personal loss of war. I've always been a sucker for this genre, from The Red Badge of Courage to All Quiet on the Western Front to For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hiland Doolittle brings the theme to the definitive conflict of the post-World War II era, Vietnam. I didn't fight in Southeast Asia, but Doolittle's writing brought the conflict alive for me. I got a sense of what it was like to be there. I got involved with his GIs and a beautiful young Vietnamese woman. And I felt the heartbreak of Hodges, his protagonist, as he escaped mounting chaos with his life but lost his love. This is an engrossing tale. I recommend it highly.

A compelling tale of love, war, and the human condition...

The Last Parade: a woman's perspective...The Last Parade is an unforgettable novel which captured my heart and mind and left me with haunting images of a war I never really understood and experiences I never could have imagined. So involved does one get with the characters, (who are defined in large measure by dialogue which propels the story forward at rapid-fire pace), that their pain became my pain, their sorrow my sorrow, their joy, my joy. The book is filled with pathos, sensitivity, insight, some humor, and much of the raw, primitive language of men whose lives are caught in a chasm between unendurable boredom and the prospects of imminent death. The tale mainly takes place over a one-year period (1968) in the little village of Ben Cat in war-torn Vietnam. The characters, whether American soldiers, Vietnamese peasants, Viet Cong or members of the regular Vietnamese army, whether young or old, whether male or female, are vividly and beautifully portrayed - some with consummate subtlety, others with bold directness. Cultural and political issues are a prevalent theme, woven carefully and cleverly into the fabric of the story. The tragedy of the Vietnam War is manifest throughout. Just as compelling, however, is the message of love which knows no barriers, friendship which has no boundaries, and courage which defies logic. Veterans of any war undoubtedly will identify with this story on many levels, however it can be exquisitely appreciated by anyone who loves, anyone who feels, anyone who cares, and particularly anyone who has suffered loss. For me, The Last Parade is a love story, a war story, history lesson and a rich commentary on the human condition. In CT Hodges, the story's protagonist, Author Doolittle has created a captivating, believable and intriguing personality. One finishes the book desperately wanting to know more about him. The Last Parade cries out for a sequel!

I could not put this book down!

THE LAST PARADE by Hiland Doolittle brings a fresh new insight to the Vietnam war while intertwining a tale of political intrigue, love, friendship and comradery. THE LAST PARADE humanizes all the parties involved with the war while making no side a villian nor a hero. It describes via diaolog the history of the cultures that clashed in Vietnam throughout the centuries thus creating the war. This book is just great! And should not be missed! It is destined to be classic of this generation.

A riveting emotional tour of Viet Nan

Hiland Doolittle was physically there, in Viet Nam, and presumably has lived for years with its aftermath. One can only imagine the process that has evolved within him to lead to the creation of The Last Hurrah! As a veteran myself, I know how the experience of Viet Nam has remained a constant part of my life for over thirty years. Mr. Doolittle has taken the step to transform his festering memories into the finest memoire of the war. How many of the rest of us wish that we could do the same? The Last Hurrah is the sine qua non of wartime stories of impossible love and heroic action. It is an emotional insight into cultural dicotomies that arose from the mixture of such vastly different societies and provides the reader with an involvement that comes to an end far too soon. The book can not be put down. The images are realistic and the poetry of the relationships is overpowering.