Take This War and Shove It!

A militantly anti-war memoir of one young man's resistance to the Vietnam War from within the active-duty ranks of the US Army.

A militantly anti-war memoir of one young man's resistance to the Vietnam War from within the active-duty ranks of the US Army. The story is narrated chronologically, in first-person past tense conversational tone. But far more than a "mere" memoir, this book dissects the sickness at the core of American society which leads to unjustified military aggression abroad. Like other memoirs of the era, it touches on the music of the time and other cultural touchstones. It isn't much of a stretch to say that TAKE THIS WAR AND SHOVE IT! is as much a sociological text as a memoir. Well in excess of 50 books, periodicals, movies and music recordings are referenced. In a wide-ranging philosophical essay at rear of the book, nothing less than the Human Condition is analyzed and commented on. Why, after a half-century, does this war still stir arguments among Americans? This question is addressed, and a three-pronged plan offered to finally "lay to rest the ghosts of Vietnam."

Gregory Laxer was born in New York City and spent his formative years in the Long Island suburb of Syosset. He has been an avid reader since he acquired that skill, always curious about what makes the world--indeed, the very Universe--tick. He became aware of the foibles and flaws of the Human Race at an early age. Despite having concluded that the American War in Vietnam was utterly wrong and unjustified while still in high school, Laxer found himself in the Army after having dropped out of college. He waged his own war against the War Machine, while part of the larger movement of opposition to the war from within the ranks of the active-duty military, for four years. He twice refused to report for duty in Vietnam and was court-martialed and imprisoned as a result. Despite this, he ultimately served out every last day of his commitment. This memoir is the author's first book. He is currently working on two novels and finding the process very enjoyable.