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Kiss the Boys Goodbye
- How the United States Betrayed Its Own POWs in Vietnam
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
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Kiss the Boys Goodbye
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Summary
As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seem to be winding down, for many it brings back memories of the Vietnam war, particularly on one issue: American policy on the rescue and negotiation for American prisoners.
Kiss the Boys Goodbye convincingly shows that a legacy of shame remains from America’s ill-fated involvement in Vietnam even though that conflict ended over 35 years ago. Until US government policy on POW/MIAs changes, it remains one of the most crucial issues for any American soldier who fights for home and country, particularly when we are engaged with an enemy who doesn't adhere to the international standards for the treatment of prisoners - or any American hostage - as the graphic video of Daniel Pearl’s decapitation on various Jihad websites bears out. As the authors of Kiss The Boys Goodbye point out, videos of Sergeant Bergdahl's captors graphically illustrate the distinct possibility that Bergdahl could suffer the same fate as Daniel Pearl.
In this explosive book, Monika Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson provide startling evidence that American troops were left in captivity in Indochina, victims of their government's abuse of secrecy and power. The book not only delves into the world of official obstruction, missing files, censored testimony and the pressures brought to bear on witnesses ready to tell the truth, it reveals the trauma on patriotic families torn apart by a policy that, at first, seemed unbelievable to them.
First published in 1990, Kiss the Boys Goodbye has become a classic on the subject. This new edition features an afterword, which fills in the news on the latest verifiable scandal produced by the Senate Select Committee on POWs. The reason it has taken so long to bring out this second edition, which was produced and briefly available in 1999, the publishers leave to the listener’s imagination.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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What listeners say about Kiss the Boys Goodbye
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- rikki
- 07-03-23
Such a sad story
ok its long nearly 15 hours and requires effort to complete. It really is despicable how the US government treated its lost POWs.
Having seen the MIA badge when younger this was a great history lesson to fill in the gaps, but almost wished i had not as leaves you depressed that a government could treat its young fighting men like this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- james o.
- 04-05-23
An amazing story.
shame on those involved. money trumps everything . it's quiet sad for the families.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy Luke
- 30-12-20
Incredible
incredible that any country could allow this to happen to it's citizens, let along those who fought for their country
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dale Huey
- 13-09-23
Harrowing, wordy, but worthwhile
I found this a really difficult listen at times. I am pleased to have come across this work, albeit long after its publication and, sadly, much longer than the contents of it should have led to redemptive action. The vicarious pain of imagining the broken minds and bodies of the abandoned service men gnaws at any core sense of justice, protection and fairness being part of the compact between armed services and the governments they risk their lives for. It is hard enough retuning from a theatre of war and having to face the disgust of the population you felt you were representing. To be consciously written-off, to have people who have suffered so extremely, and against the odds managed to return, attacked and undermined by the state to save political face, is hard to digest. I think I feel angry, even though I have—beyond a belief in common human decency—no skin in the game. An anger with nowhere to constructively direct; one which is just sitting like disgusting bile within me. I can’t even wish shame upon those with varying levels of responsibility; whether by commission or omission. To hope they too suffered, when they looked in the mirror, just adds a (lower) level of unneeded misery to a desperately sad story.
To Bobby Garwood, you have my deepest respect and sympathy.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Suzy
- 17-11-14
Thought provoking subject but has its own bias
Would you try another book written by Monica Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson or narrated by Bernadette Dunne?
Yes, I would try another book by this group, but it has a journalistic style that became wearing after a while and rather repetitive. It wasn't the balanced overview I was expecting, just one side of the issue. However a quick internet search provides the counter argument.
What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)
I felt let down by the ending which just seemed to reach no resolution.
What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
There are lots of facts, figures and details about the US military and legal structure which the narrator made easy. I wouldn't have finished the written version of this book.
Could you see Kiss the Boys Goodbye being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
Yes I think I could see this but it would be a highly glamourising version if intended for a mass audience.
Any additional comments?
A thought provoking topic and interesting because much of the follow up was in the eighties which was during my lifetime. What I really wanted was a resolution to the issue of MIA in Vietnam, but I didn't feel this delivered. This is really the story of the researcher and her obsession with the story. I found it was difficult to follow and repetitive because it revealed the stories of individuals as told and then retold to the researcher rather than a chronological timeline. It certainly made me realise how much power the people give to authorities and how it is difficult to ever know truth. I found counter arguments online which completely trashed the assertions in this book and these helped me reach a balanced viewpoint which this book alone did not.
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