Ainsworth Books
Seller Rating: 5
Location: Point Roberts, WA
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Very Good
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0002000555. Light edge wear; A bright, solid book, DJ in protective Mylar sleeve, unclipped.; 1 x [...]
0002000555. Light edge wear; A bright, solid book, DJ in protective Mylar sleeve, unclipped.; 1 x 9.1 x 5.9 Inches; 256 pages; Jack Todd was an all-American boy; grew up in the heartland; felt goosebumps when he heard the Star-Spangled Banner; played endless army games; became a star athlete; signed up for the Marines Corps Officer Training but was washed out because of bad knees. Jack Todd was also a US army deserter, a 23-year-old who went AWOL at boot camp, crossing the border in January 1970, making his way to Vancouver's seedy Hastings Street, facing the inevitable big question: If I leave my job, my love, my family and my country, who will I be? The answer  powerful, complex and haunting  comes roaring from every page of The Taste of Metal, the story of one man's journey into the foreign territory of a new country and a new life. This is the fascinating, often funny memoir of a boyhood shaped by the glories of war and guns, of stories told by fighting fathers and uncles and of doing what was right for God and your country. It is the poignant story of a writer poised at the starting line of an exciting journalism career, working for The Miami Herald, completely in love and lust with his beautiful Cuban girlfriend, ready to take on the world. It is also an account of the turbulent 60s and 70s, of leaving home, of searching for answers, of peace marches and the drug culture, and being down and out in Vancouver and Montreal. Although much has been written on the Vietnam war, rarely has a deserter told his personal story, giving us both an insider's perspective on the counter-culture of the time, and a unique outsider's view on Canada and Canadians.
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$14.06
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