Honestly the book is probably great but I could not get into it the way the world is now. Good writing but not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

I've read all the books in this series by Mike Bond - America/Freedom/Revolution. Even though I wasn't yet a teenager in the 60s - I thoroughly enjoyed these books. They are all well-written and expertly portray this very important era in our history. Kudos Mike Bond!

The draft is actuated in the mid-1960s and deferments were hard to get. Troy has re-upped for a second hitch in Vietnam because he is in love with a Vietnamese woman named Su Li.

The political climate was supercharged with political parties split between following the French into Vietnam or allowing the country to unify under one communist government. The justification was to forestall the entire Asian continent become communist. Meanwhile, the flower of American youth is being sent to this war with no opportunity to say no.

Mike’s older brother Troy is listed as a casualty of war. Mike does not want to go into the military although he has been issued a summons to have a physical examination prior to being inducted. His avoiding this summons results in his arrest and potential ten-year sentence in a maximum federal prison for draft evasion.

This novel is a long overdue diatribe regarding the Vietnam War and the way that the American people were duped and lied to. Anti-war sentiments at most major universities highlighted the angst born by the average draft-age citizens. Read this enlightening exposé of corporate America making billions on the sale of war materiel. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

I did’nt read book one when I read book 2 but after reading the second book I knew I wanted to read the third I thought this book was great and although I want to be honest and say I was a little over Nick and his worrying about his girlfriend and I just wanted there to be a conclusion to that story so when the book began with that exact story I almost didn’t want to keep going but I did and I’m glad I did this is such a great book I loved Reading about the evolution of the characters whether it was good or bad it was always intriguing a truly great trilogy. I do think Mike Bond has really out done himself this time to capture the essence of the time and the different personalities of these characters shows what a truly talented author he is.. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Difficult reading. Though I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the brutality and impact of events during the Vietnam Nam era, I found this book to be very painful reading. Not sure I could recommend it to others.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this extraordinary book on October 17, 2022, from Netgalley, author Mike Bond, and Publisher Big City Press. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Book three of a trilogy series 'America', This book stands on its own, but as part of the series, the piece is richer and more nuanced.

This is a brief depiction of the tumultuous world in which we American baby boomers reached our majority. Interspersed among the life steps of our fictitious characters we have the flow of history beginning in the mid-1950s and heading into the 1970s. This is a world still in flux, with really no end in sight. I can only hope your generation does a better job of getting it right. For my part, I am very sorry. We did what we could when we could, but it was never enough.

My favorite book in this series so far. This book is relevant. The story line focuses on the hopelessness that young people felt during the Vietnam war- the killing of JFK, MLK, and Bobby Kennedy at a time when political power was strongly held by leaders that turned a deaf ear to the young constituency. It reminded me that our political system is cyclical and that things were much worse in the 1970’s when young people were dying as a result of decisions they didn’t make nor believe in.
I was happy that all of the siblings figured prominently in this book, rather than just focusing on one or two of them. Their struggles continue to be interesting and real. I very much look forward to what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

At first, I hated it. The social elements of the 60s alienate and repulse me, and they are so well projected through the characters in Revolution, that I continuously fought the desire to toss the book aside. Persevering was good, though, because although I still hate the self-indulgence, moral turpitude, drugs and sex and ignorant violence and rebellion, anchorlessness, self-serving politicians, and near loss of the greatest civilization known to mankind, I found the story gave me a useful insight into a period I lived through but never understood and drew me within observation distance of characters I first found strange and alien and would never have associated with or tried to get to know or understand in real life and eventually found curious and sometimes enlightening. It is, for me, a strange but interesting read which I am glad to have read for both the entertainment and education inspite of my Christian, conservative nature which would otherwise have me reject such material. If you want to get a visceral exposure to the lifescape of the 60s, Revolution is your book.

With REVOLUTION, Mike Bond brings to live the hard choices, tough experiences, and lived reality of a tumultuous time in America and the world when nothing delivered as promised and the happy version of reality promised to children wastheirs as long as they toed the line and listened to what they were told blew up in their faces, literally and figuratively. Through characters connected by blood and by friendship, we are dropped with authority into what it was to live the nightmares, the dreams, and the unexpected. While the 60s and the 70s are too often summarized in terms of quick visuals of Woodstock, the war, riots and protests and unrest, Bond summons the felt individual experiences in compelling, believable ways. Not an easy read, but a gripping one. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Revolution
By Mike Bond

Set during the Vietnam War, "Revolution" is the story of family; choices made; and how we learn to understand the how and why of what we choose.

Tara, Mick, and Troy – a sister and her two brothers, one by blood and one by choice. Their backstory is told in an earlier book. In this book, Troy is on his second tour of duty as a Marine in Vietnam. He is disillusioned about why America is even in Vietnam and becoming horrified by the misery war is bringing to the Vietnamese people.

Tara is a successful musician who has taken too many drugs and needs to find her way out of that particular hole. Mick is a sometime journalist who has seen strife and suffering all over the globe, and is committed to ending the war and making America a better place.

The author describes each of their struggles with their individual demons, but this is primarily Mick's journey. Through the good and bad, ups and downs, love and loss, Mick's life takes him to a place of understanding. And as indicated by the ending, the saga will continue in another book.

"Revolution" is worth the read for a different perspective of America in that time – but also as it is today.