Philip Caputo's A Rumor Of War

event in the life of my generation, the Vietnam War, was like for the men who fought it" (Caputo, p. xxi). In Philip Caputo's own words, he describes the book he tried to write as an accurate portrayal of the events of the Vietnam War, not as he wished it had happened and not in protest of what happened. To this end, Caputo was successful. His book, A Rumor of War, provides a poignant and evocative glance into the lives of real men who fought in a war which no one who was not there could ever truly

A Rumor of War, written by Philip Caputo is a memoir chronicling the author’s experience as a soldier in the U.S. Marine Corps before and during the Vietnam War. After serving in the Marines, from 1964 to 1967, Caputo went on to become a journalist for the Chicago Tribune, eventually returning to Vietnam in 1975 where he covered the fall of Saigon. He has written fifteen books, and numerous articles for publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Los Angeles

communist regime. In the memoir, A Rumor of War, Lieutenant Philip Caputo does not truly understand what he is fighting for and is only there for the illusion of the glory of war. His ideas of war at the beginning are that the Americans are invincible and no other country can match their strength due to the previous success of World War II. Caputo, along with many others in his regiment, believe that the Vietnam War will be nothing but a “pleasant little war” (Caputo, 1977). Most of the men believed

Analysis of Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, is an exceptional autobiography on a man's first-hand experiences during the Vietnam War. Philip Caputo is a Lieutenant during the Vietnam War and illustrates the harsh reality of what war really is. Caputo's in-depth details of his experience during the war are enough to make one cringe, and the eventual mental despair often experienced by soldiers (including Caputo) really makes you feel for participants taking

“A Rumor of War,” is an autobiography written by Phillip Caputo. Castro writes this monograph in efforts to expose the realities of facing combat by his personal experience as a United States Marine during World War II. Caputo’s novel describes his experiences during World War II by describing his preparation before the war, war itself, and the aftermath of war. Caputo writes about his experience of his training before combat of World War II. Caputo was once a young college student in his twenties

The Vietnam War was a psychological and physical battle for all the young men who were drafted or volunteered. Caputo's own reasons for volunteering illustrate the mentality for some of the men entering into this journey. Those who are inducted into Vietnam face disturbing moral dilemmas that can be expected in an "ethical wilderness." The draft introduced a myriad of young men to the once forgotten moral ambiguity of war. Average American citizens must balance right from wrong in a world without

The book "A Rumor of War" tells the sad truth about Vietnam. Philip Caputo is a great writer with his choice of words and detail. For instance, sadness was expressed in one of Caputo’s chapters. Philip Caputo’s the main character, tells of what he went through during the war. The book has a lot of emotional parts. Philip Caputo opens up about his upbringing and how he grew up. The sensuous aspect of the book is displayed throughout the book. The book was written after the war. The invasion of Cambodia

A Rumor of War is a memoir written by Philip Caputo describing his experiences as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Since one can read about his experiences first hand, one can also witness him change as a person. Throughout the text, Caputo undergoes a change in his personality. He starts off as a young man who is eager for adventure, but as he experiences through combat, a new metamorphosis of Caputo forms. The beginning of the text starts with the narrator, Caputo, describing his current life. He

The Vietnam War is a conflict that was extremely polarizing to people in the United States and words such as ‘wasted’ or ‘quagmire’ are negative words associated with the war. In his book A Rumor of War, Philip Caputo provides a personal account of events that he experienced leading up to and during the war as a soldier in the United States Marine Corps. Caputo’s experiences transform his idealistic views of war when he is faced with the realities of combat, and ultimately the events cause him to

In Hiroshima, John Hersey focuses on the survivors of the atomic bomb that is dropped on the city of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. Instead of focusing on one individual, Hersey decides to report on six that survive the blast. The survivors came from many different walks of life and were all affected by the coming of the nuclear age. Mrs. Hatsayo Nakamura was a widow raising three young children. Dr. Terufumi Sasaki was a young surgeon unhurt during the explosion, leaving him to care for thousands

the Vietnam War many did not think it possible for the United States to loose. Those fighting underestimated the power of the Viet Cong. With a foreign land and foreign customs Marines struggled to get accustomed to the way the war was fought. Philip Caputo addresses these learned lessons in A Rumor of War. Lessons that were learned in Vietnam also have relevance to the current war in Afghanistan. The men in both wars fought against an enemy that blends in with the locals. Philip Caputo’s first hand

A Rumor of War: Character Analysis A Rumor of War details the experiences of Philip Caputo, a Vietnam veteran, as he struggles with the reality and cruelty of war. The story is divided into three sections which each highlight the hardships Caputo and how they cause his physical and mental breakdown. Caputo begins the story as a youthful twenty year old who craves excitement and adventure, and like any person his age, wants to discover himself and find a way to stand out from others. Swept up by patriotism

The Vietnam War was largely considered a failure, a waste of resources, time and precious lives. It was simply a war that did not need to be fought. But in order to combat the ever prevailing communist forces; the capitalists and in particular, America, decided that Vietnam would be the land where these differences would be disputed. Men were sent in to fight in this war and they came back with very different experiences. As seen in both perspectives held in “A Rumor of War” by Philip Caputo and

A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo is a first hand account of a Marine’s experience in the Vietnam War. Philip Caputo grew up in a safe suburban town known as Westchester, Illinois. For Philip Caputo it is not enough to live a safe life full of summer barbecues. He wants to be one of the heroes he reads about and sees in movies. The day he came across a marine recruiting team is the day that changes his life. War seems like the perfect escape from the boring Illinois town. For Caputo, war is an adventure

A Rumor of War Book Review “ ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, see that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet…he that shall endure unto the end, he shall be saved” Matthew 24:6 Philip Caputo’s relationship with the Vietnam War is depicted in a disturbingly beautiful way in the memoir “A Rumor of War.” Throughout the course of the book, approximately 16 months, we observe a young, ambitious boy ready to prove his manhood, in search of adventure