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After September 11, 2001, novelist Michael Lund found that the emerging War on Terror recalled aspects of the Cold War in the 1950s. And his experience as an Army correspondent in Vietnam (1970-71) offered clues to the demands a new generation of America's youth would face in the 21st century. Route 66 to Vietnam: A Draftee's Story traces the fate of Mark Landon and other children from Growing Up on Route 66 (an earlier novel in the Route 66 Novel Series) through Southeast Asia and on to prosperous--if troubled--times later in life.

Successful highway engineer Mark Landon is irritated by a sore tooth, by a rebellious teenage son, by a daughter's lack of interest in her promising athletic career, by his wife's apparent indifference to his needs, and by Ralph Banister, whose land is blocking the path of the highway Mark must build. Beneath these everyday worries, however, memories of his time in Vietnam are stirring. To survive a mid-life crisis, he begins to fear that he must not only confront the challenges of the present but also the ghosts of his wartime experiences. In doing so he learns surprising things about his wife's past, about his children's abilities, and about Ralph Banister's vision for America.

--"an engaging tale that flashes back to the narrator's Vietnam War tour.
(The VVa Veteran, January/February 2005, BOOKS IN REVIEW)

--"able to reach that place so many of us seek within ourselves."
(Route 66 Magazine, Spring 2005 (Volume 12/Number 2)

--"not only the most ambitious [book in the Route 66 Novel Series] to date, but it is also the most serious, most challenging and possibly the most rewarding to read . . . "
(The Farmville [VA] Herald, April 20, 2005

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works- 3.0 United States License.

Audio Quality: Out of 10 ratings

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Overall Rating: Out of 10 ratings

By: PuddyRat
I lost my brother during the Vietnam War (in Laos, to be exact), early in 1971, so this book hit really, REALLY close to home for me. I listen to these podiobooks at work and I ended up in the restroom weeping during the recounting of the trip to the wall. Mostly, I guess, because I've made the same trip. I do have to admit to being slightly put off by the fantasies in the beginning as I wasn't sure where that was going. However, it just goes to show what many (most?) men will think about when given the opportunity, even while simultaneously carrying on a(n albeit one-sided) conversation with their wife. Overall, this was an enjoyable listen and should Mr. Lund put any of his other works onto this site, I would eagerly download them.

By: Louisa
Thank you for your charming and honest memoir.

By: John Guerrero
The narrator brings me into the story using a pace and tone that reminds me of every military outline I have heard, clipped and direct. This allows me to believe I am hearing the man in the story instead of listening to a story. Very well done and enjoyable. Thank you.

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