133 pp, 8vo (8 1/2" H), hard cover in dust jacket. B&w photographs by the author. "....(the) diary of a draftee's two-year tour in the army, from induction day through eight months of combat in Vietnam. It is a frank and often touching record of a young soldier's private hopes and fears, his reactions to the experience of killing and the thought of being killed, and his frustrations over army life and attitudes. Many of these frustrations grow out of the fact that he is a Negro from a rela tively sheltered and affluent background, and is unprepared for and embittered by the prejudice he encounters from some officers and GIs. Like many soldiers, Parks is oppressed by the poverty of the Vietnamese, and sickened by the death and m a i m i n g of his buddies. Fatigue, the heat and mental pressure take their toll; after three months of combat, his company is investigated on complaints of war atrocities. The book is a close-up view of the drudgery and drama of war, but it is al so a r ec or d of personal growth. David Parks' perceptions sharpen and his attitudes mature visibly during the years this GI diary covers." Faint erased pencil marks on free front endpaper, tiny bump at top corner of rear board - light wear at bot tom co rne r. Dust jacket has light edge wear, creases and small tears/at top/bottom of spine, approx. 3" x 1" piece missing from top of rear panel, tear with creases at bottom of front panel, old tape on inside surface, two small chips at bot tom edge . V ery Good/Fair

GIS US ARMY DIARIES BLACKS PERSONAL REMINISCENCES NARRATIVES PREJUDICE