Negative Positive
Title: A gripping tale about surving the ugly side of glory.
Review: Vernon Baker's life is a tour through some of the worst 20th Century America had to offer: from his roots as an orphan in southeastern Wyoming, through his childhood at Father Flanagan's Boy's Town to his glory years as a war hero who fought valiantly under racist officers he despised. Yet, in Lasting Valor, Baker never becomes GI Joe -- a war hero caricature with cartoon emotions. That Baker handled life's trials with an Everyman's mixture of frustration, anger and resentment shows that Baker was a soldier -- and a man -- of remarkable courage and dignity. That we were able to learn this about him is a credit to his honesty and Olsen's reporting. This is one of the few books I've read about a great man that also taught me something about mankind.
Is the review positive or negative? 