Born on the Fourth of July: 40th Anniversary Edition - Softcover

Kovic, Ron

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1617754692 ISBN 13: 9781617754692

Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd., 2016

Synopsis

"Classic and timeless."
--New York Times

"The book details Kovic's entering of the Vietnam War as a fierce, pro-war patriot before becoming an outspoken peace activist after an injury paralyzed him and he returned home to a cold reception."
--Rolling Stone

"Born on the Fourth of July tells the story of its author's transition from war hawk to protestor after being paralyzed in Vietnam, and coming home to a lukewarm reception. It's no coincidence that 'Born in The U.S.A.' tells very much the same tale."
--Billboard

"Kovic's book follows him from star high school wrestler to a patriotic American inspired by John F. Kennedy to join the marines to the traumatic 1968 wartime injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down to his emergence as an outspoken anti-war activist."
--Hollywood Reporter

"The 1976 book, which was made into an Oscar winning film starring Tom Cruise in 1989, details Kovic's period in the Vietnam War as a fierce, pro-war patriot before he became an outspoken peace activist after an injury paralysed him and he returned home to a cold reception."
--NME

"He was born in the U.S.A.--and on the 4th of July. Bruce Springsteen narrates a foreword he wrote in the new audiobook edition of Born on the Fourth of July, Ron Kovic's anti-Vietnam War memoir."
--New York Daily News

"There is no better time than Independence Day to listen [to] The Boss' iconic voice on the foreword and this great work of art."
--Examiner

"For the 40th anniversary of the book, which became a movie in the '80s starring Tom Cruise, a new print edition was issued with a foreword written by Bruce Springsteen, and the audiobook is the only place where you can hear Bruce read his foreword directly to you. That's right, the Boss sets the tone for this extremely powerful and moving memoir in a way that you won't want to miss."
--Omnivoracious

"Forty years ago the Vietnam vet from Massapequa--wounded in combat and in a wheelchair ever since--published his classic war memoir, later made into a film with Tom Cruise. The anniversary edition features a foreword by Bruce Springsteen. Kovic's new book, Hurricane Street, chronicles the 1970s activism of the American Veterans Movement."
--Newsday

"Born on the Fourth of July chronicles Kovic's transformation from a gung-ho soldier entering the Vietnam War to his return home as a paralyzed man. His experiences overseas, as well as the terrible way he was treated when he came back, made Kovic's book one of the antiwar movement's most celebrated works."
--Ultimate Classic Rock

"Kovic entered of the Vietnam War as a fierce, pro-war patriot before becoming an outspoken peace activist after an injury paralyzed him and he returned home to a cold reception as a veteran. His book tells his story."
--Radio.com

"Born on the Fourth of July tells the story of Kovic's enlistment and how he became disillusioned with the war over time and especially after he returned home to the States. Many of the book's themes are echoed in Springsteen's hit song, 'Born in the U.S.A.'"
--Asbury Park Press

With a new foreword by Bruce Springsteen.

This New York Times best seller (more than one million copies sold), presented here in a special fortieth-anniversary edition with a brand-new foreword by Bruce Springsteen, details the author's life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film)--from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country's most outspoken anti–Vietnam War advocate, spreading his message from his wheelchair.

About this title

From the Publisher

Kovic's powerful and moving new introduction to his New York Times bestselling book sets this classic antiwar story in a contemporary context.

From the Inside Flap

"Born on the Fourth of July brings back the era of the Vietnam War at a time when the Establishment is trying to make the nation forget what they call the "Vietnam syndrome." Ron Kovic's memoir is written with poetic passion and grips your attention from the very first page to the last. It is a classic of anti-war literature and I hope it will be read by large numbers of young people, who will be both sobered and inspired by his story. --HOWARD ZINN

"Ron Kovic is one of the premier voices of a generation. The large irony of his birthday provides the background for a journey which begins with the unquestioning service in Vietnam, his terrible wounding with all the anger and bitterness that follows, and ends with his passionate discovery of a large and all too human heart. I'll say this flat out: If you want to understand the everlasting reverberations of our war in Vietnam and how it impacts our current events, you must read this book." --LARRY HEINEMANN, author of Paco's Story, winner of the National Book Award

"There is no book more relevant in the 21st century to healing the wound of Vietnam, which continues to bring so much pain to our country, as reflected in the last presidential election. Ron Kovic is the kid who John Wayne sent to war -- though the actor, like so many others in the macho pantheon of American culture, never saw combat. The incredible thing about Ron is that he never lost his sense of humor nor his deeply felt outrage, which has made him an incredibly effective witness, determined that other young peoples’ bodies not be wasted, as was his. It remains to Kovic to remind us that history matters, and that the cost of our high follies persists." --ROBERT SCHEER, Los Angeles Times columnist, bestselling author

"As relevant as ever, this book is an education. Ron is a true American, and his great heart and hard-won wisdom shine through these pages." --OLIVER STONE, filmmaker

About this edition

• Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd.
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1617754692
• ISBN 13: 9781617754692
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224