Entwined with Vietnam

“Theodore Hammett’s poignant, bittersweet memoir, Entwined with Vietnam, is a story about two nations, two cultures, and one man who devoted a significant part of his life trying to understand the conflicts and commonalities that characterized the relationship between them. A gifted, truth-telling writer, Hammett explores the complexities of personal identity, family, war, tragedy, reconciliation, and redemption with consummate clarity and engaging wit. Written more than 50 years after his initial encounter with Vietnam as a young Marine, this unforgettable book joins the short list of indispensable literature on the war that changed America—and Southeast Asia—forever.”—Raymond Arsenault, historian and author of Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice and Arthur Ashe: A Life
“Ted Hammett, at his Marine father’s command, joined the Corps and, although he thought the war was wrong, went to Vietnam soon after his Harvard graduation—as the very height of America’s military disaster there was approaching. Loafing off, boozing it up, and learning to despise the Vietnamese, he was a less than stellar supply officer and a quintessential version of the Ugly American. Years later, he returned to this scene of youthful disillusion, first as a tourist and then as an idealist bent on halting the spread of AIDS/HIV in the country. His success in this endeavor, his burgeoning stature among Vietnamese officials, and his increasing love for the country and its people provide a stellar example of the dictum one character cites that ‘Bad things can lead to good.’ To borrow a phrase from Bob Marley, this book is a ‘redemption song,’ not only for its author but for America itself.”—Win McCormack, editor in chief, The New Republic.
“Engaging right off the bat, compelling, astonishing for its honesty as well as the author's breadth of knowledge about the war and the country and culture of Vietnam. Both a page-turner and a thought-provoker, Ted Hammett’s memoir, which is as much a love story as a war story, is suffused with both knowledge and joy. Never heavy but always true, this book is an eye-opener as well as a delight.”—Edward Hallowell, M.D., psychiatrist and New York Times bestselling author of 20 books on multiple psychological topics.
“Hammett has an interesting, if offbeat, tale to tell…[his] diverse experiences enlightened me. They are well worth reading.”—VVA Veteran