Best We Forget

Best we Forget tells one Australian conscript's story of the Vietnam war. The bitterness, the humor and the stupidity are all presented, together with reflective consideration of Vietnamese perspectives, the pathos of missing family and loved ones so far away, and the mixture of fear and excitement under fire. The novel has its ugly aspects - most soldiers' lack of respect for the Vietnamese, whether ally or enemy, the callous disregard for human life, and the treachery practiced on both sides. But it is not all ugly. The simple Christmas wishes of an Australian soldier in the front-line, the commitment, no matter how strained, to loved ones back home and the special loyalty of friendship which is part of being in uniform throughout the world. The story focuses on a private soldier in the Public Relations office of the Australian contingent, and a spy in the nearby Intelligence Office, a spy of unclear loyalties, working for the South Vietnamese allies, working for the enemy, or workin