Fallen Angels - Walter Dean Myers

The book Fallen Angels is by Walter Dean Myers and was published in 1988. It tells the story of a seventeen year old called Richie Perry and his experiences when he fights in the Vietnam War in 1967. The book focuses on displaying the horrific nature of the war, with Perry witnessing many of his fellow soldiers die as well as members of his own company torture and kill innocent people. Therefore Fallen Angels firmly portrays a negative reaction to the war, with the waste of life and the true realities of combat becoming key themes throughout the book. As a result, it displays that the Vietnam War was not worth the sacrifice and by describing how terrible it was for the soldiers involved and what they had to go through, it condemns the abuse and treatment returning veterans received when they first returned from Vietnam

Fallen Angels is similar to the film Platoon which was released in 1986 which also focuses on the negative side of war. Both texts portray sergeants and generals as either being ruthless and not caring about their soldiers, or as not being not fit to command, thereby questioning the leadership of the American forces in Vietnam.

In conclusion, the aim of this book was to show the reality of the Vietnam War and as a result portrays a negative image of the war. As this book was aimed at young adult readers, it could have also had the aim to prevent the next generation of young Americans from joining the army if another war arises in the future.

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