As we are getting ready for 2011 I am looking at this huge pile of books waiting to be discussed on the Booktunes website. Good books and way to many for me and my friends.
Booktunes is calling all people willing to be involved. Please have a look at our List, see which book is of your interest, give us a shout and write a piece.
The List will be constantly updated, showing future contributors and new titles.
See you in 2011!
#1 by Tim Bazzett on January 4, 2011 - 16:29
Hi Erik,
here is another Betales ‘booktune’ for you!
It’s from the first Vietnam novel by an American combat veteran, The Big V (1972), by William Pelfrey.
The setting for some of the most grisly action in the book is a landing zone in the jungle, LZ Jude.
Here’s a sample from the book -
LZ Jude. We would sit at our poncho-roofed table all day, exempt from burning shit and pulling bunker guard. In the early evenings when it wasn’t raining the brothers would gather at one of the 81 gun pits and form a singing group. They would always draw a crowd and end up doing requests. “Cloud Nine” was most popular, but they never finished without “Hey Jude,” with the sun setting behind blue Cambodian peaks …
(Pelfrey, William. The Big V. New York: Liveright, 1972 – p. 52)
I’ve heard that the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” was in fact one of the most played, popular songs in Vietnam.
I’ve been in contact with the author, Bill Pelfrey for a year or two now, and just last month he finally re-issued the novel, but in ebook format only. It had been out of print for probably 25 years. I convinced him that with the success of the recent bestseller Matterhorn, Karl Marlantes’ Vietnam novel 30-plus years in the writing, that it might have a new life. We’ll see.
Happy New Year.
Tim
P.S. My reviews of both books are on Amazon.com.
#2 by Erik at Booktunes on January 4, 2011 - 16:39
Hi Tim,
Thanks for your last message, The Big V really sounds like an interesting Booktunes title. It is not such a big problem that the book is available in e-book format only. It is still available on the 2nd hand market for those without a digital reading device (me).
We have some delays here, but your article on Lars Saabye Christensen’s Beatles will be published on the site soon!