BLOOD ON THE RISERS

Author Leppelman's recollections of the Vietnam War restrict themselves to day-by-day life in combat at the expense of commentary. Scott Sowers takes full advantage of the memoir's short sentences and strong language by molding his delivery to capture the author's bitterness and ambivalence about the war, feelings many Americans had at the time. Listeners face a military lingo of undefined acronyms and abbreviations (MVA, RVN, R&R, Deuce and a half, 1049), which occupy every paragraph, and an abridgment that suffers from gaps and confusing transitions. The performance's rebellious and belligerent tone portrays a soldier emotionally damaged by war--this damage is the audiobook's principal raison d'être. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]