Well Done, Those Men (small-format pb)
Barry Heard
Joint winner, State Library of Victoria Summer Read 2007
‘As devastating as Heard’s account of the war undoubtedly is, it’s the last third of the book — wherein he returns to a country that seems embarrassed to acknowledge his existence, and tries to deal with his shattered psyche with little support from an uncomprehending family and an ever-decreasing number of friends — that packs the biggest emotional wallop ... [However] he manages to elicit laughs amidst the tragedy.’
Terry Oberg (Courier Mail)'Well Done, Those Men is a human, moving, and brutally honest account of one man's emotionally racked journey from naive country boy to jungle soldier, psychologically scarred veteran, and ultimately triumphant victor over the demons within.'
Greg Thom (Herald Sun)'This is a powerful, beautifully written book that should be read by everyone who wants to understand the evil, senseless personal damage done by war.’
Bruce Elder (Sydney Morning Herald)After returning from Vietnam, I kept my illness hidden for years with long hours of work, study, and sport: anything that produced total exhaustion and allowed me to fall into a bed and sleep … But I was wearing out … I survived on two, sometimes four hours’ sleep a night, became hyper-vigilant, wary of crowded places, and my general physical health deteriorated … Then one night I collapsed. I knew I was dying.
In this intensely personal account, Barry Heard draws on his own experiences as a young conscript, along with those of his comrades to look back at life before, during, and after the Vietnam War. The result is a sympathetic vision of a group of young men who were sent off to war completely unprepared for the emotional and psychological impact it would have on them. It is also a vivid and searingly honest portrayal of the author’s post-war, slow-motion breakdown, and how he dealt with it.
Well Done, Those Men attempts to make sense of what Vietnam did to the soldiers who fought there. It deals with the comic absurdity of their military training and the horror of the war they fought, and is unforgettably moving in recounting what happened to Barry and his comrades when they returned home to Australia.
As we now know, most Vietnam vets had to deal with a community that shunned them, and with their own depression, trauma, and guilt. Barry Heard’s sensitive account of his long journey home from Vietnam is a tribute to his mates, and an inspiring story of a life reclaimed.
‘Barry Heard’s book is the autobiography of a Vietnam veteran, but it’s so perceptive it represents a whole generation ... The book is very well written, clear in its descriptions, self-aware in its assessments and, surprisingly, not depressing to read. It is amazing that Barry Heard has been able to get all this traumatic material down so vividly, and to be able to interpret his experiences so convincingly.’
Patrick Morgan (Quadrant)Barry Heard
Barry Heard was conscripted in Australia's first national service ballot, and served in Vietnam as an infantryman and radio operator. After completing his national service he returned home, where he found himself unable to settle down. He had ten different jobs in his first ten years back, worked as a teacher for a further ten years, and then held several mid-managerial posts before succumbing to a devastating breakdown due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
Since recovering, Barry Heard has decided to concentrate on his writing. His first book, Well Done, Those Men, dealt mainly with his Vietnam War-related experiences. He lives with his family in rural Victoria.
Website: www.freewebs.com/welldonethosemen
Buy from Readings
Extent: 320
Size: 210mm x 135mm
ISBN (13): 9781921215360
RRP: $27.95
Pub date: April 2007
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