The EXTRA Things They Carried
595515
I would consider that The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien is one of the greatest pieces of literature that has been written about war. Tim OBrien, a Vietnam Vet, goes through his squadmates and his own recollection of before the war, during the war, and after the war. Throughout the book it switches from the actual equipment that they carried, to the emotional and mental damage that they carried. The things they carried is one of those books that really make you think about what these soldiers go through on a day to day basis. The book takes place mostly in Vietnam during the Vietnam war, around 1969. During this time, many different things were happening all around the war, especially in the United States. During this time, people were getting way more involved in politics, through things such as protests and not wanting to go to a war that United States citizens didn't support. This is especially shown in Tim OBriens squad. No one really wanted to stay and fight under The promotion of democracy but rather all they wanted to do was do their time and go home. Tim OBrien was no exception. The subject or topic of The Things they Carried covers the realness of war, from before the war, during, and after. The author uses many different aspects of war to really show the realness of war, rather than the romanticized view of war we get from other war books and stories, not only that, but he shows raw emotion in his writing. The author supports this in many ways, the first way that he shows this is though going to when Norman Bowker kills himself, which later reveals the reason that he killed himself was over the guilt of one of his closest friends dying in front of him. Not only that, but he also shows this when Rat Kiley snaps and starts slowly killing a water buffalo. He does this because of the emotional strain of watching his friends die. Not only that, but after the person dies, he always takes the time to write to the dead man's sister, telling them how great and brave their brother was, and never got a response. This causes his to do the things he does, and it changes him forever. The entirety of this book is shining a light on what war does to someone mentally. Especially when the circumstances are the way that they are. Most of these guys, like most people that were drafted to the Vietnam war, didn't actually want to join the war. He also shows this through one main quote. You can tell a war story by the way it never seems to end. Not then, not ever(72).  This book by far succeeded in what it was trying to achieve, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in war. The subjects talked about might not be suitable for sensitive readers, but as a whole the ideas that are shown in this book show why this book is meant to be a classic. In the entirety of the book you can see the raw emotion in the way that Tim O'Brien writes. The stories he tells is something you don't want to believe, but you know that it happened. The way that he shows the true struggles of war, not only during, but after, shows the reader how war really was and is.
2285744
I like the use of more of the characters to carry the load. Excellent attention to detail. Enjoy how the dogs use the bed.
320767
I ordered extra so that I could share with others and keep extras on hand in case it would be necessary
1042486
There was alot of detail to hold my attetion. The diary itself, its journey away and back again to its heirs, and the narrative of the daughter who shared it with us. It was good to have the epilogue too, that there was symmetry in the deeds that followed the family and continue in the telling of the history. A lot is learned in these pages: will to survive, hope when it is lost, help when you seek it, joy when you repay it and pay it forward, honor when you share it including the fates of those who made the journey possible. It was a poem of balance.
3656696
This book was very interesting. I would've liked to know what some of the other suitcases contained that they didn't speak about, maybe a small list. Overall, the stories of some of these people were intriguing, it makes me wonder how many other suitcases are out there in facilities like this that are just collecting dust and hold a treasure trove of history of these people's lives.
350082
Got to the bottom of things with some of the finest asses around.
1680314
They went the extra mile to add an ice packet to make sure they didn't melt. Greatly appreciated and enjoyed
2871495
The items were well constructed and fit nicely.
1995513
Not an easy to find item...but these folks have it!  Thanks!
64911
The bags carried all my clothes when I moved across the country. The biggest bags were too big, though, If I filled it up I wouldn't have been able to carry it. Other than that, the bags did reduce space as it should.
3201597
They were nice other then they were different lenghths.
2911008
Served their purpose..  not as strong as I had would have liked.
4468585
Great, and we also purchased the stamps. The kids went around to different places (as spies) and collected their stickers among other trinkets. The outside of the passport really looked and felt real.
3361311
Didn't like the extra stuff in the front and back. But it's super cool to have this piece of history.
1142517
Grandkids appreciate the extended story of these two friends.
4074570
Mmmm...not so sure. Maybe they need to spend time outside of the plastic bag it came in?
1809806
Everything was there. With other parts not used. Probably for a different application than what I needed.