Red Earth: A Vietnam Warrior's Journey (Earthworks)

This book is two novellas, Red Earth and Bois de Sioux. They are about men who survived Vietnam to come home to families, nightmares, and eventual healing.What is it like to suffer PTSD? Can one work through it? These men did, with the help of their Native heritage, friends, and fellow vets.Red Eagle is a powerful writer, and he wrote two powerful stories. I'm not an aficionado of Vietnam books, but this one is one I'll read again. And buy more copies for friends, especially my brothers and sisters who need the healing that Red Eagle gives.These stories heal. And are not just for 'Nam vets, but for anyone who has seen combat either in a war, an inner city, or a trauma room.Red Eagle will take you to Hell, he will show you the way home, through the pain, the anguish, the distrust, the nightmares, until you are once again where you need to be. Every combat vet needs to read this book. The family of every combat needs to read this book.

Husband said it was "ok".

Very powerful book; shows new perspective of the effects of the Vietnam war for all

There's been a lot written about Vietnam vets and post traumatic stress, but I've never read any author who portrays the pain and anguish as well as Red Eagle. Then he portrays the healing. But to understand it you must enter a different skin. The skin of a people not held to standard conventions; where time has a different meaning and visions and dreams are an important part of life. I have never read an author who managed to accomplish this, but Red Eagle does. Even Alexie, an author I greatly admire, still leaves the reader on the outside looking in. But with Red Eagle you are truly taken inside.I am an avid reader who usually consumes one book after another. However, when I finished this book I couldn't start another one for a couple of days. It has that kind of effect on you.

Philip Red Eagle is an amazing writer! There have been many exceptional books written about PTSD and the reality of the warzone. What makes this book different is the mind, body and spirit approach that Philip Red Eagle expresses so well. He not only takes you there with him,but shows you a way home through the pain, distrust and loss and to the strength of your heart and spirit. For anyone who wants to help a vet who is struggling to regain his or her spirit, this is the book you've been looking for! This is a way home.

I have taught this book alongside classic works of Native American (such as Leslie Silko's "Ceremony"), alongside exceptional works of Native philosophy (e.g. Vine Deloria's "Red Earth / White Lies") and alongside some of the most popular contemporary Native writing (Sherman Alexie, among others). Red Eagle's "Red Earth" holds its own in all these contexts, and has been the favorite of many students in my classes."Red Earth" is a magical pair of stories dealing with the trauma not only of Vietnam, but American colonialism.