Song of Napalm: Poems

I don't often read poetry but I heard about Bruce Weigl and decided to have a look. I'm a veteran and have had my share of war, and I have to say that this book took me right back. At times it reduced me to tears - Anna Grasa had me sobbing my heart out as I remembered my own late Granny being there to welcome me home in 1982 after the Falklands. The Kiss - well, that was my Dad seeing me off to war, just without the aeroplane. He died a week ago, but I always remember how he hugged me and kissed me before he let his son go to war. If you've been there, you will get this poetry. If you've never been there, you will never truly understand this poetry.

Such an brilliant collection of poems. Hard to read, still painful after all these years to understand what these young men and the people of Viet Nam went through. The artistry and skill is truly awe inspiring. I have never been a big fan of poetry, given lack probably of intellect and patience, but I could not put this book down. If anything, at the end one wishes for more.

Beautifully and horrifically written. This book of poems by Bruce Weigl provides a raw vision of war while grasping at the fragility and beauty of life. I have paired poems from this book with other readings for students in 9-12 grade. Even the most struggling reader can gain understanding. I've gifted this book to others who were traditional nonfiction readers with interest in military. Even though they were reluctant at first because it was poetry, they found it moving and it opened them to a new genre.

I purchased this book for a friend who spent years in Iraq. Poetry such as Bruce Weigl's has the capacity to provide solace and a sense of camaraderie for those who experienced the intensity of fighting in a war. The is a wonderful sensitivity in this book that lures me back to it many years after discovering it.

Very rich insight from someone who has been around the world and back. Song of Napalm is a great work of nonfiction and the author is a master of form, it had me glad, reminiscing, sad and all of that with world truth laying at the bottom. Song of napalm is a representation of a life well lived