Sign-In
Cart
Situation Normal A.F.U.: A Flatfooted Soldier Tells All
Paperback
Publisher Price: $19.95
ISBN13: 9780998310954
Publisher: Oscare Nordstrom
Published: Apr 24 2020
Pages: 174
Weight: 0.53
Height: 0.37 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Situation Normal A.F.U.: A Flatfooted Soldier Tells All (SNAFU) is an hilarious autobiographical account of the Vietnam era. Readers might initially wonder why the need for yet another military memoir about these times., But they will find this account fresh and unique-there is an outstanding sense of irony and humor in the author's approach to the military. Nordstrom's tongue-in-cheek style lends an unexpected flavor to the events, often translating military challenges and experiences into a wry, satirical look at the Army's impact on its soldiers:
There was another interesting thing I discovered about standing all the time. I heard somewhere that the horse and giraffe are the only animals that can sleep standing up. If that's true, I should be in the Guinness Book of Records, as I'm living proof that, given enough incentive, humans can do the same. . . . My aversion to standing for any length of time had another unintended, but positive, consequence; I found an occupation doing paperwork that also required an ability to dictate business letters, which doesn't hurt if you want to be a writer. . . . Thus, in a world searching for answers, I can recommend that everyone cultivate the arts of standing in line and sleep deprivation. Doing so will prepare them for any eventuality, from writing a novel to repelling an invasion.
The book navigates the author's fate, changing duties, and Academy training regimens. Readers receive a review of daily routines, military politics, the author's choices and decisions vital to his survival, and original methods of either beating or working with the system:
Wanting to get ahead of the curve, I spent my meager savings on a spare set of boots, new fatigues, skivvies, and other articles that went into our wall and footlockers, and Instead, lived out of laundry bags which contained clean clothes. So, while other less prepared soldiers were busy spit shining the shoes they scuffed up during the day, I spent my time studying things like how to harass the troops (just kidding), fundamentals of leadership, radio communications, reading maps and using compasses (called orienting). And despite nearly being kicked out of the Academy for fist-fighting (a recurrent problem), Nordstrom managed to graduate with honors.
The author highlights changing technology and Army approaches past and present, providing discussions which will prove thought-provoking to modern military participants as well as those who have never served. For example, while explaining why GPS has replaced the need for the survey training, SNAFU keeps the reader's attention by explaining how it is possible to be in two places at the same time!
The author's ability to relate military protocols, incidents, accidents, ironies and interpersonal relationships via his wry and witty persona will appeal to military participants and their families as well as those who may have never seen an Army base or served in any branch of the military. And while some may criticize the lack of social commentary on the horrors of war, many will find this approach refreshing.
Also in
Humor
I Can't Believe I Did That: The Game That Gives You Points for Sharing Awkward, Awesome, and Unforgettable Memories: Card Games
Nadelberg, David
Katcher, Neil
Other
The Science Magpie: Fascinating Facts, Stories, Poems, Diagrams and Jokes Plucked from Science
Flynn, Simon
Paperback
Fixing Flamingos: And Other Solutions to the World's Least Pressing Problems
Rea, Brian
Brown, Lucienne
Paperback
How to Be a Cat: (Cat Books for Kids, Cat Gifts for Kids, Cat Picture Book)
Lazar, Ralph
Swerling, Lisa
Hardcover
The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason
Chapo Trap House
Hardcover
Peculiar Questions and Practical Answers: A Little Book of Whimsy and Wisdom from the Files of the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Hardcover
How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself
Lawson, Jenny
Hardcover
Bake It Off: An Unofficial Taylor Swift-Inspired Cookbook for Every Era, from Breakfast to Midnights
Smith, Lindsey
Hardcover
Big Fan: Two Friends, 82,490 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love
Schur, Michael
Posnanski, Joe
Hardcover
Pardon My Book: Ten Years of the Best (and Worst) in Sports from Pardon My Take
Commenter, Pft
Big Cat
Hardcover
We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
Bennett, Roger
Hardcover
Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to '90s Sitcoms
Bennett, Geoff
Hardcover
How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up: Big Lessons from Little Kids
Shapiro-Barnum, Julian
Hardcover
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Five Novels in One Outrageous Volume
Adams, Douglas
Paperback
There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof That You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent
Boozan, Glenn
Hardcover
The New Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Expert Advice for Extreme Situations
Borgenicht, David
Piven, Joshua
Hardcover
Wtf America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy
Meiselas, Jordy
Meiselas, Ben
Meiselas, Brett
Hardcover
How to Talk to Your Cat about Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives
Auburn, Zachary
Paperback
Not Today, Fascists: The Lies That Got Us Here, and the Truths That Will Reunite Us
Welch, Jennifer
Hardcover
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die (New York Times Bestseller)
Condo, Messie
Hardcover