Born on the Fourth of July: 40th Anniversary Edition

by Ron Kovic

Overview

This edition marks the 40th anniversary of the original publication of Kovic's American antiwar classic.

“Classic and timeless!” —New York Times

“As relevant as ever, this book is an education. Ron is a true American, and his great heart and hard-won wisdom shine through these pages.” —Oliver Stone, filmmaker

This New York Times best seller (more than one million copies sold), presented here in a special fortieth-anniversary edition with a brand-new foreword by Bruce Springsteen, details the author’s life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film)—from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country’s most outspoken anti–Vietnam War advocate, spreading his message from his wheelchair.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617754708
Publisher:	Akashic Books, Ltd.
Publication date:	07/04/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	678,371
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Ron Kovic served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the coscreenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award–winning film based on Kovic's best-selling memoir Born on the Fourth of July (Tom Cruise stars in the role of Kovic in the film).
RON KOVIC served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver Stone, Kovic was the coscreenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award–winning film based on Kovic’s best-selling memoir Born on the Fourth of July (starring Tom Cruise as Kovic). Hurricane Street (2016) detailed Kovic’s efforts to organize the American Veterans Movement in 1974, fighting for better treatment of injured and disabled veterans. His latest work is A Dangerous Country.

Editorial Reviews

"Kovic’s book follows him from star high school wrestler to a patriotic American inspired by John F. Kennedy to join the marines to the traumatic 1968 wartime injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down to his emergence as an outspoken anti-war activist."

Hollywood Reporter

"Born on the Fourth of July tells the story of its author’s transition from war hawk to protestor after being paralyzed in Vietnam, and coming home to a lukewarm reception. It’s no coincidence that ‘Born in The U.S.A.’ tells very much the same tale."

Billboard

"Forty years ago the Vietnam vet from Massapequa—wounded in combat and in a wheelchair ever since—published his classic war memoir, later made into a film with Tom Cruise. The anniversary edition features a foreword by Bruce Springsteen. Kovic’s new book, Hurricane Street, chronicles the 1970s activism of the American Veterans Movement."

Newsday

"The book details Kovic’s entering of the Vietnam War as a fierce, pro-war patriot before becoming an outspoken peace activist after an injury paralyzed him and he returned home to a cold reception."

Rolling Stone

"Born on the Fourth of July brings back the era of the Vietnam War at a time when the Establishment is trying to make the nation forget what they call the “Vietnam syndrome.” Ron Kovic’s memoir is written with poetic passion and grips your attention from the very first page to the last. It is a classic of anti-war literature and I hope it will be read by large numbers of young people, who will be both sobered and inspired by his story."

Howard Zinn

"The 1976 book, which was made into an Oscar winning film starring Tom Cruise in 1989, details Kovic’s period in the Vietnam War as a fierce, pro-war patriot before he became an outspoken peace activist after an injury paralysed him and he returned home to a cold reception."

NME

"Kovic's tale of patriotic disillusionment and poor treatment of veterans is as sadly relevant today as it was 40 years ago."
—Self Awarness for Readers A Great Reads Selection

"Ron Kovic is one of the premier voices of a generation. The large irony of his birthday provides the background for a journey which begins with the unquestioning service in Vietnam, his terrible wounding with all the anger and bitterness that follows, and ends with his passionate discovery of a large and all-too-human heart."
—Larry Heinemann, author of Paco's Story

"There is no book more relevant in the twenty-first century to healing the wound of Vietnam, which continues to bring so much pain to our country...It remains to Kovic to remind us that history matters, and that the cost of our high follies persists."
—Robert Scheer, editor-in-chief of Truthdig

"Ron Kovic's terrible tragedy is America's."
—Los Angeles Times

"Ron Kovic has returned from the dead and given us an honest, unrefined account of his struggle."
—Washington Post

"This New York Times bestseller details the author's life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film version) from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country's most outspoken anti–Vietnam War advocate."
—Off the Shelf, Included in 11 Powerful Books That Explore the Legacy of the Vietnam War

From the Publisher