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Internal Conflicts
In his first novel, Acclaimed author and military historian Flint Whitlock thrusts us back to the turbulent ‘60s and captures the tenor of the times in one of the most powerful and emotionally compelling stories to ever chronicle the Vietnam Era.
Moving deftly from the epic to the personal and the hilarious to the heart breaking, Internal Conflicts follows Peter Luton, a young, sensitive, idealistic army officer as he searches for sex, love, identity, and meaning in a world turned upside down
“Of all the hundreds of manuscripts I have seen over the years, I can truthfully say that I have not seen ‘The Great American Novel’ until now.”
---Victor West,
Pacific Literary Services
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ISBN 13: 978-1-934980-69-9 332 pages Soft cover $14.95 limited time! $11.21 |
I like a good war story, but I wasn’t honestly sure any tale about Vietnam would hold my interest.
I figured it would be tough to be transported emotionally back to a time when our nation was practically torn in half over its involvement in the most unpopular, misunderstood, and misrepresented war. So many of the boys of the Me Generation, the Now Generation—my generation—were in a constant state of terror, endlessly and often fruitlessly strategizing how best to get out of having to “serve their country.” Many of us were so scared of the prospect of being drafted and having to march off to the remote jungles of Southeast Asia, we would have done almost anything to avoid being called up. So, in all honesty, did I really want to read a novel about “Vietnam”?
It was with this level of reluctance that I opened my copy of Internal Conflicts. I quickly realized my hesitancy was misplaced, for within a few pages I was hooked.
I was captured not so much by author Flint Whitlock’s gripping portrayal of a soldier’s first encounter with death in the trenches, but by a remarkable ability to reveal and explore his main character’s troubled, tender personality, and his ofttimes humorous naïveté. I was struck by the vulnerabilities and insecurities that Peter admitted to—those psychological deficiencies and personality traits we might identify with but are unable to express with such clarity. Anyone who has studied psychology or undergone psychotherapy will appreciate the character’s capacity for self-revelation and being in touch with his inner self (if I may be permitted to invoke a cliché from the era).
Whitlock has a definite knack for getting into the head of the frightened young man from comfortable, middle-class Chicago. He lays bare the mental conflicts of Captain Luton, his resentments and admissions of weakness and angst, his zigzagging quest for identity, and—through a recurring, strong theme—his powerful but often repressed and contradictory sexual tensions. Compelling writing, this.
Scattered throughout the story are Whitlock’s expressions of intelligent humor, clever twists of phrase, thoroughly believable conversational style, and astounding life scenarios. The book held my fascination from beginning to end—although I am quick to add that the story’s ironic ending came as rather a shock, but let’s not comment on that now… You form your own opinions!
I recommend Internal Conflicts to the individual who wishes to explore a fascinating slice of the tumultuous sixties. This introspective book will appeal to and delight anyone who experienced strong and mixed emotions about the Vietnam War. It will titillate those who may have explored their own sexuality through the dual, conflicting lenses of guilt and physical desire. But moreover and above all, Whitlock’s saga will satisfy those of us who simply enjoy savoring a good, entertaining read.
Rodney Aho
Aho Music and Arts
Gresham, Ore.
December 20, 2009