On today’s show, we’ll hear the the largely unknown story of the elite Tiger Force platoon, and the atrocities it committed in Vietnam. But first, two construction workers describe the most difficult job of their lives: clearing the debris after 9/11. Then, we’ll pay tribute to the assassinated Algerian author and intellectual Mouloud Feraoun, as part of our summer reading series on Underappreciated Literature. And a new novel explores how the War on Terror affects the personal lives of a couple in the middle of a divorce.
Nine Months at Ground Zero
It took hundreds of skilled construction workers months to clear the debris after 9/11. In Nine Months at Ground Zero, construction superintendent Charlie Vitchers and crane operator Bobby Gray describe the physical danger and emotional strain they faced as they worked to clean up Ground Zero.
Available for purchase at ...
Underappreciated Literature: Mouloud Feraoun
Mouloud Feraoun grew up in the rural Kabyle region of French-controlled Algeria. His classic first novel, The Poor Man’s Son, captured the realities of colonial occupation, and its effect on Algerians. Though Mouloud Feraoun became one of Algeria’s most important writers and intellectuals, his work wasn't translated into English until ...
A Disorder Peculiar to the Country
Ken Kalfus’s new novel, A Disorder Peculiar to the Country, begins with a Brooklyn husband and wife who each think the other has died on September 11th…and who are each secretly relieved--until they realize they’ve both survived.
Available for purchase at amazon.com
Buried Atrocities
The Tiger Force platoon was one of the most highly decorated units in Vietnam. But journalist Michael Sallah reveals the buried story of the atrocities it committed—from mutilation, to the mass killing of unarmed civilians.
Tiger Force is available for purchase at amazon.com
About The Leonard Lopate Show
Host Leonard Lopate lets you in on the best conversations with writers, actors, ex-presidents, dancers, scientists, comedians, historians, grammarians, curators, filmmakers, and do-it-yourself experts.
Hosted by Leonard Lopate
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