Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Bridge of Stones by Alan Taylor and Charles Fasanaro is a powerfully moving account of Charles Fasanaro’s life, especially the time spent in Vietnam as a civilian volunteer attached to the United States Military. Charles was the last person you might have expected to find in the Vietnam War. A Chemistry major at North Carolina State University, he was a deep thinker and amateur philosopher who was attracted to and deeply involved in the “hippie” peace revolution and anti-war movement. When he was offered the opportunity in 1967 to work with Behavior Systems Ltd to train dogs in detecting landmines, tripwires, and hidden tunnels for the Army in Vietnam, he dropped out of school. Along with a number of his “hippie” friends, they set out in their psychedelic van to report to Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Georgia, to begin training the dogs and their handlers in the techniques of sniffing out explosives. Two vastly disparate cultures would meet, clash, and slowly begin to accept each other over an extensive training period. When the 60th Mine Scout Dog Platoon prepared to head out to Vietnam, Charles made a rash promise to his new comrades that he would see them over there. He had no idea how he would fulfill his promise but he was determined to find a way. A new chemical test for explosive residue he had developed would grant his wish to head to Vietnam as a civilian volunteer where he could check on his trainees and their beloved dogs plus confront head-on his ambiguous reasons for wanting to put himself in the middle of a dangerous and deadly war, especially given his peace-loving philosophy.

Bridge of Stones is one of the most powerful and moving autobiographies I’ve ever read about someone who participated in the Vietnam War. Authors Alan Taylor and Charles Fasanaro describe it as stitching fictional elements to true events but there is no doubt that Charles went through some horrific experiences in Vietnam and the depth of the terror and hopelessness felt by many of the participants was beautifully communicated. The authors don’t pull any punches in the descriptions of the conditions those soldiers faced in Vietnam as well as the bloody and graphic impact of munitions on the human body. This is certainly not a book for the squeamish or the faint of heart but it is these descriptive passages that give the story such power and realism. I was fascinated, as most readers will be, with the dichotomy between a peace-loving, anti-war, semi-hippie who chooses to go and help in the place he has spent so much time protesting against. Although I’m not sure Charles ever found the complete answer to why he went to Vietnam, it did seem to be part of a long, circuitous route to finding his place in the world and finding peace within himself. I particularly appreciated his belief that the principal purpose of humanity is to help one another to become the best that they can be and that it is through service that we fulfill our destinies. To have gone through the wild ride that Charles experienced and to finally conclude that “all is well” resonates deeply with my personal beliefs and practices. Few books have touched me as deeply as this one and it is a story that I will remember long after I have put the book down. Charles Fasanaro, you are indeed an inspiration and I thank you for this story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.