Fallen Angels Resources

Confused about all the army terms? This site defines vocabulary from Fallen Angels. And it doesn't just say what each rank means—there are plenty of general words from the book, too.

If you want a really short Vietnam War overview, head over here for some basic background.

There's no movie version of Fallen Angels, which is too bad. But there are plenty of other movies about the Vietnam War. Here's a ranked list of what people think are the best ones out there.

Several of Walter Dean Myers' books have been banned (escándolo!). Find out which ones, and why.

A photo of a naked child, Kim Phuc, running from a bombing and napalm attacked, brought about worldwide outrage about the Vietnam War. Here she is, all grown up and clothed, to tell you how she's doing now.

Author Walter Dean Myers talks about writing Fallen Angels. He talks about his brother too, so keep some tissues handy.

Get some background on the author himself with this video autobiography, complete with dapper black-and-white photographs.

If you want to understand the conversations about race in Fallen Angels, it helps to know what was going on back at home in the late '60s, when Fallen Angels takes place. This Crash Course video is all about what was going on in America in the 1960's. Don't worry, there's some fun hair in addition to the depressing war stuff.

Can't get enough of historical overviews? Here's one about how the Korean War and Vietnam War were connected. Get ready to be educated, and also slightly depressed.

Listen to the audio sample of the first chapter to get a taste—er, ear—of what the book sounds like out loud. Does Peewee sound like he does in your head?

Come from a rich enough family and you're probably safe at home, while folks who grew up poor, like Perry, Peewee, and Johnson, are the ones out there putting their lives on the line. That's the message "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, a protest song about Vietnam from 1969.

Walter Dean Myers' son Christopher interviews his dad about their family and reading. Okay, there aren't that many secrets, but it's good knowledge for your noggin.

Where did Perry and Peewee land at first? And where exactly was "the boonies"? This map of Vietnam from the '60s can help you trace their route through the war.

The soldiers in Perry's platoon are constantly having to move through rice paddies. Here's what one of them actually looks like. See why Perry was nervous to cross through one of those? There's nowhere to take cover. Looks soggy, too.

See what all the army jargon about medevacs and treeline bombings looked like through these famous Vietnam War photos. Consider yourself warned: these aren't pretty, happy, sunshiney pictures.

Here's an older cover of Fallen Angels. Which cover, this one or the current one, do you think best captures the mood of the story?