Overview

Interstate 70, April 1969 Only a year into the Air Force Academy, Sam Roberts has resigned. His father is furious. His mother is understanding but unsupportive. As for him, well . . . Sam doesn't really know what to think anymore. All he knows is that he doesn't believe in the US's involvement in the Vietnam War and can't be part of it any longer. Leaving both his girlfriend and the Academy behind in Colorado, Sam hitchhikes his way down Interstate 70 all the way home to Missouri. Along his way, he'll meet people from all walks of life: four Hispanic youths driving to a quinceañera, retired WWII vets who have differing opinions on the war, a hippie who just left the service, and a couple from California. Each brings their own perspective to both the Vietnam War and American ideals. As for Sam, he'll end up sharing more than just a ride--the exchange of ideas will set him on the course he was always meant to be on. Inspired by his own experiences, James Charles Smith's debut novel Flightless Falcon presents the varying nuances of American political beliefs during the late 1960s. Through Sam's interactions between people's perceptions on war, life, and love, Smith creates a narrative that reveals pivotal history through this coming of age story, transporting readers to a place where soul-searching is possible.

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9781612546674

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Reviews

"""The story took me back to my late teen years and hitchhiking days. Debut author Smith covers topics ranging from life as a cadet at the Air Force Academy to those that were important in society during that era. Sam Roberts, the main character, did not believe in the Vietnam War and worried about the draft. He hitchhiked from Colorado to Missouri on I-70 and met some colorful people along the way. I also liked his mention of oldie songs that played on the radio and 8-track tapes throughout the story. It caused me to pause, momentarily, remembering scenes back in the day when I listened to them. Smith's writing seems to place readers right there within the scenes, taking them all along on his journey to find himself. Great story and easy to read.""--John Podlaski, Author of Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel""Inviting readers on a road trip through the heart of an America at war with itself, James Charles Smith opens a window on a previously unexplored corner of the landscape of the late 1960s. Dropping out of the Air Force Academy, Sam Roberts embarks on a journey from the snowcapped Rocky Mountains to an uncertain future with the draft hanging over him and the sound of the Rolling Stones and the Doors echoing in his head. The gallery of memorable characters he meets along the way--hippies, veterans, supporters of the war--reminds us of the unresolved complexities of the Vietnam era and earns Flightless Falcon a place in the literature that maintains its hold on the American imagination. --Craig Werner, Author of We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War""James Charles Smith's Flightless Falcon secured my interest from the very first page. The novel quickly paints the lonely, anxious uncertainty of Sam Roberts, whose hitchhiking road trip, instead of being a trip to an unknown, exciting somewhere, becomes a destination of misgivings to an unwelcome nowhere. Sam's dilemma is unique in how it contrasts the pride, honor and perceived future of his Air Force Academy appointment, and the swirling, empty feelings of doubt and concern triggered by the Vietnam War and his resignation. Sam's journey also reveals how the war, regardless of one's personal view, was a shared experience. With Smith's honest, descriptive, and vulnerable writing style, Flightless Falcon captures the complex sensitivities of a turbulent and troubling time, evoking a vast spectrum of memories for those who lived through the Vietnam era and providing a historical marker of understanding for those who didn't.""--Kenn Visser, Author of Peace of Ourselves"

Author Information

James Charles Smith is a talented author who embarked on a journey from journalism to engineering before finding his true calling as a novelist. Born in Texas, he traveled widely as a US Air Force brat and then with his own wife and kids. He first attended college at the United States Air Force Academy and resigned during his first year, which is the inspiration for this story. He is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism from the University of Missouri. Following journalism school, he worked for various newspapers before settling down in television production. He worked for ten years as a writer, editor, cameraman, and producer/director, but it's a family tradition to change one's mind. To better provide for his family, James returned to school for an engineering degree. As both an engineer and engineering manager, his duties included the writing and publishing of technical reports, engineering investigations, and training materials. Serving as a consultant to the Electric Power Research Institute, he edited their report on the instrumentation and control upgrade plan for the commercial nuclear power industry. Currently, he lives with his dog, Abel, in the foothills of Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Flightless Falcon is his first novel.

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