“To say that Bruce Neckels has led a colorful life would be an understatement. His memoir Matter of Conscience is so much more than a book about his experiences as a conscious objector who fought the system that drafted him for service in Vietnam. It describes his early upbringing from his birth in 1944, through dysfunctional homes, his college education, and aspirations to become an actor. In this, he achieved success, until he was drafted into the US Army in 1968 to fight an unpopular war in a far-off land. By that time the ugly side of the war had become all too apparent, and Bruce began to question his stance. As an actor, he was cast in movies, commercials, and stage productions, establishing his career and shaping his character. During this time, he researched the history of Vietnam, spoke to returning veterans, some maimed for life and engaged with anti-war demonstrators. He then embarked on a lengthy legal battle, which culminated in his being sentenced in 1971 to a jail term of two years for refusing to serve in the military. That was a saga in itself, and his time in prison and later life makes for fascinating reading. After his release on parole at the end of 1972, he continued his career, becoming an acclaimed actor and scriptwriter. He was pardoned in 1975. The book offers a different take on the Vietnam War, this time from a non-combatant perspective.”

“Bruce Neckels has written an evocative, insightful, and thought-provoking account of his life that is centered on his fight for justice as a conscientious objector. More than that, it is a record of those heady days of the late 1960s and early 1970s – a time of profound social change that played out against the background of the music of the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and a host of others. It chronicles the sharp contrast between the hippie movement and pacifist ideologies versus the conservative militarists who believed in a war that would never be won. The cost in terms of lives lost, debilitating injuries, and PTSD was devastating. The only groups that thrived were the armaments industry and black-market traders. Matter of Conscience weighs up the moral, philosophical, and political issues in a compelling manner. The author questions the draft and the effectiveness of the justice system, particularly when dealing with conscious objectors who were not hardened criminals. His thoughts on prison conditions and the necessary reforms are particularly noteworthy. The political intrigues in the USA extended far beyond the war in Southeast Asia and the corruption and deception that it brought with it, culminating in the Watergate scandal and the American capitulation in Vietnam. The book concludes by asking searching questions about the America of today, and whether the lessons of the past have been learned. It is illustrated with photographs and press cuttings, backed up by an extensive list of references plus an index. It is an enthralling read and highly recommended. An outstanding book.”

I was privileged to read this book from a somewhat unique perspective in two rather different ways. First, I’ve known the author personally for many years. We met not too long after his period of incarceration concluded.

At that time, I knew nothing about that part of his history and only knew him as a struggling young actor. We traveled together on an industrial roadshow for an automobile manufacturer when I worked for the car maker and Bruce worked as the talent.

He and I are approximately the same age and we had great fun traveling across the country putting on this dog and pony show. However, he never mentioned the part of his past depicted in this book.

As I said, above, I also read the book from another perspective, which was my own experience, living through the era he described.

While I blithely drifted through college on a student deferment, Bruce’s time ran out, and he had to either follow his conscience or face the draft. Few people, who were not born as early baby boomer males can appreciate the soul wrenching decisions he faced.

I imagine many young men, such as I, who didn’t get drafted, yet lost multiple childhood friends and classmates who didn’t survive their time in Vietnam, carried a strong sense of guilt that this book certainly dredges up.

The 70s free love era is sometimes seen as the way America glossed. over and ignored the horrors occurring during the war. Bruce’s book tears the wrapping paper off this and lays it out very clearly.

Against the backdrop of a misguided war that accomplished nothing positive and cost many thousands of lives, he courageously made the choice to accept the fate of a conscientious objector, as opposed to learning to kill people for a cause he could not support.

This biography will give you a keen sense of his reasons for making his decision and the severe consequences of that choice. If you want to learn more about what he went through, as did many others during that era, this is as crisp and raw an insight into another side of the war in Vietnam, and the multi-layered tragedies it caused as you’ll ever find.

It is entertaining and well written and I assure you that after reading it, you’ll come away with a whole new dimension to your perspectives about the facts and myths of this explosive time in America.

Read Bruce’s excellent book!