Praise from Readers
Reader reviews for Matter of Conscience, gathered from its Amazon listing. Veterans, baby boomers, lifelong friends, and first-time readers — all five stars.
Source: Amazon.com · Reviews quoted as written by readers.
I really enjoyed this book, not just because it's a very personal story, but also because it was a great history lesson. Although I'm only a few years younger than the author, I had a very little understanding of the background of what was going on politically in the country at the time and this book was very illuminating. The writing style in engaging; I finished the book in little over a day.
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!
I very much appreciated the directness and honesty shown by the author in this recounting of this most difficult period of his life. He shares just enough of his life prior to his difficult decision to become a conscientious objector. He allows the reader to really get to know the man while at the same time painting a vivid picture of what life was like in those divided and contentious times. There are many entertaining stories of his budding career as an actor as well as riveting accounts of his life behind bars. For me it was one of those books that you hate to see end. I must say though that the last chapter titled “What did we learn and where do we go from here?” and the epilogue were worth the price of admission!
When I first met Bruce in the late 80's, having cast him as a minister in a film I wrote, I knew nothing of his personal life or his turbulent past. Years later when we reconnected, and he told me how he had spent two years in a federal prison as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War and had written a book about that experience, I was more than a little surprised. Being a young man of that same age during that time, who had received three "greetings" letters from my draft board, and having eventually been given a 4F deferment which meant I would not have to serve, I couldn't wait to dive into his book. To understand why I was so eager to read "A Matter of Conscience" I need to give you some insight into my own background. Having a father who was a war hero during WWII, a decorated marine pilot who flew Corsairs off a carrier, I wanted to earn his respect by enlisting as a pilot in the Air Force, flying f-104 Starfighters. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me since that plane was the most shot down aircraft during the Vietnam War, I flunked the flight simulator tests I was given, and the Air Force did not have the time to train new pilots. I applied next for Navy OCS while still at UCLA, telling the officer in the interview I had chosen the Navy because I loved the dress white uniform. After being sent to basic training, only to wash out because of an athletic injury I suffered while playing baseball in college, the only option left for me was the Army. Having lost four friends from my high school class of two hundred males, who died in the steaming jungles of 'Nam, this was a choice I did not relish, and after failing my first two physicals, I became an anti-war protestor. Upon graduating college, after getting married and finding a job, I was in a deep state of shock when I got a third "greetings" letter from my draft board telling me to bring a toothbrush and be prepared to be shipped off to Fort Ord right after the physical. I had heard about young men of draft age fleeing to Canada to avoid enlistment and after nervously running this option by my father I was totally taken aback when he said he would support my decision, that he did not believe in this stinking war. Luckily, my sports injury kept me out of being drafted a third time and I was free to live my life, leaving me fully aware how lucky I was. For the rest of my young adult life, I read every book I could on the experiences of men who had served and had been lucky enough to come back in one piece. If you're wondering why I'm spending this time talking about myself in this review, it's because the author and I, even though of the same generation, had a totally polar opposite mind set as to why we made the choices we did, and I was eager to understand his. After diving headlong into Bruce's memoir, I came to realize how incredibly brave he was in voicing his objection to the war, not for any religious reason, but simply because he refused to kill people that he had no animus toward and for what he felt was an unjust cause he could not support. Throughout the book, the author gives us an important snapshot of the history of Vietnam, it's people and their struggles to shake off the shackles of French colonialism and the United States self-serving desire to protect the financial interests of its corporations like United Fruit and Coca Cola who made obscene profits off the suffering of the Vietnamese people which I found very informative. His insightful story digs deeply into the severe consequences of his very personal choice to become a conscientious objector, and writing in a voice filled with clarity, emotion and humor, he also delves into his own early upbringing and how it eventually comes to shape his decision and how both spiritually and physically demanding this choice would be. Upon reading about his experiences in prison, his relationship with the other inmates and his own bunkmate, I found myself laughing out loud and at other times feeling deeply touched by his personal insights. I was surprised to learn how many of the prisoners, when he told them the reason for his incarceration, not only supported him, but cheered his decision, and how upon leaving prison, how many of the veterans who served that he encountered along the way, showed no animus toward him, many telling him he had made the right choice. This revelation was deeply cathartic for me. All these years I had carried intense guilt for having not served. I remember in those early years, when I saw men marching and shouting "Hell no, I won't go!" how I looked at them with disdain for being draft dodgers. Yet after reading Bruce's very raw, honest and heartfelt memoir about his personal choice to become a conscientious objector, I came to truly understand and respect his decision not only as a brave one, but a very noble one, and to thank him for easing my own burden that I had carried with me for all these years, my own personal guilt for not having served. This incredible memoir has made me come to truly respect Bruce as a person of deep conviction and made me proud to call him a friend. Thank you again, Bruce. I highly recommend this great read to anyone wanting to learn about this tumultuous time and how one young man bravely made a stand without regret.
This is an autobiographical reliving of the author’s life up to, and including, his decision to refuse induction into the U. S. Army, after being drafted during the Vietnam conflict. His courageous decision, based upon his strong moral objection to the conflict, results in him sacrificing two years of his life to the federal prison system. The author’s writing style keeps the reader entertained while telling his story. This book is a good read and I highly recommend it.
My Grandfather and Father both proudly served the military and never said one negative word about their service. That being said, I have to admit, I was biased before reading MATTER OF CONSCIENCE. While living in the times of rock and roll, war, drugs, relationships and a changing country through Mr. Neckels’ eyes, I felt more a part of his story with every page I read. His knowledge and research of the earlier and current political scenes were intriguing and impartial. Surprisingly, I learned many of the difficulties Mr. Neckels experienced trying not serve in the military as a Conscientious Objector mirrored the life he would have had as a member of the Armed Forces. These parallels include: Many people disagreed with his choice: The uncertainty of his well-being challenging for his friends/family: Authoritarian discipline learned and practiced immediately: Microscopic control over what he ate and where he lived: Surrounding threats of dangerous conflicts happening spontaneously: Bravery and concentration a daily priority: A physically, spiritually, and mentally demanding lifestyle. To my astonishment, Mr. Neckels has now made me a supporter of both sides. How ironic this story conveys a truly difficult choice and life from either perspective.
This Memoir weaves a personal life of the author with his political beliefs in a system at a time of a war (Vietnam War) and a movement of revolution and it is done in a clever way that ties in humor, loyalty, commitment, personal values, friendships and the all-around values that are a part of the author from his early childhood years through early adulthood. Bruce Neckels has a writer's talent of choosing a style filled with an abundance of crafty word choice, ideas, and he does so in a fashion that is filled with voice and emotion that are found throughout the reading. Having grown up in the same town in N. Dakota that Bruce did, found me glued to the book as he related his life experiences about being raised by his grandmother. These experiences are the basis of who Bruce is and of his decisions in life that he relates throughout the book. His knowledge of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Vietnam War, and his life in prison is passed onto the reader in a manner that keeps one captivated and riveted to the book.
I enjoyed Bruce's writing style and his honesty. I spent three years following high school graduation in military service including service in The Gulf Of Tonkin aboard an aircraft carrier. I was completely unfamiliar with experiences like Bruce's. He allowed me to see that time period from a different perspective. I heartily recommend this book.
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