Chris Appy is available to do media interviews and speaking engagements.   Although PATRIOTS was written specifically about the Vietnam War, Chris can discuss many similarities between it and the war in Iraq.  Topics for discussion include:   ·         How and why antiwar dissent prior to the Iraq war reached levels not seen during the Vietnam War until the late 1960’s, years after the war had begun. ·         President Bush’s international “credibility gap.” How the gulf between his official explanation of the American War and the public perceptions of reality, especially overseas, is reminiscent of the widespread skepticism generated by American Presidents during the Vietnam War. ·         Controversies about the meaning and value of patriotism during wartime; how much of the debate about patriotism today is informed by memories of Vietnam. ·         Comparisons between the two wars in terms of media coverage, casualties, the social composition of the military, the experience of combat, American objectives, and the nature of the enemy.   For further information or to set up an interview contact: Gretchen Koss, Associate Director of Publicity at Viking/Penguin, 212-366-2440 gretchen.koss@us.penguingroup.com.