Tour of Duty is a fiction novel-literary and historical--set in France, 1960-1966, at the height of the cold war and written with strong characterization, conflict, and dynamic plots. Major characters are Miles Ballard, a physician drafted and eager to succeed in providing best care for his patients who frequently clashes with military demands and morality; Ingrid Stern, wife of Ballard's best friend, seeking truth about lost relatives and the Holocaust; Alyce Read, a newspaper journalist documenting capture the suffering and ruination of Holocaust victims and survivors.
William H. Coles is the award-winning author of short stories, essays on writing, interviews, and novels in contests such as The Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction and the William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition, among others. He is the creator of storyinliteraryfiction.com, a site dedicated to educational material, a workshop, and examples for writers seeking to create lasting character-based fiction with strong dramatic plots that stimulate thought about the human condition. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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. . . Tour of Duty is one of those books where the reader truly feels part of the world the author describes.
. . . If you like to immerse yourself in slice-of-life stories, Tour of Duty is the perfect book for you.
. . . Written with strong believable characterization and a dialogue-driven plot
. . . The characters he creates are not just ordinary figures but realistic, compelling people with authentic stories and emotional depth.
. . . Tour of Duty is a book that will not disappoint readers looking for a compelling story
. . . I admired his narrative building and development of a darn good story.
— Readers’ Favorite Reviews
Reviews from OnlineBookClub.org
"I really enjoyed this novel. For one, it was very historically accurate. The author subtly alluded to historical events, like the Jewish Holocaust and Hiroshima, in such a way that it never overshadowed the main narrative but was still enough to immerse me in the past. In addition, for a book written last year, the tenor of the novel was superb. It’s written in the sort of archaic English common to the time; it reads like a book published straight out of the 1950s. It’s consistent throughout the story, and it really put the finishing touches on the book for me. The characters themselves were wonderfully written. They were all affected in some way due to their identities and respective histories; they all had motives for their actions, and their backgrounds were fully explained. Moreover, these characters changed throughout the story due to these experiences.
This book is deserving of 5 out of 5 stars. It’s an exceptionally well-written and well-edited piece of literature. The writer took up the challenge of manufacturing a plotless story and has done so brilliantly. The characters were compelling, creative, and all of equal importance to the story. It’s an inventive glimpse into the past and a joy to read."
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"I simply adored this book. A big part of its allure is its historical accuracy; you felt like you were in the 1960s. Subtle references to the past, like the bombing of Nagasaki, the acquisition of France by Germany, and D-Day, were always referenced in some way. This helped preserve the book’s authenticity while simultaneously preventing the storyline from dwelling too much in the history of the times and consequently causing it to diverge from the story. Moreover, I liked that these events had an impact on the characters’ lives.
The novel’s tone is one of my highlights. Published in 2022, the novel reads like one typewritten in the 1970s and reminded me of The Great Gatsby due to its old-school tone. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a highly creative, brilliantly written, and well edited piece of work. The author has spun a wonderful story from the perspective of captivating, relatable characters."
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"Williams H. Coles created an outstanding work out of this novel. While reading the book, I was completely immersed in it, enjoying each chapter and desiring to know what happens next. The author's writing was easy to follow and intriguing. This book made me admire Miles a lot. He didn't only stand his ground, unlike the other doctors on the military base, but he upheld his morals and ethics and stuck to them."
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"I read every part of this book, and I just could not find anything to dislike about it. William H. Coles gave a comprehensive description of the interactions between the characters, making it simple and enjoyable to read. I enjoyed how the author addressed real-life issues that happen in a society like racism, rape, and suicide, their effects, and how a single person could cause a significant change. I enjoyed how the author pointed out the love and care most doctors in the book have for their patients.
The book was written to perfection. It was exceptionally well edited. It was compelling to read, with nonstop excitement and drama. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars because it inspired me to continually stand up for my principles and fight for what I believe in."
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Tour of Duty reviews from Goodreads.com:
Tour of Duty
In the 1960s, the Cuban Missile Crisis and escalation of the Vietnam conflict, intensified the fears of the free world. The US military geared up for the worst. Thousands of young men were drafted into active military duty. Miles Ballard was a doctor in training and when drafted, chose the Berry Plan option for physicians, which would delay deployment until completion of a medical degree. Ballard finished his internship and was inducted to serve in the US Air Force in 1960.
Chapter 1
Arrival
1960
France
Dense layers of gray clouds steeped with damp drifted to the east in the French sky over Paris. Miles Ballard lugged two brown leather suitcases and a backpack from baggage claim into the terminal at Orly International Airport. A woman in a flower-patterned, tea-colored dress cinched with a red, braided-cord belt at the waist, held up a cardboard packing-box lid with CAPTAIN BALLARD hand-printed in block letters. Miles approached her.
“Are you Captain Ballard?” she asked.
Miles nodded.
“Welcome,” she said. “I’m Ingrid. From the base travel office.”
He liked her look: about five feet, six inches, and waved, light-brown hair shimmered with a hint of gold. It touched her shoulders and accented the blue-green of her eyes, which fixated rather than roamed. Her thin lips formed a sincere, kind smile, if not attenuated. She seemed vulnerable in some way.
She moved to pick up one of his bags.
“I’ll do that,” he insisted. She looked athletic, but she was a woman, and he didn’t feel right about her carrying his gear. “Where can I find the train to Châteauroux?”
“I have a military car and driver waiting,” she said.
“You sure? I can take the train.”
“It’s my job! Grab your bags and get in the car!”
Something about her looks and personality made Miles feel better about his luck in missing his first French train ride that he had imagined with pleasure on his flight from LaGuardia.
As Ingrid led him to the exit, a disheveled man wearing coveralls and a plaid wool shirt, his coal-black hair streaked with gray, approached. “Cochon!” he snarled and spat near Miles’s feet. Miles turned to face him.
“Come on,” Ingrid said urgently.
“What does that word mean?”
“Ignore him.”
“No, what does it mean?”
“It means pig.”
“Derogatory?”
“Very. It’s your uniform.”
“I’m required to wear a uniform while traveling on duty and in public.”
“I know that! But don’t pick a fight on your arrival in France. Keep walking, and don’t look back!”
They exited, and she led him toward a military gray-green sedan waiting at the curb, a uniformed airman driver behind the wheel.
“Why was he so angry?” Miles asked.
“Well, you remind him that it was American soldiers who died to win the war on Normandy beach. A lot of nationalities died, but he doesn’t like the Americans’ conceit about it. And he really doesn’t like anyone not French.”
“I just wanted to talk to him.”
“That’s not recommended. Just not right for the situation. Besides, don’t pick fights with someone eight inches taller than you.”
“But if you treat people with civility, they’re less hostile,” Miles said.
“That’s naive. He really doesn’t like you!”
“You don’t like me either, do you?”
“Well, I haven’t known you long enough.” She smiled slightly.
“You think I’m arrogant?”
“All American military men are arrogant.”
“So why are you working for them?”
“My husband’s a doctor at the base. We can use the money.”
She must know I’ll be a doctor at the base. “I assume you married him for his potential wealth?” he smiled.
“Smartass.” She jabbed his arm in jest with her closed fist. “I know you’re a doctor, and I guarantee I wouldn’t marry you for your salary or personality.”
“That hurt,” he said.
“Your callow feelings?”
“My vulnerable soul.”
Exhausted, he slept on the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Châteauroux air base.
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