First came John Lennon. Then Marching for Independence. Now National Publication Award-finalist Elizabeth Partridge takes on the ultimate 60s subject: Vietnam.

In March 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson sent soldiers into Vietnam. 57,939 American military would be killed and seventeen years would move before this controversial section of American history concluded with the dedication from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982.

The history of this era is complex; the cultural impact incredible. But it is the personal tales of eight people–six American troops, one American nurse, and one Vietnamese refugee–that type the heartbeat of Shoes on the floor. From dense jungles and terrifying firefights to chaotic medic rescues and evacuations, each individual’s story reveals a different facet of the battle and techniques us forward in time. Alternating with these chapters are information of crucial American leaders and events, reminding us what was happening in the home, including Kent State, Woodstock, and Watergate. This show-stopping publication is usually Elizabeth Partridge at her finest.