Product Description
The Vietnam War was the most controversial conflict everentered into by the United States.Military and press photographers,camera-wielding soldiers, and civilians all took the opportunity torecord the harrowing events of the 1960s and early '70s. NAM: APhotographic History features the images and stories that documentthis tumultuous era, revealing sides of the war never seen before andshedding new light on this decades-old conflict.With its wealth ofunforgettable images, this truly comprehensive book provides an unrivaled- and unflinching- overview of the Vietnam War.

* Features more than 700 full-color and black-and-white photographsfrom a variety of sources, many of which are seen here for the firsttime.

* Every major theater of conflict is covered extensively, from Laos toHanoi, from the Tet Offensive and Lam Son 719 to the Battle of LongTan and Operation Homecoming

* Informative, indexed commentary provides historical grounding andsummarizes the complex events of the period ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Nothing Better....
When I saw this book at a client's house, I had to have it. It impressed me there and it has continued to impress me ever since. He paid $145.00 - I paid $20.00 for a new copy.....

This is a must for history buffs..

Historic review
This is a good review of the Vietnam War. Having participated, personally, I find it very interesting and accurate. It shows the relevancy of having photo journalists covering our wars because it can help us do things better in the ensuing ones.....we hope. Great pictures!

Great value!!!
I still can't believe that I got this book for under $10.00! Simply amazing value.

thank you
I purchased this book for my husband who served in Viet Nam.He appreciated the detail in the book.It is a testament to all those who have served in 'the Nam'.

Good addition
I think this is a great book and I have enjoyed it very much. I think it would be a fantastic addition for history buffs- especially those who enjoy American or military history. I have quite an extensive library of these types of books, and I'm very glad to now have this one in my collection.

Despite some of these comments, the collection of pictures and stories are very well done. I'm glad it doesn't have the same pictures as every other book about this time period. It is obviously not a history of the country of Viet Nam. It never claims to be- it is simply a history of American involvment in this war.

Anyone who actually likes history without slants and with straight facts, this is a good book for you. Buy it, enjoy it, and learn something about this important time in American history. I know I have.

Hooah! ... Read more

Product Description
During the Vietnam War, one out of every eighteen helicopter pilots never made it home alive. At age nineteen, Tom Johnson flew in the thick of it, and lived to tell his harrowing tale.

Johnson piloted the UH-1 "Iroquois"-better known as the "Huey"-as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. This riveting memoir gives the pilot's perspective on key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. From dangerous missions to narrow escapes, Johnson's account vividly captures the adrenaline rush of flying and the horror of war, and takes readers on an unforgettable ride. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

To the limit
Book arrived within a few days and was in the condition that it was described or better, very happy with there service.

Must Read
A Great book!I'd write more but I think the other reviewers have it covered.Very well written by a guy just doing his job to the best of his ability, which truly makes him a hero in my book.

Intensity To The Limit

To The Limit:

This is a fantastically Intense book that takes you To The Limit of your ability to remain involved.If it isn't the enemy, it's the weather and the politics.Mr. Johnson is actually able to verbally describe how to fly a helicopter well enough to convince me I could actually just get in one and fly it.
He carries this art of description throughout the entire spectrum of his war in Vietnam.Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Hal

Action
There was more action in the first chapter of this book than in 6 months of reading other military aircraft tales. Good book.!

Couldn't put this book down!
I LOVED this book, and I am not the target audience, most likely. I am female and over 60, but was so impressed with the story it told and the excitement and terror of the battles those pilots fought. I really got insight into what went on so far away from American daily life, and how great the risks were. I felt I was there. ... Read more

Product Description
This thoroughly documented chronology of the April 1972 invasion of South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese Army, called the Easter Offensive, serves both as a historical lesson and a remarkable war memoir. On the Marine Corps Commandant s professional list for years, it is told with authority and compassion by a crucial player, an American Marine who was a senior advisor to the Vietnamese Marines. When first published in hardcover in 1984, it was a selection of the Military Book Club. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Semper Fi!
So informative and descriptive.Since I was there but much earlier, it brought back memories.The author proudly represented the Marine courage in Viet Nam. "Chesty" would have been proud.I recommend this book for anyone who served in Nam or is a history buff or a pacifist to learn what we had to go through.I have not by any stretch of the imagination read a lot of books on the war but this one is a must.

FOR ANYONE WHO WAS THERE, A MUST READ!
I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BASES IN NORTHERN I CORPS. AS A MARINE TANK COMMANDER, I HAD THE OPPERTUNITY TO BE AT MOST OF THE BASES MENTIONED IN THE BOOK, CON-THIEN, CHARLIE-2, CAM LO,THE ROCK PILE,MAILOC,AND ALL THE AREAS IN AND AROUND LEATHERNECK SQUARE.ONCE I STARTEDREADING THE BOOK, I COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OFMEMORIES, AND MADE ME WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VILLAGERS IN MAI LOC THATI KNEW PERSONALLY. THIS BOOK IS DEFINATELY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VEREAD ON THE VIETNAM WAR,AND I'VE READ ABOUT EVERY ONE I COULD FIND.AGAIN, "GREAT JOB"

JAN ("TURTLE") WENDLING"A"CO.3RD TANK BN.3RD MARINE DIV.1ST PLATOON

The Real McCoy.
On April 1, 1972 the North Vietnamese Army crosses the DMZ. It crashes into the worst soldiers in the South Vietnamese Army with total surprise. Running for their lives or surrendering in place, the South's soldiersleave the highway south wide open for the North's rapidly advancing armor. The target of the surprise blitzkrieg is the provincial capital ofQuang Tri City. Both the US and South Vietnamese commands have no idea howclose they are to loosing the northern most province of South Vietnam. TheSouth's unit's and their American advisors are running out of time and fortheir lives. Panic and chaos rule. But some men stand and fight----Marines. This is where Colonel Turley's history begins and he's got one heck ofa story to tell. Courage, sacrifice, and duty just as he saw it. It'shistory you won't see on the History Channel. Straight out of a time in theVietnam war, that is still so embarrassing for the US, the courageousachievements of the South Vietnamese Marines and US Marine advisors in thisstory have been virtually forgotten.Don't settle for reductive,self-serving, second hand histories about the Vietnam War. Turn off your TVand read this book.

An Unknown Chapter of Heroism in America's Longest War

THE EASTER OFFENSIVE is another chapter of the Vietnam War unknown tothe average Americans. It is an invaluable collection to the military buffsas well as those with a passing interest in the war. The focus of the bookis on the crack South Vietnamese outfit, the Marine Division, and itsAmerican advisers bearing the brunt of resistance against the largest NorthVietnamese offensive mounted in the history of the war. A preface by ahighly-decorated Marine hero-turned novelist, James Webb, sets the framefor this unforgettable tale of gallantry and sacrifrice.

Agroup of gung-ho US Marine advisers are trapped in the North VietnameseDivision in stopping the onslaught of the heavily armed North Vietnamesemechanized columns in Quang Nam Province. The South Vietnamese Marines areto defend the province at all costs. The incompetent South Vietnamese corpscommander in charge of the area has cracked under pressure. Their brethrendivision in defense of the province is routed with one of its regimentssurrendering to the enemy. The Marine numbers are fast dwindling, and it isup to the South Vietnamese Marine commanders and their advisers to whiptheir bruised outfit to a fighting shape.

The SouthVietnamese Marines take heavy casualties in the initial phase of the enemyoffensive. The Marines try to take out the Communist tanks with 72mmanti-tank rockets, but to no avail. The Marine battalions fall back fromtheir position, with some of its men stranded. The Marine morale isbeginning to crack. However, the US Marine advisers and their SouthVietnamese counterparts would slowly gain momentum through sheer courageand gung-ho initiative. No Marine battalions surrender to the enemy,despite the cowardice exhibited by its brethren division.

Thebook flows smoothly in a gripping narrative. While the book focuses on aSouth Vietnamese fighting unit, the author, then Deputy Senior Marineadiviser to the South Vietnamese Marine Corps, also tries to give a macroview of the war by describing the background to offensive, and the fightingcapability of the South Vietnamese generals.

Also worthnoting are the heroic exploits of the two American Marine captains, Ripleyand Smith, who brought their South Vietnamese Marines to the safety whileexposing themselves repeatedly to the enemy fire in rallying the Marinedefense. Theirtales of courage, the paragon of what an inspirationalmilitary leadership ought to be, are not easily forgotten and inspire thebest of the fighting men.

The book, while filled withmilitary lessons to be learned and fascinating exploits, does more thanwhat is asked of it through its gripping narratives. It paints the acts ofcourage by America's often misunderstood ally, the South Vietnamese, withnoble dignity. Through the gallant acts of its elite Marines, the bookshows that they were willing to fight provided they had the spirit andproper leadership. The American Marine advisers and their own gung-hoMarine commanders provided them both during the Offensive. In the finaloutcome, they ran short of both in a wrong war whose cause they couldneither articulate nor justify. But military men merely fight to liveanother day in a war started by their own politicians. This book gives theSouth Vietnamese Marines that very credit they deserve for doing their bestdespite the insurmountable odds.
... Read more

Product Description

Many senior army officials still claim that if they had been given enough soldiers and weapons, the United States could have won the war in Vietnam. In this probing analysis of U.S. military policy in Vietnam, career army officer and strategist Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., argues that precisely because of this mindset the war was lost before it was fought.

The army assumed that it could transplant to Indochina the operational methods that had been successful in the European battle theaters of World War II, an approach that proved ill-suited to the way the Vietnamese Communist forces fought. Theirs was a war of insurgency, and counterinsurgency, Krepinevich contends, requires light infantry formations, firepower restraint, and the resolution of political and social problems within the nation. To the very end, top military commanders refused to recognize this.

Krepinevich documents the deep division not only between the American military and civilian leaders over the very nature of the war, but also within the U.S. Army itself. Through extensive research in declassified material and interviews with officers and men with battlefield experience, he shows that those engaged in the combat understood early on that they were involved in a different kind of conflict. Their reports and urgings were discounted by the generals, who pressed on with a conventional war that brought devastation but little success.

A thorough analysis of the U.S. Army's role in the Vietnam War, this book demonstrates with chilling persuasiveness the ways in which the army was unprepared to fight -- lessons applicable to today's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Customer Reviews (8)

War is too important to be left to the generals.
I had never realised before reading Andrew Krepinevich's _The Army and Vietnam_ how neglected counterinsurgency/anti-guerrilla/counter-revolutionary warfare was in the scheme of things in the US Army in the lead-up to the commitment of US troops to Vietnam in 1965 and afterwards. In the early 1960s, the US Army's hierarchy dismissed as a 'fad' President Kennedy's interest and directives to develop an operational capability to combat counterinsurgencies and despite some elaborate window-dressing to appear to be doing something in this area, the US Army just about totally neglected developing any counterinsurgency capability. And when it came to the crunch in and after 1965 in Vietnam, this neglect showed in flawed strategy and tactics, a consistent misdirection in fighting the war, and therefore a flawed war effort in waging a counterinsurgency war. Why was this so? One did not have to be a military-cum-geopolitical genius to see that after the Korean War, the sort of war America would likely be consistently engaged in would be against an insurgent/guerrilla enemy. And yet the US Army did not develop a capability for or train for this sort of warfare; in fact it was worse than doing nothing as the US military leadership actually resisted trying to develop a counterinsurgency capability as they felt that developing such a capability detracted from their traditional and preferred military mission and role of engaging in conventional war against regular forces. No wonder Vietnam ended up such debacle militarily. Krepinevich's book explains a lot and shows how the US Army itself sowed the seeds of its own defeat in Vietnam. It seems Clemenceau was right, war is too important to be left to the generals.

The Army in Vietnam
This is an excellent work on why the US Army failed to over come the insurgency in the early days of the Viet Nam war.It explains how President John F Kennedy ordered the Army to change direction and prepare for the new wars of 'national liberation' in the developing world.

The Army considered President Kennedy's orders to be troublesome and did everything the Army could to not carry out his direction.The Army brass considered Kennedy's plan to be a "fad" and continued to plan on the big war in Europe against the Soviet Union.The Army believed that if it could fight the Russian Army, then crushing an insurgency would be no problem.When they did include insurgent warfare training, it was always with the big war in mind.Once Kennedy was dead the Army felt free to dump most of the program.

Andrew F. Krepinevich Jr., the author wrote the book after completing his PhD.He was a Lt Col in the Army and this book - since it did not follow Army doctrine - ended his Army career.

Today's Army leaders in the Middle East have studied this book and some of their anti-Taliban efforts can be seen in the lessons learned by earlier generations of command.

An excellent read for those interested in the Viet Nam war, and in how to battle insurgent forces.

A review from the perspective of Civil Affairs
Review of The Army and Vietnam, by Andrew Krepinevich

Date: 09 June 2009
________________________________________________________________

Introduction

Andrew Krepinevich (USA LTC Ret.) heads the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment (CSBA). As a US Army Major working at OSD he authored a book called The Army in Vietnam, which critically assessed the approach used by DA to the ongoing insurgency in South Vietnam.The book is well researched and provides an exhaustive set of references.

Book Summary

Organized chronologically, Krepinevich takes the reader from the advisory years of 1954-65 through withdrawal in the mid-70s.Although easily dismissible as yet another failure narrative on an unpopular war, it provides a clear-eyed assessment of the systemic disconnects between DA, DoD and NCA and the mid-level officers, NCOs and civilians on the ground in Vietnam.Krepinevich does not gripe but cites examples of grounded solutions which, had they been adopted into practice, could have influenced both the tactical and strategic outcomes of the war.He ends the book with a ringing indictment of the strategy of attrition and explores the two competing strategies offered by DA/DoD at the time, the El Paso plan and the Enclave or oil-spot approach.

El Paso

Discussed in detail in COL Harry Summers book On Strategy: The Vietnam War in Context, the plan called for

...a joint U.S.-ARVN-ROK push across the Laotian panhandle form the DMZ to Savannakhet on the Thai-Laotian border.Once in place, the plan held, such a force could have blocked North Vietnamese access to South Vietnam...allowing the RVNAFto destroy insurgents in the South, a job in which, Summers contends, the Army should not have become involved.Indeed, Summers states that the Army's fatal mistake was becoming overly involved in combating the insurgents, thereby missing the real threat-the North Vietnamese (Krepinevich 262).


Enclave

Proposed by Ambassador Taylor in 1965, Enclave accepted the idea of the stalemate where U.S. forces could neither win the war for the RVNAF nor be driven out of Vietnam through military action (Krepinevich 264-265).Further,

...the strategy called for the military to recognize the war had been won by the South Vietnamese and that the most effective role for American troops would be to aid the RVNAF by controlling the densely populated coasts areas (Ibid).


CORDS

Headed by Robert Komer (President Johnson's special assistant for pacification), Civil Operations and Revolutionary Support (CORDS) capitalized on and enjoyed the early and continued support of the CIA, a key player in Vietnam from the beginning.The CIA's assessment that the majority of supplies for the enemy originated inside Vietnam was controversial , and was the study which gave life to CORDS.At its height, over 6,000 officers and men of MACV worked with civilians on the project, with the intent of pacifying the Vietnamese countryside by

...pulling together...State Department, the AID, the USIA (information agency) and the CIA" with the military. CORDS teams occupied 250 districts in the 44 provinces of Vietnam.The duty description of a typical CORDS advising commander was "to advise the province chief in military operations, pacification efforts and civil affairs (Hemingway)


CAPS and GOLDEN FLEECE

A Marine Corps initiative, Combined Action Platoons (CAP's) looked internally to their Small Wars manual .With the aim of social, political and economic development, and `tolerance, sympathy and kindness' (Krepinevich 172) at the heart of their relationship with the populace, CAP's depended on `ruff puffs' (Ruffs=regional forces; Puff's=popular forces) that lived locally.

Marginalized by GEN Kinnard, Commander, 1st AIRCAV Division and GEN Westmoreland, MACV (Military Assistance Command-Vietnam) the CAP's living and working inside villages were part of the Marine Corps Golden Fleece operation.Kinnard and Westmoreland amplified the mischaracterization that CAP's were sitting in fortified positions, avoiding the fight.Kinnard was "absolutely disgusted" (Rector) with the Marines.Golden Fleece called for

`saturating the coastal farming areas with Marine guards and patrols during the harvest season so the farmers could harvest, store and eventually sell their crop... (Krepinevich)

In contrast, Sir Robert G.K Thompsonnoted that "the use of CAP's is quite the best idea I have seen in Vietnam, and it worked superbly".


So What?

Krepinevich's work was prescient.On its own a textbook analysis of the strategic failures of DA and DoD in Vietnam, The Army and Vietnam offers timely counsel for our efforts in current counterinsurgency operation in Afghanistan and Iraq.Understanding how CORDS and the Marine Corps CAP program contributed to stabilization can illuminate the future of the PRT program's potential impacts.Some lessons:
* Senior army leadership denigrated the success of the Marine Corps CAP and Golden Fleece operations.
o Lesson: support success stories even when they don't fit doctrine.
* The CORDS program never exceeded 10% of `foxhole' U.S. strength and represented only 1% of total uniformed military personnel at the height of the effort.In a theatre where the effort to effect ratio was 1000 artillery rounds to 1 dead enemy, CORDS was cheap at twice the price.
o Lesson: Civil Military Operations are cost-effective.

* Efforts in South Vietnam were concentrated against two main entities: the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong (insurgents).Between the two, they were basically everywhere.Lethal operations (see above: 1,000 artillery rounds to 1 dead enemy) created more problems than they solved.
o Lesson: The friend you have today is the enemy you empower tomorrow through your insensitivity.Denying the enemy the opportunity to exploit your missteps is cheap; retracting statements is difficult and bringing a child back to life after lethal ops kills them `by mistake' is impossible.
Works Cited
CSBA. Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment. 2009. [...]

Hemingway, Al. Historynet.com. 2008. 9 June 2009 [...]
Krepinevich, Andrew F. The Army in Vietnam. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.

Rector, William. "THE EVOLUTION OF COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY DOCTRINE." April 1993. DTIC. 11 August 2009 .

Summers, Harry G. On Strategy. Novato: Presidio, 1995.

United States Marine Corps. Small Wars Manual. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1987.

Fighting the Bad Fight
Why did the United States lose in Vietnam? Many in the military like to blame the politicians, arguing they meddled in tactical operations or put unreasonable restrictions on those on the front lines.Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., a U.S. Army major at the time he published this book (now a retired lieutenant colonel) disagrees with these views.He argues that the Army entered this conflict with equipment and methods more appropriate for fighting a conventional conflict in Europe against the Nazis (or Soviets) than they were for an insurgency in the jungles of Southeast Asia.Even though this situation was a lot like Napoleon's troops arriving in Moscow with the light summer gear they expected to use when they reached British India, generals and staff officers figured heavy firepower and advanced technology would be enough to carry the day."Simply stated, the United States Army was neither trained nor organized to fight effectively in an insurgency environment" (p. 4)

The strategy that the United States adopted in Vietnam was also inappropriate.Under General William Westmoreland the Army pursued a strategy of attrition.The problem with this approach is that it depend on resources not skills, and by trying to depend on sheer volume, Westmoreland put the enemy in the position of just needing to survive in order to emerge victorious, which gave them an enormous advantage.The general believed that the real threat to the South Vietnamese came from the conventional units of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).If the Americans destroyed these units, they would take the pressure off of the South Vietnamese government, and allow them to destroy the Viet Cong (VC) guerrillas.The problem with this plan was that Westmoreland had no plan on how to follow up on these battles.More importantly, he and his staff were ignoring the realities of Vietnam: the NVA were supporting the main effort, which was the VC insurgency.

According to Krepinevich, the U.S. Army--despite pressure from the White House--showed little interest in counterinsurgency.The Army took years before it started making any serious effort to train its soldiers in low intensity conflicts, and even then much of it was nothing more than a series of cosmetic gestures.Existing training courses got new names, and training exercises in mock Vietnamese villages took place in climates that did not exist in the actually country.The Army placed little emphasis on having intelligence officers learn the language, culture or history of Vietnam.As a result, they focused on the things they knew and understood--finding and destroying the enemy's big units.The problem is in fighting insurgency, the real prize is the support of the people and this requires winning small battles, patrolling on a regular basis, and destroying the support infrastructure of the guerillas.To that task, the counter-insurgent must know the environment in which they are fighting and this the American solider never mastered.

Krepinevich knows the military and this is a real strength of the book.He shows that officers knew what got themselves promoted--the skill sets that the service valued--and they naturally gravitated towards these functions.These areas were those that the Army needed to win have to win World War III.The U.S. Marine Corps, on the other hand, was better at fighting insurgencies and got results in Vietnam.Westmoreland, though, saw these efforts as an unnecessary and dangerous diversion of resources away from what he that was the real fight.

The single-minded focus of this book is a bit of a liability.There were reasons--good, sound reasons--for many of Westmoreland's decisions.He worried about the time factor.The Marine approach was effective, but it was slow and he worried about how long the American public would support the conflict.The U.S. also had to worry about the possibility of fighting the Soviets directly.What good would it do to retool if the Army retooled itself to fight and win an insurgency in Vietnam, if it came at the cost of being unable to stand up to a conventional fire fight that cost that lost all of Western Europe.Krepinevich ignores these considerations.Still, he makes it extremely clear that the U.S. Army owns a lot of the failure in Vietnam and in that sense he makes a major, arresting contribution to the historical literature.

The best book on Vietnam
Krepinevich has a cult following among professors and students at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.After reading his work I understand why.It is rare that ones comes across a book that radically changes the way one looks at military history.Thousands of books have been written on Vietnam and the movies "Platoon" and "Apocalypse Now" brought the war to millions of Americans.Until I read this book, I thought I understood the causes and conduct of the war.Krepinevich brilliantly analyzes how the U.S. Army planned for and conducted the war. How it tried to fight the war it wanted to fight, vice the war as it actually existed.Army leadership brought their conventional mindset to the jungles of Vietnam.The inability to adapt to change proved a greater threat to the U.S. Army than the North Vietnamese Army.The book rises above the personal narrative style that dominates most Vietnam books.Instead, the book is based on solid military analysis.Even more telling was how the U.S. Army failed to grasp the lessons of counter-insurgency following Vietnam and quickly returned to the conventional mindset it preferred.The writing is crisp and powerful.The lessons of this book remain vital today as the U.S.continues to struggle on how to best defeat America's latest enemies. ... Read more

Product Description
The Vietnam War was unlike any war the United States ever fought. Unlike the previous wars of the twentieth century, the Vietnam War left the United States divided, and it continues to influence U.S. domestic and foreign policy. Without question, the Vietnam Syndrome that emerged after the war's end altered the policies of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and the lessons learned from the war were applied to later conflicts in the Persian Gulf.

The Vietnam War story is one that has never been fully understood and probably never will be explained to the satisfaction of those who experienced it – and it will continue to spark debate and controversy for each new generation. The Vietnam War For Dummies attempts to tell that complicated story in a way that is easily accessible to everyone. If you've never read much about the Vietnam War, this book provides a general overview that covers all the major players and significant turning points and events of the war. If you're a history buff, this book can serve as a compact reference guide to the major subjects of the war.

The Vietnam War For Dummies covers the following topics and more:

Product Description

Product Description
Vietnam Ironclads presents a fascinating look at the specially designed armored gunboats used during the Vietnam War. This volume combines years of meticulous research with many never-before-seen photographs taken by navy combat veterans, and from official government archives. Each type of riverine combatant is explained in its own chapter. The book begins with a historical overview providing insight into the unique challenges of America's twentieth century riverine assault force. Discover the interior details of an Armored Troop Carrier, Monitor, and Assault Support Patrol Boat. Also explore the only surviving river assault craft of the Vietnam War, a program 5 Command and Communications Boat. This book will appeal to any naval history enthusiast, scale modeler, or military veteran. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Well done, BZ
As a retired Navy BMCS who served with the MRF in 67/78 I am impressed with how well done this book is,

Much better than many books written by or from those who claim to have been there??

Excellent reference!
I have a number of books and photo references on American Riverine forces in Vietnam but I've found this one to be the best.I had not seen most of the photos in the book previously and the up close, detail shots are superb.The text describing the "ironclads" is excellent.Color plates for each of the variants are also supplied.Please note, this book's focus is on the nature of the craft deployed, less the story of the men who sailed them.All in all, a very good reference.Recommended.

Some Well Earned Publicity
The Vietnam Ironclads fills a needed space in the information about the systems used to fight the Vietnam War. Many writers refer to "Riverine Operations", but none ever tell you what weapon systems were necessary to carry them out. This short book fills that gap with sufficient detail to satisfy even the most avid reader. ... Read more

Product Description
If the costs of the Vietnam War were great to Americans and staggering to the South Vietnamese, they were even worse for the North. And those costs were borne largely by the individual soldiers--the soldiers who won the war.Based on interviews, soldiers' diaries, letters, and government documents, this book, first published in 1992, gives a classic, soldier's-eye account of the war our opponents fought and the men who fought it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

NOW THEY TELL ME!!!
"Inside the VC and The NVA" by Michael Lee Lanning and Dan Cragg is a Texas A&M University Press publication.The book is obviously a product from Texas A&M' Vietnam studies and is a superb informational guide to all aspects of Vietnam, including it's history, it's climate, it's people, and...it's unique ability to wage war!

I just recently ordered the book and have not finished it. However, this book is not necessarily meant as a readable novel, or biographical sketch to be finished at one sitting. This book is more than that, it is... an astute collection of practical and knowledgeable factsto satisfy your curiosity while giving you"everything you wanted to know about the Vietnamese but, were afraid to ask."

This is a great research tool, and unlike most books of this nature, this is one you will enjoy reading!I only wish our Government would have made this book (or one like it), available to every one of us who got orders to Vietnam 40 years ago (now they tell me!).Perhaps, going into a war zone with this type of knowledge would have made a difference in the final outcome.

If, you research the Vietnam era, teach history, or simply enjoy learning, then... this book is a "Must!"

one stop information on the VC
This book took me forever to read.I was interspersing it with books from the Library.This one I own.The book has a chapter interviewing American Generals, one on the American soldier, and one from the VC themselves.In a fashion, the book is written chronologically: first recruiting, the trip south, organization, arms and equipment, logistics, and finally battles.If you want to know what the VC and NVA were up to, this is a one stop way to find out.

Great book
Overall I thought this was a great book.It went into great detail concerning even the most mundane details of VC/NVA life (I consider this an asset, not a liability).I enjoyed reading about how they fought, what kind of weapons they used, and the tactical and logistical details of the various VC/NVA units discussed.This book is limited in scope, after all it is called "Inside the VC and the NVA", so of course it's not going to go into detail about the ARVN fighting ability and THEIR details, nor does it address allied "atrocities". There were some drawbacks however.The VC and NVA interviews were interesting, but I think the information contained in them needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Although the authors address and dismiss the possibility of coercion, I think that's a very real possibility.Secondly, the book could have done without the input of the generals.For the most part, I thought the comments of the generals were suspect.After all, they had the kill ratio/body count agenda.All in all, a great book.

Excellent book
This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Vietnam war.The first review complains that this "reads like a school book. Ideal for the scholar, maybe less than ideal for the casual reader."Well, what did that "casual" reader expect from a book whose cover proclaims that it "fills a huge gap in the historiography of the Vietnam War" ??

This is NOT a dull or difficult book for anyone interested in the subject.The facts, figures, and background the authors include are very helpful in understanding what led the several armed forces to come into battlefield contact, and why they acted as they did.Particularly helpful is the authors' technique of letting participants tell their own stories -- even stories that contradict each other.The book has a helpful index, and extensive source notes and bibliography for those who wish to read further.

Perhaps the major fault of the book is that the authors detail the terror and coercive tactics of North Vietnamese forces, and the failings of North Vietnamese leadership, while omitting any mention of similar tactics and the failings of the US/South Vietnamese forces (except the inescapable acknowledgment of My Lai).By this omission, the authors leave the mistaken impression that South Vietnam had a legitimate and widely-supported democratic government with civil rights, whose secret police, ARVN, and US troops never engaged in abuse of the population and enemy prisoners.The VC/NVA actions should at least have been put in context by mention of the South Vietnamese/USA Phoenix program, corruption, tiger cages, etc.The reader may wish to also read _Our Vietnam/Nuoc Viet Ta: A History of the War 1954-1975_ by A. J. Langguth to get additional perspective on the failings of the South Vietnamese government.

The authors' limited use of their own feelings about the war, combined with a skillful combination of others' personal narratives and official reports and information, results in a very readable, informative and valuable book.Particularly moving is the Afterword, which reads in part, "We questioned each other and ourselves about whether we were 'going soft' on the VC/NVA who were dedicated to the deaths of our friends....Yet, the more we researched and wrote, the more we learned that the majority of the VC/NVA did their duty as they saw it -- not unlike ourselves and our fellow soldiers....
"Slowly, and despite our efforts to do otherwise, we began to feel more kinship with the VC/NVA than we did with many of our fellow [civilian] Americans....Even more sobering to us was the moment when we finally realized that we had more in common with our former enemies than with the politicians who had sent us to war."

Some Useful Insights, but Not Much Depth
A decent look at VC/NVA training, equipment, recruiting, organization and logistics.The authors were both combat veterans of Vietnam and their analysis carries credibility.Unfortunately, the core of this book rests on two very subjective sections: captured VC/NVA diaries and post-war American surveys on the VC/NVA.There is very little tactical analysis of how the VC/NVA fought and no analysis of specific actions (it would have been useful to dissect a few selective actions with accounts from both sides). Overall, the book is valuable for painting a portrait of a determined, resourceful enemy who made do with much less than we thought possible.Most important is the conclusion that NVA morale was sustained by their indoctrination/propaganda and the value of group criticism/group cohesion.Several maps, adequate but barely. ... Read more

Product Description
It is almost impossible to capture, in a single word, the enormous impact Dustoff had on the Vietnam War. However, John Cook has done it in a most compelling, sensititve manner. Here, for the first time, is one of the most incredible stories produced by V ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Rescue Under Fire: /The Story of Dust Off in Vietnam
The book isgood historical presentation of the development of Dust Off in Vietnam.It focuses primarily on the pilots and their courage.Very little is mentioned about the medic and their heroic achievements.Dust Off medics saw more and did more than any other group of "field medic." The intimacy of the entire Dust Off team is totally missing in the book.Dust Off was more than just a pilot with three other guys going along for the ride.The author misses the uniqueness of the mobile relationship inside the UH-1H. Maybe he needs to write a sequel.

Dustoff in Vietnam
Aside from the obvious misspellings, grammatical errors, and sloppy editing, John Cook presents the story of Dustoff (Dustoff should be one word) quite well. The main body of the 45th Medical Company AA arrived in Vietnam on 13 July 1967 from Fort Bragg,NC.With 24 UH-1H helicopters, it added a tremendous presence to Dustoff efforts in Vietnam serving III and IV Corps areas which included the lower half of South Vietnam.As mentioned, Col Cook devoted only a few paragraphs to a Dustoff unit which probably accounted for a majority of evacuated casualties during the '67 to '68 time frame and perhaps later years as well.Hopefully he'll write a sequel which will shed some credit on the busiest and most dangerous Dustoff years.

For those unfamiliar, Dustoff units did not employ door gunners while the 1st Air Cavalry Division's "medevac" helicopters did.There is one misleading picture in the book which might lead readers to think otherwise.

Night and weather missions were often the most harrowing.Our unit SOP (standardized operating procedures) called for the requirement to have gunship coverage when going into hot LZ's (landing zones) in contact with the enemy.Most often, particularly at night and in weather, getting gunship coverage was impossible and following the Dustoff credo, we went with or without gunships, usually without.

Speaking on behalf of Dustoff crews, those of us who survived our Vietnam duty are proud to have served in such a meaningful job and thank Col Cook for bringing to light the story of Dustoff and those who made it happen.

A shinning, positive example of what went right in Vietnam.
As the son a Major Charles Kelly, I am gratified that there is a least one mainstream book that tells the story of the Dustoff pilots.It is sad that their story does not have the widespread recongition it deserves.I have access to hundreds of personal documents and have spoken with many of the men that flew with my father and as far as I can tell this book is very, very authentic and relies on fact not fiction as some articles have done.Not only that, but it is very well written and written from the heart.Thank you John Cook from the entire Kelly family......

EXCELLENT HISTORY OF DUSTOFF IN VIETNAM
I've read Rescue Under Fire several times and heartily recommend it as an overview of the history of Dustoff (aeromedical evacuation) in Vietnam. I served two tours as a Dustoff pilot and the book contained a great deal of historical information that I had never known and wouldn't have ever learned without John Cook's well researched book. I've given copies of the book to my father and both of my sons so that they can better understand what I did in Vietnam. Perhaps even more incredible than the missions under fire, which were performed over and over on a daily basis, is the effort that the early Dustoff pilots and commanders had to go through just to provide the kind of support that eventually became the standard by which present aeromedical evacuation procedures are measured. Far too frequently the egos of high level commanders stood in the way of dedicated Dustoff crews simply trying to do their job and to get the equipment and support necessary to do so.Two Dustoff pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor, but that doesn't even begin to recognize the job that was done by each and every Dustoff crew. I'm proud to have been a part of it and I thank John Cook for telling our story so eloquently.

RecommendationsMatter
Do recommendations matter?You bet.After reading what the two pilots said below, the way I figured it was, they had to know what they were talking about.So, I read Rescue Under Fire.Once I started, I could not put it down.John Cook made the Vietnam war make sense, something no one else had ever done for me.He tells one hell of a story and he does not let up.He takes the reader on a fantastic ride and, at the end, you wind up staring out the window for a long time.One word of caution--if you are not willing to deal with what Cook has to say, don't read this book.If you are a bleeding heart liberal,he will shatterall your myths and leave you in a bloody heap.However, if you can deal with the truth of what Vietnam was all about, then I suggest you read this book.Cook tells the story of the real heros of Vietnam, the men who flew the evacuation mission, under fire.The part that got me was the end, where he lists the names of all the men who died performing this dangerous mission.He didn't have to do this, but he did.If you only read one book about Vietnam, make it this one. ... Read more

Product Description
An essential new resource for students and teachers of the Vietnam War, this concise collection of primary sources opens a valuable window on an extraordinarily complex conflict.

The materials gathered here, from both the American and Vietnamese sides, remind readers that the conflict touched the lives of many people in a wide range of social and political situations and spanned a good deal more time than the decade of direct U.S. combat. Indeed, the U.S. war was but one phase in a string of conflicts that varied significantly in character and geography. Michael Hunt brings together the views of the conflict's disparate players--from Communist leaders, Vietnamese peasants, Saigon loyalists, and North Vietnamese soldiers to U.S. policymakers, soldiers, and critics of the war. By allowing the participants to speak, this volume encourages readers to formulate their own historically grounded understanding of a still controversial struggle.
... Read more

Product Description
Vietnam stands at a crossroads. Located in the geographical center of Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a complex mixture of the ancient and the modern. A Soviet-style legacy contrasts with an emerging Western-style market economy. Vietnam is faced with pressing political, social and economic challenges, and yet it is full of hope and potential. Here is a first look at Vietnam in the twenty-first century, a nation undergoing rapid change and opening up to the world.Dr. Mark Ashwill paints a broad picture of Vietnam, past and present, and explores today's defining issues. Readers come to understand how a two-thousand-year history of foreign invasion, occupation and war has deeply influenced the Vietnamese character. The Chinese, French and U.S. Americans have all left their imprint. Yet the struggle against oppression has infused the Vietnamese with a fierce spirit of nationalism and caution in their dealings with foreigners. Building relationships and trust as a prelude to doing business are critical to the Vietnamese, whether at home or abroad.Vietnam Today reveals the most prominent characteristics of the Vietnamese: their energy and drive, the dominance of group over individual and the paramount importance of maintaining harmony. In doing so, Ashwill and his Vietnamese contributor shed light on many sources of misunderstanding between Vietnamese and Western professionals. But for those who are prepared to take the time to get to know the people, to move at their pace, and to learn about their culture and history, Vietnam can be a land of promise and opportunity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Viet Nam - More than just a war location . . .
Because I grew up when the Viet Nam war was going on, heard the controversy during the war and since its controversy still continues, I wanted to know more about this country. This book does provide some insights about the country, the people, their thoughts about everyone who comes to do business with them and their general temperment.

The young lady who does my nails is from Viet Nam and I see many other immigrants from this country and feel foolish because all I know about it is the fact of the war that took place there. This motivated me to get this book and it was quite an eye opener. As a people, the Vietnamese have been subjugated, as they say, "By the Chinese for 1,000 years, by the French for 100 years and by the Americans for 10 years." The book provides an insight about their values: do not judge someone until you know them well, your family is always your first concern, try always to reach a decision that accomodates the most people without placing blame.

This is not the perfect book about Viet Nam, but it is very good and worth the read!

The best guide to Vietnam and her culture
For its compact size, this book is the most comprehensive and useful guide available to understanding and dealing with the nation and culture of Vietnam. It's only four years old, so it's quite up-to-date. It covers Vietnamese history, geography, government, economics, education, communication, cultural values, common problems, and the process of building personal and business relationships.

This is no tourist guide; rather, it offers assistance in dealing with the Vietnamese as a people and a nation. It's ideal for those planning to live and work in Vietnam, or for those who work with Vietnamese living overseas, both temporary visitors and permanent residents. Highly recommended.

Valuable insight into Vietnamese ways
Vietnam is a country that is changing extremely rapidly in both economic and social spheres, adding to the bewilderment that many Westerners feel when dealing with the country and its inhabitants. This book provides a historical, demographic, economic and political background which explains many of the present cultural stances of the Vietnamese and the effects that has on business dealings.

This is not a travel guide in the conventional sense -- it caters for people who want to make more in-depth inquiry into the nature of the country, the people and its systems. As such, it is written in an academic tone, backed up by numerous references from previous authors and illuminated by examples of interactions between people from communal high-context cultures like Vietnam and individualistic low-context cultures as seen in the West.

The scholarship is impressive and valuable, and only occasionally glosses over important points -- the explanation of the Asian notion of face as a simple desire to maintain harmony, is perhaps worth expanding into the concept of the deep-rooted fear among people with a communal and high-context mindset of being expelled from "the group".

There are many nuggets of wisdom in here -- businessmen in particular will find engrossing detail in the section dealing with endemic corruption, and the sly ways in which its true nature is often concealed. Trends in modern-day Vietnam are examined thoroughly, although the country continues to change at such a rate that what was true when this book was published in 2004 may be less so now, especially after the unforeseen economic problems which struck the country in 2008. The basic insights, however, remain as true as ever.

This is an extremely worthwhile book for people with a serious interest in Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

business guide for yuppies
Spent the $16, what a let down. Read it in an afternoon, okay if you are applying for a job gig in Vietnam, otherwise, give it a pass.

I spent 3 weeks in Hanoi and 3 weeks in 3 HCM City and this guide was and is a wash. If you like milquetoast, then buy this book. Or stick to the Lonely Planet Series. If one spends several hours reading a book and doesn not glean anything new, then there's a problem.

Written from the format of a term paper, this politically-correct guide to Vietnam is great if you haven't a clue as to how to travel in SE Asia.
The author's tips were so generic, it could've applied to any city on the planet. Lacks sauce, verve, punch.
Sorry I fell for the other reviews.
Give this book a skip!

captures the culture, politics & complexity of today's VietNam
VietNam is land full of promise and potential -- yet is faced with pressing political and economic challenges. VIETNAM TODAY provides a valuable picture of VietNam, past and present, and defines the issues and trends of today.It is a very practical guide that captures the culture, politics and complexity of today's VietNam - a nation of 80+ million - the thirteenth most populous country - with the second fastest growing economy.
It is significant to note that more than two-thirds of Vietnamese were born after the last American GI left in 1975.This book describes the 21st Century VietNam where, for the first time in more than 100 years, a generation has grown into adulthood not experiencing war or foreign domination.
VIETNAM TODAY was written for those who will visit VietNam on business, as well as for travelers who come on holiday also who want to know something about the country they are visiting.Furthermore, it should be read by Americans who want to understand VietNam as a country - not the name of a war.
It provides chapters on geography, demographics, politics, economy and business, history, changes since the war, cultural differences and offers invaluable tips for dealing with Vietnamese.It describes how to work with the fact that VietNam is a relationship-based society in which everyone is tapped into a network.It makes the observation that mavericks and lone wolves are likely to fail in making inroads here.
Particularly helpful is Chapter 7, "How the Vietnamese See Westerners." It presents impressions and reflections - positive, negative and constructively critical - from Vietnamese who have worked with foreigners for many years.
Don't let the subtitle "a Guide . ." mislead you into thinking that this book is simply your basic travel book (for that, I recommend The Rough Guide to VietNam and National Geographic Traveler's new VietNam guidebook).
VIETNAM TODAY offers a vivid, compassionate view of a people and a land that captured my heart two-and-a-half decades before Ashwill set foot in the country.It helped provide a context for me to understand numerous things that I had observed but hadn't been able to fully comprehend.This book will not only change the way you think about VietNam, it may cause you to reflect upon how you view the world.That's a lot to get from a travel guide!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Reporting the Underreported
Edward J. Marolda has managed to fill in many gaps in the literature of the Vietnam War. Much has been published on the guys on the ground and even the Brown Water Sailors but not nearly enough on the Blue Water Navy that sailed the Tonkin Gulf. The U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War: An Illustrated History is an excellent way to cover the entirety of the United States Navy with a thoughtful selection of photographs on every aspect from carrier ops and aviation to amphibious ops to gunline to underway replenishment to the lonely outpost of PIRAZ. There are many, many photos and they depict all facets including the human face of the conflict. Those of us offshore often wondered whether what we did made a difference and from the included recon pictures we get a much better appreciation of the results of aerial bombing and naval gunfire. If you wore navy blue in Vietnam you'll want this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Lieutenant Michael Lee Lanning went to Vietnam as an eager young patriot who was confident of surviving the war. After six months in-country, he was promoted at age 23 to company commander, and his sense of duty began to shift from his nation to preserving the lives of the men in Bravo Company.

Lanning and his men faced an enemy who was patient, elusive, and firm in the belief that they could outlast the Americans. The young commander also confronted the prospect of sudden, violent death, bone-numbing weariness, and the stench of blood and decaying flesh. He would lose friends and would acquire a cynical contempt for all Vietnamese, both allies and enemies.

Vietnam, 1969-1970, like its predecessor, Lanning's The Only War We Had, is taken from the journals the author kept during his tour of duty. He writes, "I dusted off men with wounds that will disable them for the rest of their lives. I dusted off a dead man that was one of the best soldiers I ever have known. I am realizing the full burdens of being a company commander." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

I Was There
I served in Delta Company and was there on July 3, 1969 when we were ambushed by the NVA.Lt. Lanning's descriptions of that day are exactly the way it happened.He mentioned Mike Folland (winner of the Medal of Honor that day).I was his squad leader and will never forget the bravery I saw that day, not only from Michael, but many others.I know that Lt. Lanning is in poor health.My prayers are with him.Buy the book.

Crisp deptiction of army culture in war
George Orwell said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."Lanning is such a rough man--tough-minded, fearless, un-self-doubting.Apart from regret over his fallen men, he has little of what more effete types might call "sensitivity".

This is an insider book.Anyone who has fought in war--especially in the Saigon military region in 1969 and 1970---will have the intensity of that experience brought back. Anyone unschooled in military matters will find the jargon mystifying and the martial swagger off-putting.

Today's Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will be bemused the learn that six months in the field was considered all an Army officer of those days could take.

There are better "how it really was" books for the general public.I would mention Donovan's "Once a Warrior King", Leib's "The Fire Dream", Mason's "Chickenhawk" and Moore and Galloway's "We Were Soldliers Once, and Young".

Lanning wrote a later book called "Vietnam at the Movies", which is excellent.Read it instead.

Second Book in a Two Book Series
The first book, that goes with this one is; The Only War We Had.Both these books are a compelling read, and I enjoyed them very much. The author writes directly from his journals keep during his 12 months in VN. He quotes the journal day by day and then expands on that from his memories of the events. His memory is reenforced by letters to his beloved wife.
As a vet myself (91b20) I really enjoyed this book, but being an enlisted man, I am reminded this is written by an officer.
That's not meant to be criticism, just an observation. It sounds like he was a remarkable officer.
And excellent history of man and his commands. I'm really glad I read it. I noticed he has made some TV appearances on the history channel. I assume as an expert on VN.,makes me want to watch for those.
Thanks for your service Col.!

One of the best books I've ever read
I've had these books for more then 20 years now - taking them with me through flood and fire. The first is SECOND 6 months of his tour while, "The only war we ever had: A company Commanders Journal" is the FIRST 6 months of his tour in Vietnam in 1968-1969.

M. Lee Lanning was the youngest person ever to lead an entire Company of 200 soldiers even though he was only a First Lieutenant, all at the age of 23.

I find these books truly fascinating - they show the horror, the boredom, the friendships made and the attempts at comedy used to stay sane during wartime. I never thought that a "War Memoir" would ever capture my attention, but this did it. Many (if not most) war books are written by the pencil pushers or REMF's and not someone who actually held a rifle and saw the enemy.

Each page is straight from the diary that his father gave him before he shipped out - then what follows is his memory of that day.

One of my favorite excerpts:

"Our move was delayed when one of the FNG's (F-ing New Guy), who had joined Bravo Co. at Crystal (their main base) a few days before, saw something in a clump of bamboo. Seconds later he approached me carrying a heavy, cone-shaped object that I immediately recognized as a 105mm artillery round. From it's shiny exterior, I deduced it was a "dud" from our fire before assaulting the bunkers.

The FNG, proud of his find, had no clue what he was cradling in his arms. As calmly as possible, I told the man to walk back into the jungle for at least 50 meters, gently place the object on the ground and return to my location. The tone of my voice, and the fact that all the others were scrambling for cover, definitely got the troop's attention.

Without a word, he followed my instructions. I braced for the expected explosion as he turned away and slowly walked towards the jungle..."

If you get this make sure you also get "Only War We Had: A Platoon Leader's Journal of Vietnam" that is the first of this series - it contains his journal entries from the first 6 months of his tour.

An Excellent Real World Vietnam Book
I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I recommend the companion book "The Only War We Had." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Vietnam: Complete Phtographic History
An excellent book.Takes one through the history of Vietnam from French era, through WWII and into the US involvement.Excellent photos. Provides information and makes no judgements.One of the best books on the era I've read.Highly recommend it.

Splendid book. Very poor editing of the photographs
This is an excellent book, containing many photographs- more than 2000 - vividly describing a war that marked the generation that lived through it as young men and women, wether they actually fought in it or not. Europeans saw the Vietnam war as the epitome of US imperialism or as a necessary battle against communism, depending on their political views, but no European university was immune from some "Vietnam Basis Committee" in the sixties. Michael Maclear's book is an excellent way to experience again the tragedies, the agonies, the unbelievable suffering of the war as well as the courage and the gallantry of those who fought on all sides. The book comes as a perfect complement to Stanley Karnow's "Vietnam a History".
Unfortunately, the editing of the photographs is somewhat haphazard and the captions are frequently unrelated to the pictures they purport to explain. There are many examples of this sloppy editing until the very end of the book. At the epilogue on page 729, for instance, which features a photograph of what is very obviously a French soldier, probably a Moroccan, one finds the nonsensical caption "Vietminh soldier patrols the countryside in a flat-bottomed boat during the war against the French" !
Other captions contain spelling mistakes; some pictures are displayed twice without any reason (the helicopter taking off from the US embassy on page 715 is to be seen again at page 718);sometimes the same caption is repeated but makes no sense for either picture, etc. All of that is quite annoying to the attentive reader.
This review is based on the 2003 edition, for which no compliments should be paid to the publishers, either Tess Press (New York) or Black Dog & Leventhal, also of New York. There seems to be a 2007 edition, hopefully without the same irritating mistakes. Potential buyers are advised to check which edition they pick. Caveat emptor ! ... Read more

Product Description
For many Americans during the Vietnam era, the war on the home front seemed nearly as wrenching and hardfought as the one in Southeast Asia. Its primary battlefield was the news media, its primary casualty the truth. But as William Hammond reveals, animosity between government and media wasn't always the rule; what happened between the two during the Vietnam War was symptomatic of the nation's experiences in general. As the "light at the end of the tunnel" dimmed, relations between them grew ever darker.

Reporting Vietnam is an abridgement and updating of Hammond's massive two-volume work issued by the Government Printing Office. Based on classified and recently declassified government documents-including Nixon's national security files-as well as on extensive interviews and surveys of press war coverage, it tells how government and media first shared a common vision of American involvement in Vietnam. It then reveals how, as the war dragged on, upbeat government press releases were consistently challenged by journalists' reports from the field and finally how, as public sentiment shifted against the war, Presidents Johnson and Nixon each tried to manage the news media, sparking a heated exchange of recriminations.

Hammond strongly challenges the assertions of many military leaders that the media lost the war by swaying public opinion. He takes readers through the twists and turns of official public affairs policy as it tries to respond to a worsening domestic political environment and recurring adverse "media episodes." Along the way, he makes important observations about the penchant of American officials for placing appearance ahead of substance and about policy making in general.

Although Richard Nixon once said of the Vietnam war, "Our worst enemy seems to be the press," Hammond clearly shows that his real enemies were the contradictions and flawed assumptions that he and LBJ had created. Reporting Vietnam brings a critical study to a wider audience and is both a major contribution to an ongoing debate and a cautionary guide for future conflicts.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book should be read by everyone.FANTASTIC!
This is a terrifically important analysis of the way the military and the press interacted during the Vietnam War.Mr. Hammond covers most of the important media events and reports important details of the statements and actions of those in the government and the military as well as those in the press.He also provides keen insight into the implications of those interactions and the effects they hand on later events.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.I wish I could give it six stars.It is a book that anyone who wants to understand anything at all about the Vietnam War simply has to read.The articles in the two volumes of the Library of America series provide valuable background for this book and I think they should be read first.But even without them any reader would get a great deal from this book.

There are nearly fifty pages of notes, and index, and a generous number of pictures of the main events and participants.Just a wonderful achievement.Thanks to Mr. Hammond!

Packed with Details on Military and Media Relations
This book is simply outstanding for anybody who has an interest in how the military manages media relations or who wants a different perspective on the Vietnam War.An abridgement of Hammond's two-volume set, this book is still packed with details covering the war from start to finish, providing lessons that remain relevant for today's changing battlefield.As one who is involved in media relations for a living, there's hardly a page in the book that isn't highlighted for future reference.And as one who has read several books on Vietnam, covering everything from tactical operations to strategic objectives, this book put the war in perspective for me as no other book has.However, as I was pouring over every page and sharing what I learned with those around me, one of my colleagues said he had read it as well and found it one of the most laborious books he had ever opened.So perhaps it is not for everybody, but it's a book I will return to again and again as I continue to study the unique relationship forged between the military and the media.And I am also ordering the two-volume set so I can find the even greater detail that was left out of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The third edition of this best-selling title has been revised and updated to reflect the needs of the current specifications and provides a thorough and lucid account of America's involvement in Vietnam during the period 1945--75. It starts with an introduction to the events that led to France's withdrawal from Vietnam and US support of Diem's government and goes on to examine how the conflict escalated and the USA became fully involved. The book also looks at the pressure for peace on the US home front and how this had an impact on the eventual withdrawal and fallout from the war. The role of key figures in the conflict, both American presidents and Vietnamese leaders, is analysed throughout. Throughout the book, key dates, terms and issues are highlighted, and historical interpretations of key debates are outlined. Summary diagrams are included to consolidate knowledge and understanding of the period, and exam-style questions and tips for each examination board provide the opportunity to develop exam skills. ... Read more

Product Description
On June 8, 1972, nine-year-old Kim Phuc, severely burned by napalm, ran from her blazing village in South Vietnam and into the eye of history. Her photograph-one of the most unforgettable images of the twentieth century-was seen around the world and helped turn public opinion against the Vietnam War.

This book is the story of how that photograph came to be-and the story of what happened to that girl after the camera shutter closed. Award-winning biographer Denise Chong's portrait of Kim Phuc-who eventually defected to Canada and is now a UNESCO spokesperson-is a rare look at the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese point-of-view and one of the only books to describe everyday life in the wake of this war and to probe its lingering effects on all its participants.Amazon.com Review
When Nick Ut photographed 9-year-old Kim Phuc running down a road, her body aflame with napalm, he turned a terrified girl into a living symbol of the Vietnam War's horror. Even after the war, the North Vietnamese government made the severely scarred Kim a reluctant poster girl for American atrocities. Although her parents, once relatively prosperous South Vietnamese peasants, were reduced to dire poverty when the state took over her mother's noodle shop, Kim was allowed to receive further medical treatment in Germany, to visit the Soviet Union, and to attend the University of Havana. These privileges did not assuage her spiritual turmoil: Why had she been singled out for fame when so many others suffered and died? Searching for answers, Kim converted to Christianity and in 1992 defected with her husband to Canada, where they now live with their two sons. Canadian author Denise Chong's sensitive biography, which doubles as a fascinating social history of Vietnam during and after the war, captures Kim as a complex woman of powerful religious faith: "It was the fire of bombs that burned my body. It was the skill of doctors that mended my skin. But it took the power of God's love to heal my heart." --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Must read for travelers
Great insight into the Vietnamese reaction to the Vietnam War.I highly recommed this book to anyone traveling to Vietnam.

Great History lesson!
As a person from the sixties when Viet Nam, and you had a draft card in your wallet, this book made me appreciate the great country the U.S. is..

excellent book, excellent condition
the book i bought was used, as new it said, and it was. Delivery was before than expected. All cool.

Fascinating story at several levels
This is a wonderful book. It is interesting in the discussion of village life in Viet Nam during the war. It is also an interesting retelling of the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of the little girl, so well known from the photo. The entire story of what happened to this little girl is quite readable and in fact inspirational. I did not find it to be sappy in any way, and in fact quite moving. I highly reccomend the book.

Life Is At Your Feet
This is the life story of Kim Phuc, with supporting coverage of the horrors of Vietnam and the endless legacy of pain and sorrow caused by the war. Kim was captured on film in the devastating news photo form 1972, as she ran naked and screaming from a napalm attack (which turned out to be a friendly-fire accident, to boot). While reading this book, I was unable to stop flipping it over to look at the famous photo on the cover again and again, as writer Denise Chong does an outstanding job of bringing Kim and her story to life. Granted, the book does have a few weaknesses. Chong obviously saw the need to add background information about the war to support Kim's story, though in the attempt to summarize or introduce the issues and politics of the war, Chong's coverage seems simplistic and perfunctory. Also, as Kim's biography progresses, Chong is trying too hard, and inconsistently, to make the book "inspirational," with Kim's inner thoughts and reflections on her ongoing struggles coming across as forced and sappy in places.

But these weaknesses do not damage the overall success of the book, because Kim's life story is definitely compelling, and her postwar struggles are especially informative. We learn about the wartime travails of Kim's middle-class Vietnamese family, culminating in the horrific day when she was injured and barely survived. Kim has suffered through chronic pain and constant health problems stemming from here severe napalm burns. Meanwhile the incompetent new Communist regime in Vietnam used her for years as a pawn in propaganda schemes, and ruined her once successful family. Kim spent most of her teen and young adult years trying to escape the regime's clutches and finish her schooling; and interestingly, she observed the collapse of two Communist systems, both at home and as an exchange student in Cuba. (She now lives as an activist in Canada.) Chong's coverage of the postwar hardships of those affected by the Vietnam War is especially valuable, because you see little of this type of material in standard war texts. And you will surely root for Kim Phuc as she slowly puts her lifetime of horrors behind her. [~doomsdayer520~] ... Read more

Product Description
A long ago war-still relevant today.

Misunderstanding remains, and a lot is still unknown, of the Vietnam War. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to the Vietnam War, Second Edition provides an updated and revised guide giving readers the facts. It assesses policies and the reasons for them, shedding light on the controversies regarding the Vietnam War, what has been called the most complicated armed conflict of the 20th century. It offers:

•A big-picture look at the politics, public figures, and history of the war in Southeast Asia

•Present-tense relevance of Vietnam to the current wars in which the United States, and the rest of the world, is involved

•Clarification of details for those who lived through it and an explanation for younger generations ... Read more