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Reviews (12)

I concur
I served at the same time, in South Vietnam flying F-100s.Fast Eddie nailed it.I guess our time and job made us share more than exactly where we flew.I wish I could write and recollect as well as Cobleigh, but I sure enjoyed looking back.
What the Captain means is...
Combat memoirs get written years after the events. During that time the bad gets erased in memory and the glory gets accentuated. It's way too easy to forget the puking at the back of the revetment and remember the John Wayne swagger that you never really had at the time. Heroism comes so easy in retrospect and from the safety of a position in front of a word processor screen that it is rare to really read honest admissions of the things that went bump and bang in those deadly nights. Ed Cobleigh (another Fast Eddie)tells about the war as it was in an assault on all of the senses. Sights, sounds, smells and feels come at you from all of the unusual places of a combat environment with a skill that few aviation writers have brought to the table before.
Good read, and very unusual viewpoint
This book was a very good read -- engaging and interesting.Also, the author's viewpoint was quite unique.I can't recall another book where a pilot talked about exactly why he was there, and why he enjoyed what he was doing, let alone with such honesty.No sugar coating or rationalizing.This one is a keeper. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Cobleigh, Ed    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Aviation    7. Military - Veterans    8. Military - Vietnam War    9. Personal narratives, American    10. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    11. History / Military / General    12. Bargain   

Reviews (5)

Following Ho Chi Minh:The Memoirs of a North Vietnamese Co
This has been an amazing read for me.My fellow helicopter pilot buddy (from our tour in Vietnam) sent it over from Vermont.We were both New England college grads when we flew Worth Reading If Youre a Serious STudent of the War
As a former Marine Sniper who served two tours in Nam and who is still trying to understand what I went through this is an okay read. Not as good as some and a bit over blown at times but worth understanding the other side. It does make you want to better understand the other side of our current crisis in terrorism and see what makes them tick. Our leaders in Nam were a little lazy and self serving when it came to history. That is the leaders in Washington. Makes you wonder what might have been?

An insider's revelations.
As a North Vietnamese colonel and high ranking Party member, the author accepted the surrender of Saigon on April 1975. He continued to work for Hanoi until 1990, when disillusioned with the communists he moved to Paris and hoped to see a free and democratic Vietnam.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. China - History    6. Historical - General    7. Military    8. Political    9. Political History   

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and accurate
This book is one of the best yet on riverine operations in Vietnam. As a participant in these operations, I found this book to be an accurate account of what really went on there. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Military - General    5. Military - Vietnam War    6. Naval History - Vietnam Conflict    7. Naval operations, American    8. Navy    9. Southeast Asia    10. United States    11. United States.    12. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    13. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    14. Marine engineering    15. Naval forces & warfare   

Reviews (230)

I lived it
Many people are trying to discredit this book, however, I personally experienced one of the accounts related in Stolen Valor.
Mandatory reading for anyone interested in Vietnam
The book starts off with a quick story about a Special Forces veteran of Vietnam whose wife is brutally murdered. While other reporters seem to accept the story as given, the co-author and journalist for Texas Monthly decides to investigate further the history of the vet. She is told the `expert' on checking the veracity of Vietnam Veteran claims is fellow Texan B.G. Burkett. ...and so begins a friendship and a mutual project to explore myths, lore, and claims of Vietnam Veterans.
Highest Praise
This book is one of the most honorable and courageous works I have ever read.Burkett, with Whitely's assistance, has written a landmark book notable for the depth of his research and the thoroughness of his description and explanation of the phenomenon he has devoted himself to.Its finding that so many prominent "Vietnam vets" are imposters, deceivers, and liars is both shocking and revolting.Its finding that the pervasive, invidious image of Vietnam vets as losers, crazies, and walking timebombs is flat wrong is deeply troubling.For me, the most deeply disturbing knowledge I gained from this book is how tremendously damaging is the simple, oftentimes innocent, but fundamentally wrong preconception that war is innately pathological and so warriors are victims riddled with sickness.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Influence    5. Military    6. Military - United States    7. Military - Vietnam War    8. United States    9. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    10. American history: Vietnam War    11. Asian history: Vietnam War    12. USA    13. Vietnam    14. War & defence operations   

Reviews (9)

A entertianing, fact-filled overview of the Vietnam War
The title of this 375-page book about the Vietnam War is not accurate.There really aren't too many so-called dirty little secrets revealed and most of the material is not controversial, but the book does have a lot of interesting perspectives and factual data re the war.Eschewing the chronological approach Dunnigan and Nofi write a lot of short interesting chapters on everything from a sketch of the pre-U.S. involvement history of conflict in Vietnam and adjoining nations (which still continues as the growing ethnic Vietnamese population continues suppressing and displacing minority groups) to summaries of each aspect of combat (Army, USMC, helicopters, air war, Naval campaigns (perhaps the weakest section), etc.), descriptions of major actions and incidents and overviews of in-country "cultural" issues (drugs, racial relations, popular music, etc.).
FORGET THE TITLE... IT'S MARKETING FOLKS..
OK, SO THE TITLE IS A MISNONER.. Title is misnomer
The title is a misnomer.Virtually everything is covered in other books on Vietnam.I suspect that the reviewers who praised this book on the basis of it containing hitherto unrevealed information simply have not read anything else on the subject.It does give a pretty good, if somewhat superficial overview of the war as well as the background history leading up to it.I would recommend it except for the pervasive (but not overwhelming) right wing cant.For example, the authors state that one of the reasons the war was lost by the South was that the superpowers supporting the North had more will and staying power than those (actually, one, the U.S.) supporting the South.They neglect to mention that the Americans were fighting and dying there but Russians and Chinese were not.They also adhere to the pervasive, but very questionable premise that had we been allowed to bring our full military power to bear, we would have won.They do acknowlege that U.S. losses would have been much higher and the subsequent occupation would also have been very costly and prolonged.Still, there is much information conveniently collated here from many diverse sources and if one decided to read only a single book on Vietnam, one could do worse. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. Military    3. Military - Vietnam War    4. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    5. Miscellanea    6. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    7. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history    9. Vietnam    10. War & defence operations   

Reviews (9)

What a great book!
Wow this was a really great book.This is the first novel I've read about the role of a paratrooper in war, and I'm glad i chose this book to be the first.Edward Murphy kept me hooked the whole way from start to finish.I couldn't ask for a better Vietnam war novel.Great book.I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to read war novels.

This was a fantastic book
This true account of the 173rd in the central highlands of Vietnam kept me turning the pages. It is a must read for all who appreciate the sacrifices of our brave American soldiers.

Heroes all
This book was fabulous, my brother was the FNG written about.It was the first I ever knew about his experiences in Vietnam and I knew he was wonderful, but I never imagined the experience he and the other soldiers had.For whatever reason, he never discussed his tour with us and after reading this book I know why.It is just so much to bear for so many, so young.They really were heroes.A must read for anyone interested in the Vietnam war. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Military - Vietnam War    5. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    6. History / General   

Subjects:  1. 1945-1989    2. Army    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - United States    7. Political activity    8. Politics and government    9. United States    10. United States.    11. American history    12. USA    13. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (8)

Tom Yarborough, I salute you
If you need or want to know about bravery and courage under
There duringit all
I am the Air Force Nurse that flew with Tom-I can personally say-he is one heck of a pilot-and was totally focused on the job at hand-the book allowed me to read -in detail- about the missions I only vaguely knew about then-the flying- the hanging it all out-these were people I would see daily but their 'jobs' went unspoken of-Thank you Tom for the ride-If you want truth- read his book-Sherdeane Kinney

Good read
Agree with the analysis of this book and also of "A Lonley Kind of War" but the trilogy is not complete without Mike Jackson's Naked In Da Nang. Naked is a great complement to these two, offering a slightly more personalized and funny perspective. All three books give you tremendous respect for these guys and you start to understand what a disservice the media did to our boys by portraying them as drugged out losers. Nothing could have been further from the truth. These guys were and are heroes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations    2. Aerial operations, American    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. History    5. Military    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Personal narratives, American    8. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    9. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    10. Air forces & warfare    11. Asian history: Vietnam War    12. Biography: general    13. USA    14. Vietnam   

Reviews (5)

Not Captivating
Before picking up this book I had just finished Requiem by Horst Faas and Tim Page, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam, A Bright Shining Lieby Neil Sheehan (all of which I loved), A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo, and Street Without Joy by Bernard Fall. I have to say that Richard Pyle is not in the same league (except maybe with Caputo).A dramatic, tragic story, but it just wasn't captivating in Pyle's hands.Also, he seemed to be stretching to create a book out of this story.Would have been better as an article in Atlantic Monthly rather than a complete book.

Lost Over Loas: A True Story of Tragedy, Mystery, and Friend
I throughly enjoyed this book.I love history and this book gave a good insight into the press of Saigon including their risks and misfortunes.I enjoyed reading about the relationships developed at a personal level between the press core and the military.I would highly recommend this book.

Explores and explains the psyche of the war photojournalist
For those of us born too late to be part of the generation that was, in the words of Richard Pyle, "educated, molded, and aged by the Vietnam experience," our second-hand knowledge of this war has been limited largely to the negative: the horrors of the battlefield, the mental anguish of the young soldiers being asked to sacrifice their lives for goals that were far from clear, and the deeply divisive debates over the agony of continued warfare vs. the humiliation of abandoning the cause. Yet this book is about journalists who VOLUNTEERED to go into the jungle. What would make an otherwise sane person want to do this? As Pyle explores the lives and deaths of the four killed photojournalists, various answers to this question surface, making the journalist's motives comprehensible even to outsiders such as myself--the lure of the exotic setting, the sense of regret that one might have felt if excluded from the most important event of the decade, and the sense of obligation to "compel the world to see Vietnam," to see it "through a camera lens that illuminated, explained, told truths of what the war looked like and how it felt to be there." As for coping with the drawbacks of death and dismemberment, there was always denial. As Richard writes: "It was part of the war correspondent psyche to recognize the possibility of the worst, but to worry or even think much about that was to invite oneself to look for work in another field"; and "there was a sense among members of the Saigon media that journalists who reached celebrity status through repeated stellar performance could become exempt from ordinary danger, passing into a realm of immunity where the worst simply could not happen to them--as if North Vietnamese gunners tracking a helicopter would receive a last-second order: 'Don't shoot. That's Larry Burrows up there.'"Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Aviation - History    3. Death    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Journalism    7. Journalistic Writing    8. Laos    9. Military    10. Military - Vietnam War    11. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    12. Press coverage    13. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    14. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    15. War photographers   

Reviews (15)

The BEST book about the US in Vietnam
If you want to begin to understand the US involvement in Vietnam read this book, then read "The Best and The Brightest" and then read "A Bright Shining Lie".

Book made irrelevant and untrue by history
It is difficult to give this book a critical look because it has become as unquestioned as the Bible is in certain circles.According to the author the Vietnamese are unknown and unknowable to westerners. (Somehow she has grasped their elemental essence.) They share so little in common with the rest of humanity that Stalinist communism is the only political system under which they will prosper and be true to their anthropological roots."The moment has arrived for the narrow flame of revolution to cleanse the lake of Vietnamese society from the corruption and disorder of the American war.It will have to come, for it is the only way the Vietnamese of the south can restore their country and their history to themselves."As it has been seen by the eyes of the world through the history of Southeast Asia since 1975 the South Vietnamese were truly fortunate to have been "liberated" and "brought back to their heritage" by a force as truly benevolent and peaceful as the government of the "Democratic Republic of Vietnam."
Hard Read, but Informative
Being a young student learning about the Vietnam war for the first time, it was definately a hard read. You definately will need to know a good deal about the Vietnam war before reading FitzGerald's "Fire in the Lake." It is, however, a great account of the social aspects of Vietnam and a completely un-bias look at America's involvement in the Vietnam war. For all you history buffs out there- this is a must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-1975    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. History: World    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Political Process - General    8. Politics and government    9. United States    10. Vietnam    11. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    12. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    13. History / Southeast Asia   

Reviews (3)

How low can you go?Solo
My father and I have the same last name, we are both pilots and we have both read SOLO by Clyde Edgerton.That's were we parted company.My dad liked it.I did not.
An Insight into the Dream of Flight
This book is probably the best written book I have read this year. It is an example of a book written by someone who knows their subject matter well. Edgerton has a way of making you feel as though you are a fly on the wall of the cockpit.
Interesting book, not only for flight enthusiasts

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Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Air pilots    3. Air pilots, Military    4. Aviation - General    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. General    10. Historical - General    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Travelers    13. United States    14. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    15. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (1)

Excellent overview of the one year "tour of duty"
An easily read summary of the author's experience in Vietnam.(I found it of interest as a veteran of the 25th Div. at the same time-several friends who arrived in country with me were assigned to the Wolfhounds).Mr.Bradford shows us the Vietnam War from the perspective of a young CivicAction Officer trained to "win the hearts and minds" of thecivilian population.Through narratives of his own experience and those ofothers the reader is presented a view of the futility and mismanagement ofthat war while also describing the lives and experiences of the individualcombat soldier and the Wolfhounds. Sometimes the dialoque was difficult tofollow; ie., it wasn't always clear when the author was speaking in thefirst person and when another individual was speaking.However, once thereader picked up on the author's writing style the narrative made for fastreading. In the book's last section "What was it all about" theauthor brings the lessons of the Vietnam War clearly into perspective.Iheartily agree with his statement that we should "not... confuseAmerica with the politicians elected to administer America..."Iwould recommend this book to my children who have asked, "what was theVietnam war like?" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Army    2. Army.    3. Battalion, 1st    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. History: American    7. Infantry Division, 27th    8. Infantry Division, 27th.    9. Military - General    10. Military - Vietnam War    11. Military Combat Units    12. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    13. Regimental histories    14. United States    15. United States.    16. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    17. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    18. Asian / Middle Eastern history    19. History / Military / General    20. Land forces & warfare    21. Vietnam    22. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. Military - General   

Reviews (1)

An Outstanding Look At Tac Recce
Doug Gordon has done an outstanding job of chronicling the work of Tactical Reconnaissance in the cold war era.. personal refereneces andmany photos make this a great read.I was briefly with the 303TRS in Germany and thebook a was a wonderful trip down memory lane .. and full of stories and memoriesof the great pilots I was privileged to know. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military Science    6. History / Military / Aviation    7. War & defence operations   

Reviews (1)

An excellent place to begin
If you would like to undertake the daunting task of studying the history of the little-understood country of Vietnam, this is the place to begin.Professor Woods book is brief, but not deficient.It is readable, concise, and entertaining--characteristics not often found in history texts.Furthermore, the illustrations and maps make the narrative come alive.While the book is too short to answer all of the student's questions, it will give general guidelines to launch a more comprehensive study of Vietnam and its related countries in Asia.Woods is a terrific scholar with the unique ability to cut through the scholarly jargon and verbosity to give the reader a clear overall picture of what Vietnam's history is all about. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Vietnam    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history   

Reviews (5)

Save your money
This is the worst book on Viet Nam I have read. I didn't even finish it I was so tired of the whinning and crying along with the all for me and to hell with you attitude. Reminded me of a very spoiled baby. I will give him a point for showing up at the party. If you want to read excellant books about helicopters in Viet Nam read the following. All are great. Chicken Hawk by Robert Mason, Sea Wolves and U.S. Navy Seawolves by Daniel Kelly. Taking Fire by Ron Kelly, and Low Level Hell by Mills. I stuck with the helicopters rather than all aircraft types because the list would be too long, but there are many exciting aviation books out there to read without wasting time on a bad one. There is one on the Kingsman Helicopters in action but I can't remember the title but well worth reading.I have over 47 books on Viet Nam and have read many more,so am familiar with most of the styles of writing offered in war books. This one just don't cut it.

rayjoy@ipa.net
Tom writes it as it was. No holds barred. I had many an experience of thesupposedly allies(the arvn) running and leaving the Americans to fightalone. To all the helicopter pilots I take my hat off.If it hadn't been forthem many more of our young men would have died over there. Roadrunner6 out

I was there and Tom tells it like it was.
One of the battles will forever be a part of me. I was there and flew a huey into Laos many times. This book is most accurate! Black Widow 25 ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Biography    3. Helicopter pilots    4. History - Military / War    5. History: American    6. Marshall, Tom    7. Military - United States    8. Military - Vietnam War    9. Personal narratives, American    10. United States    11. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    12. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    14. History / Military / Vietnam War    15. Vietnam    16. Laos    17. Ho Chi Minh Trail   

Reviews (3)

AUTHORITATIVE,WELL ORGANIZED,SURPRINSINGLY SCHOLARLY
Maybe the publishers of these series should take the "dummies" title from this and other books in this series.This is anything but a "dumb" book. completely biased offering
You'd have to be a dummy to accept this piece of trash as a real guide to the Vietnam War.This is far from an impartial general overview of the war... the author is extremely biased and untruthful in his reporting of 'facts' on vietnam.I have no problem with the author expressing his opinions... but don't do it in a 'for Dummies' book, which is supposed to be an impartial overview of the facts. Best War Historical for the lay-person!!!
This book is one of the best written for those with only a limited working knowledge of how war is waged.And I'm not just saying that because Stephen Maxner is my brother either.Like the rest of the "For Dummies" guides this book takes you from the Oval Office to Saigon, from the UN to the DMZ....with detailed maps and descriptions of battles taken from the men who fought them.It is an amazing compilation of information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. General    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Military History - Vietnam Conflict    8. Vietnam War, 1961-1975    9. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975    10. American history: Vietnam War    11. Asian history: Vietnam War    12. Central government policies    13. Cultural studies    14. Social Science / General    15. USA    16. Vietnam    17. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (16)

Mandatory reading for current days
I heard about this book while reading Fiasco.
Particularly Relevant Today - A must read for all Americans
This book is very readable.Almost anyone could pick it up and get through it.Col. Summers writes in a clear, concise style that gets straight to the point.
The single best accounting for the US failure in Vietnam. . .
Summers doesn't even bother to examine the customary, bubble-gum explanations for the US failure in Vietnam (media backstab, anti-war movement, reliance on conventional tactics to deal with a guerilla enemy) that the general public has come to accept. Instead, he uses his experience in the military and his mastery of Clausewitzian war theory to explain, precisely, how our political and military leadership mismanaged the war.That's what the book is, really:a Clausewitzian indictment of the US political and military leadership.It's also what Summers finds most alarming about the US performance in Vietnam--we failed to abide by rules that we should have had committed to memory by 1965, and in ignoring them, we actually found the North Vietnamese beating us at our own game.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Military    5. Military - Vietnam War    6. History / Military / Vietnam War    7. Military tactics    8. Vietnam    9. War & defence operations   

Reviews (2)

Important book that deserves a very wide reading
I read Vice Admiral Stockdale's obituary and became interested in his writing, given what I learned about him in the outline of his career.It was truly tragic that his moment in the national spotlight made him seem a confused old man, as anyone reading any of his writing will quickly discern.
A remarkable book by a remarkable man
It is an honor to review this book. Vice admiral Stockdale reflects on his personal experience as senior officer in a POW camp in Vietnam during 8 years. This is one of the most remarkable example of human fortitude I have ever heard of told by a man of supreme intelligence and culture. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Admirals    2. Biography    3. History & Theory - General    4. History - Military / War    5. Military    6. Military - Vietnam War    7. Military ethics    8. Naval art and science    9. Political    10. Political Science    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Stockdale, James B    13. United States    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political science & theory    16. Social & political philosophy