I picked this book up pretty naive on the subject of the Vietnam War. I had just finished studying it in my world history class and it had totally intrigued me. This book gives a great, real-life outlook on the war. Norman Russell goes into great deal on just how he felt before, during, and after the war. The Vietnam War is a dark part in US history, but we should all read about it, and learn as much as we can from it- this book is a great tool to do so! Pick up this book and read it! You'll love it!

I first read _Suicide Charlie_ in highschool and even though I was kinda naive and immature back then I still liked it. The book has real-life characters who's names have not been changed and it tells of the damaging effects of war on a person's psyche, heart, and inner being.

I picked this book up from a library. I started reading it on an airplane. Once I started reading it, I didn't stop. I read the whole book at once, because it really captivated me. Russell's descriptions are full of anguish, yet so real. A truly excellent book of a time when all hell broke loose.

Highly recommended. Very well written and easy to read. Tattletale captivates you from the very beginning and does not let go. Not a blood and guts or brag story, but a well balanced and honest view of what is was like as a grunt humping the paddies and as an observer flying in a LOH with a bit of humor, sarcasm, and wit sprinkled throughout. This book is difficult to stop reading once started-it puts you right on scene. It also glances into the not often talked about ventures into Cambodia by American forces. Tattletale also mentions the conflict and its effects from a family at home's viewpoint. Do not less this one pass you by-it is first rate all the way!

The extensive review that is online was actually written by David Volz, feature writer for the Nashville News not by Charles Rusiewski as the title indicates. I only submitted the review which was so well done. I, too, own the book and have found it to be be outstanding. Tattletale takes one back to a period in our lives and Palek makes one relive those years as if were happening now. The book packs quite a punch and brings back emotions that were once put at peace. A tremendous job!

Charlie Palek knows military history may be written by generals and politicians, but the stories they tell are really about those who fought and died. Palek's book, "Tattletale," offers a no-holds-barred portrait of the joys and miseries of a combat soldier in the Vietnam War, in what he calls "a dark time in this country's history."

Some 30 years after he came home from his second tour, Palek decided his experiences were worth recording. The reader can almost feel the oppressive heat and huymidity, smell the gun oil, sweat and burning flesh, hear the gunfire and screams, know the coppery taste of fear and see the horrible sights that become all too common in war.

His brutally honest writing style, seasoned with humor, recounts his two combat tours in Viewnam during the height of the war and the part he played in two of the best known battles, the Tet Offensive and the incursion into Cambodia.

His book also touches upon the anti-war protests, the incredibly inept government policies and the reactions of friends and family at home.

Charlie found himself in the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry of the 9th division and joined the Mobile Riverine Force. The outfit suffered an 80 percent casualty rate as they patrolled the Mekong Delta, south of Saigon. As a radio telephone operator (RTO), someone called him "tattletale" because it was his job "to tell on the enemy" when a firefight erupted. RTOs were prime targets for snipers. For the next 22 months, he humped the paddies in search of Victor Charlie.

The reader quickly learns that Vietnam was a war with no front lines and no clear objectives; endless, mind-numbing patrols punctuated all-too-frequently by gut-wrenching violence. Palek tells what ponchos were really good for, why flak vests were seldom worn and what it's like to have a huge tarantula crawl over your face. The jungles, rice paddies and canals tormented the grunts with skin infections and mosquitoes "the size of helicopters."

His book is filled with tales of good buddies ("we fought for each other, not the government") good and incompetent officers, and the hardships suffered by the Vietnamese civilians. Humor was a coping tool for Palek. "That's what kept me sane." Various experiences are tied nicely with Murphy's Laws of Combat, such as "If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush;" "When in doubt, empty your magazine;" and "Friendly fire--isn't."

KPaleks second tour gave him the job of door gunner in a helicopter. Unbelievable, his second tour in the air provided even more intense combat experiences. Many times Palek looked directly into the eyes of the enemy. The incursion into Cambodia was the "most intense experience of my life" as U.S. troops finally took the battle to the enemy's previously untouchable sanctuaries across the border.

The book discusses all the happenings at home with anti-war protestors. By the end of the second tour, a military career no longer looked so inviting. "There were too many idiots in charge." Palek's closing words of his book accurately sum up his view of this most controversial war. "The men that faced bullets everyday, whether they were on the ground, on the water or in the air, did a damned fine job and I hope they never forget that." Let no one forget that.

Reviewed by David Volz, Nashville News. Submitted by Charlie Rusiewski.

Stockdale mixes philosophy with his hard-earned wisdom as a POW in this incredible, honest inspiring book. Better than 99% of all self-help books. Read it, live it.

I do not normally choose to read a book based on the author's resume', but Stockdale's credentials (retired thirty-three year U.S. Navy Vice Admiral (3-stars), spent over seven years as the highest ranking U.S. prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam, Medal of Honor recipient, 1992 Reform Party vice presidential candidate, president of the Naval War College and the Citadel, holder of eleven honorary doctoral degrees, experimental test pilot, author, professor), compelled me to read his book. I am very glad I followed my gut instincts, for Stockdale wrote one of the best thought-provoking books about life, character, and leadership that I have ever read.

This book is a collection of essays, speeches, and articles by Stockdale (and one by a Stockdale friend and colleague) about his many and diverse experiences and how they have influenced his personal philosophies about life, character, and leadership. Many of his key points are repeated throughout the book, but the different purposes and audiences for the essays, speeches, and articles prevented those key points from becoming stale.

Stockdale's key points included, but were not limited to: character is demonstrated under pressure; his POW experience was the defining event in his life, a blessing (that I believe most non-POWs (like myself) will have trouble understanding or appreciating); the value of an education in philosophic classics (i.e. Stoicism, Epictetus, the Enchiridion, etc.); his first-hand accounts of the events leading up to the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which officially began our involvement in the Vietnam War (I was surprised); how the lack of character and integrity in senior U.S. leadership prolonged the Vietnam War and ultimately led to defeat and betrayal; and how Vietnam's U.S. POWs differed from our POWs in other wars.

Not one of the easiest books to read, but certainly one of my most inspiring and stimulating readings. I believe this book is one that I will use as a frequent reference, and it is already influencing my personal research and reading selections.

Life is tough, and it's not fair, and it may not be given to us by a personifiable diety who judges us and has a plan for everything. So what do you do? You have to dig deep within yourself. If you avoid the pitfalls of self-pity or the temptations posed by easy ways out, you can prevail against just about anything. Against repeated torture, humilating forced "confessions", and prolonged solitary confinement? Yes!! This man has been there and is quite willing to tell us all about it.

Being a collection of short articles and speeches written by the retired VAdm., the key points are often repeated and there is not a smooth progession in the narrative. But given the wealth here, there's little wrong with that.

This can serve as an introduction to the works of two great thinkers: one living today, and one who lived just a century after the birth of Jesus. Edward O. Wilson is the former, a friend of Stockdale himself, and the founder of sociobiology (and target of the PC Red Guard... see Tom Wolfe's "Hooking Up"). The latter is Epictetus, a former slave turned teacher (he would not call himself a philosopher) who was among the giants of the Stoic tradition.

Tom Wolfe made a habit in his public apperances a few years back of mentioning the clarity of Friedrich Neitzsche's prognostications. According to Nietzsche, the 21st century would see "the reevaluation of all values" which would be doomed without the implicit belief in an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-juding God. Around this period of time, Wolfe had heart surgery followed by a bout of depression, from which he bounced back to finally finish his mammoth novel "A Man in Full", eleven years (!) in the making. Stoicism features prominantly in the book, and I can't help but wonder if Wolfe himself has found some helpful balance between the rationalism of Wilson (who he has in the past called "the giant") and the sheer fortitude of Epictetus.

Who knows, maybe Wolfe read some of this? As someone who has gone though depression himself, this book offered me a heartening glimpse into the strength that can be tapped into when all else goes awry.

I resently reread this book and it brought back great memmories. Not of Vietnam, but of the early '80s when I was in the 82d Airborne and me and my fellow Sp4s set around talking about all things hard core and airborne, such as this book. In jump school and in the division we heard stories of lurps and rangers but did not really know what they did. This was the first book to go into detail about the life of lurps, and in my opinion this book is better than the fictional lurp books that followed. The book's ending is a heartbreak but also suggests a sequel. Let's hope it happens sometimes. Airborne all the way Kenn.

This is the book that started it all! It's the one that first introduced LRRP/Rangers to the world and the one that set the standard for those of us who followed. Kenn Miller's is not just a military writer but a gifted writer whose style and talent reveal that gift and remind us that this is a craft and he is a craftsman. Sound hokey? Well, give his book a read and you'll see what I mean. These aren't stock characters and this isn't your everyday story. If you can find a copy of this book, hold on to it. It's a classic and with its next release will still be a bestseller!

This novel took me by complete surprise. The writing was as good as anything I've read in recent memory. Miller is one of the most honest and descriptive writers of this genre and hopefully this won't be his last novel. I think that a more suitable title would have helped this work become a greater success. If it is ever reprinted, the author or publisher should definitely consider renaming it. I believe the current title doesn't do justice to the serious subject matter at hand. Either way, I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a first-hand account of Lurps (Rangers) in action. This is truly the work of a great writer.

A powerful book about the tradgedy of the Viet Nam war from the grunt's point of view. In knowing the author, I had an indepth sense of the losses he suffered. An outstanding book for ex-soldier's, history buffs, or anyone that wants a real story of a bad war.

Jack Leninger shows a remarkable aptitude for clarity and candor in relating his story... As I read this incredibly accurate account of his year 'in the bush', the memories returned, and with them, the faces of those who shared those often frightening and always intense times... It's a tribute to Jack as a writer that he was able to memorialize his Friends and fallen Comrades so honestly, and in remembering them, to give them a kind of immortality that would otherwise have eluded them in their all-too-short lives... Welcome Home, Jack ! Tim Murphy Co.B, 1/12 - "LT"

Reality is drama served on a silver platter. Especially if the reality is that of your own flesh and blood. I am proud of Jack Leninger for his service to this blessed country and even more so by coming to terms with his own reality by writing the painfully truthful book of his personal testament to everything that he feels is (or should be) right. The book strikes a nerve to all who read because of the no nonsense blunt truth that he's never ashamed of conveying. With that cynically clever humor that seems to run in the family. I can't wait for the next one...

This is a very comprehesive account of the air campaign during America's involvement in vietnam. VERY comprehensive- covers operational, deployment and political details for a very indepth look into this period. This is a great resource but it is not for the casual reader and even for serious research not something to read from cover to cover in one sitting. A great book to read if you are interested and you have the time to spare. Earlier reviews have already covered much of its contents very well- not much more to add there except for my own reading "experience"

Having flown combat missions over North Vietnam in 1968-1969, I was especially interested in this book. One of the great strengths of the American Air Force is that it has a history office with well qualified historians who are committed to pursuing the truth even though this often means criticizing the Air Force. Hallion and Thompson have both worked in this office for many years. They are truly experts and whatever they say or write you can take to the bank. I salute them for writing a first rate book. Mandatory reading for anyone interested in the evolution of combat airpower.

The book, as its title suggests, is a history of the United States Air Force in Vietnam during these years, but it offers the reader much more than an operational narrative. It is written chronologically during the seven years that encompassed Operations Rolling Thunder, Linebacker I, and Linebacker II, as well as the many other minor operations during and in between the larger ones. The real value of the book though, for the airpower strategist, is the skill with which Dr. Thompson weaves the contextual elements that ultimately decided how effective airpower could be during this period. As each operation unfolds we are given not only the details of the air campaign itself, but also the personalities and relationships among the various three and four star flag officers charged with planning and implementing the strategies. The political considerations and the lenses through which the president and key cabinet members viewed the conflict are important factors that affected operations down to the tactical employment of individual units and aircraft. Dr. Thompson smoothly transitions between the macro and micro view of how these pieces are related.

Dr. Thompson amply illustrates the political, technological and geographical constraints which have an often-underestimated effect upon airpower employment. The goal of precision engagement of ground targets from aircraft has a long history. Billy Mitchell described it in his Provisional Manual of Operations of 1918. Army Air Force planners in World War II hoped to achieve unprecedented bombing accuracy with the Norden bombsight. In Vietnam, as today, the goal of accurately bombing the desired target was also highly sought after but the right technology had not yet emerged. Thompson traces the parallel development of Navy and Air Force weapons systems, from the Navy's TV guided Walleye bomb, to the use of LORAN to guide aircraft to their bomb release points, to the final employment of Laser Guided Bombs (LGBs) with warheads large enough to take down the bridges that helped supply Hanoi with materials from the north. But perhaps more than any other factor, Dr. Thompson clearly shows us the enormous effect that weather had on the effectiveness of the air campaign over North Vietnam. Planners on both sides understood the affects of the large block of time lost during the monsoon season. Thompson even states that, "the most effective North Vietnamese air defense had always been weather" (pg. 244). This is an operational reality that can easily derail even the most elegant air strategy and can preclude political leaders from effectively controlling the application of force they require to achieve their stated objectives as well.

Overall To Hanoi and Back is a very well researched and documented history, composed in a very readable style. It is written with the operator in mind, giving future air strategists, planners, and users a very comprehensive view of not only the restraints under which one must operate in a war of limited objectives, but also in an environment where, although airpower's effectiveness may not be optimal, it is still the main instrument chosen to deliver the message we wish to send our adversary. The only possible improvement a reader could wish for would be more maps and charts in the text to visualize the many battlefields and data that an average operator needs to appreciate the area of operations. Even so, this is an excellent book that every professional should add to their personal library.

This book was like pulling my old army uniforms out from a duffle bag of memories.Using only black & white photos and line drawings to illustrate the volume, the author still successfully describes the variety of Army uniforms of the Vietnam era. Some data could have been presented in tabular form to avoid a lot of verbiage. The safety/work clothing & related equipment are very loosely definable as a uniform clothing item of a combat, fatigue or service dress nature. The listing of items by proper nomenclature was also very helpful. A real surprise for me was to see two in-country photos of two drill sergeants from my basic training company to illustrate the tropical hot weather (boonie) hat and the tropical rucksack. Some color would have been nice but there are other publications that complement this book.

This is a book that will stand forever. Stanton was a serving officer in Vietnam and when he did his research he had access to the working files at the Army's Natick Laboratory in Masachusetts to consult. He has used all the specifications and drawings that were published. In combination with his work on the Cold War which covers clothing worn elsewhere in the world this period is thoroughly covered. His complete ouevre includes WW II, Korea, Cold War, and Vietnam. I wish he would continue with the Modern Volunteer Army from 1975 on. Bit sparse on field equipment but then this is a uniform study.

I am trying to collect a good representation of the average soldier in Vietnam. This book has help greatly in see the uniform and equipment used. There are lots of picture and great descriptions. The book is well organized and very useful in my search.

This book by Dr. Byron E. Holley is a must-read for anyone who is interested in learning about the soldier's personal experiences in Vietnam. His personal accounts of nearly everyday ocourances while on his Tour Of Duty is so insightful. When I read this book it was like being there or being the relative who received the letters home from Vietnam. This book and its account of daily events on Dr. Holley's Tour freezes ones mind in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This awe-inspiring book reminds us of a war that some of us may have forgotten and other would like to. The words that Dr. Holley uses to describe his fears,concerns, and disgust with the war is a chilling reminder to us all. Dr. Holley tells his story in 1968-69 real-time by incorporating letters to his sweetheart and his parents. The book begins with Dr. Holley receiving that wonderful letter from Uncle Sam stating that his medical services are needed so that his country maybe served, through his one year tour-of-duty including his experiences with Col. Hackworth. You will hear this story from a man, a true man, who has saved countless lives and lives to tell about it. Dr. Holley captures his audience in this must-read for any person that survived his or her nightmares. This is simply a must-read.

This book is on the "Recommended Reading List" of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 295, Indianapolis, Indiana

I had the pleasure to work with then Colonel Herrington before he left the Army. This book is an outstanding work as a personal memoir, an insight into the Vietnam War, and an example of successful counter-insurgency operations.

Stalking the Vietcong takes the reader into a relatively ignored, and perhaps the most important side, of the Phoenix program-the district level operations. Most other books on Phoenix tend to concentrate on sensationalized special forces operations or the alleged abuses of the Vietnamese populace. Read this book to get a more complete and accurate picture.

It's great to see good books on special operations. Not many are written. Another couple of books that bring the reader into more contemporary special operations are "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden, and "Danger Close" but Mike Yon. Keep writing!

What's so different here is the intelligence of the author, his sensitivity to and curiosity about the Vietnamese. It's too bad he wasn't a policy-maker. Intensely interesting, entertaining history. I was truly sorry when it was over. I wanted more.

General Flanagan's memoir of his time in Vietnam is one of the most personal and sorrowful accounts of that American tragedy yet.

The Kirkus review tells us, "you will not find the meaning" of the Vietnam War in this book. And that's true. John F. Flanagan didn't go to Vietnam to do that. He went as a Warrior and the nature of that war weighed heavily upon him. It does to this day.

In a way I would classify this personal history with E.B. Sledge's masterpiece WITH THE OLD BREED. The times and perspective are different, but seeing the elephant remains the same. When all the grandstanding and speeches are over, all the flag waving and parades, ultimately men risk their lives for their friends. These men are usually too preoccupied with the task at hand to "figure it all out".

Sledge saw war and was horrified by it's spector, it's indifferent carnage and filth. He had the rectitude though of having returned a 'winner'. All those boys were killed, but their death had some purpose. John Flanagan couldn't feel that. He just knew that the friends he lost and saw die, died vainly. No matter how good these men were, how much moral certitude they had, their deaths were without purpose. John Flanagan is a man of purpose.

General Flanagan reflects great dignity upon those men and to their families. He's a man of quiet dignity himself and can take pride in knowing that he did all he could when he could. As a Soldier that's what's known as trust.

My best wishes go out to General Flanagan, his family and friends.

This book is the most realistic book I have read about the Vietnam war to date. Genreal Flanagan certainly keeps you attention throughout the entire book. He leaves nothing to the imagination, exactly how it should be. There was too much controversey about the wat, this book gives, in detail, an insite on just how horrid it was for our soldiers.

An added comment, this book was written by a "real person". I work for General Flanagan every day. The book put some detail and realism into the "stories" that we talk about

It brought back all the fear, sadness and frustration of that december day in 1966. I was a 19 year old doorgunner on one of those gunships that day with the 281st ahc in Khe Sanh. I am 51 now and to this day it still haunts me.I was fortunate to be on several mission with Flanagan and the guy always came through.