As a college student thinking of majoring in history, Vietnam Follies was exciting and informative from start to finish.
While many historical autobiographies are difficult to read and hard to follow, Henry Billings throws the reader into the shoes of a young soldier trying to get through the war while dealing with various psychological and personal problems along the way.
My favorite part was when I was reading chapter 5 about Henry's final mission in training camp in which he had to play Escape and Evade. I found myself literally sweating throughout the chapter, wondering whether or not he would make it to safety, or be caught and tortured. I became so engaged that i continued reading past 1:00 on a school night until i reached the conclusion of the chapter. Only a handful of books I have ever read have gotten me this passionate about reading, which definitely says a lot about Henry Billing's writing style.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

Great reading, humorous and informative. Henry Billings gives us a picture of the Vietnam War from geopolitical and military
strategies to everyday life in the streets of Saigon sprinkled with MASH does Vietnam anecdotes of his own experiences. A great book for young people not wanting to wade through a tome on the subject yet leaving them with a good history lesson.

I have just finished reading "VIETNAM FOLLIES, a Memoir of an Intelligence Officer", by Henry Billings, published by 1st Books Library. For anyone who grew up in the 1960's in the shadow of the Vietnam War, with inner conflicts of conscience vs country, this book is well worth reading.
The young Henry Billings is caught between two forms of idealism; a sense of duty and obligation to his country, and a pacifist's aversion to the "us against them" mentality that soldiering requires. In his own words, he was "on the one hand a Boy Scout and on the other hand a bleeding-heart leftist". He ends up spending 1966 in Saigon as an intelligence officer.
His book goes into detail about some of his assignments. He discusses B-52 bombing, Cambodia (before, during, and after the U.S.-Vietnam War), and attempts to research enemy morale. He also tells of the rebuke he often received from his superiors when the information he gathered, and perceived to be true, did not fit with the propaganda "spin" they were looking for. As he closes his narrative, looking back, he seems to have more regrets for what he didn't do as a pacifist at home than for what he did do in the Army in Saigon.
I liked the way H. Billings relates his time in the Vietnam Era with a historical overview, but separates his own experiences and opinions. Places and names that blew by me when I was a "teeny-bopper" in the mid-1960's come to life again. The last time I heard some of those names was from Walter Cronkite.
When I see the word "Memoirs" in a book title, I worry that more than half of the sentences will start with "I" or end with "me"; not so with H. Billings' book. Chapter 8 on Cambodia impressed me the most.
I didn't go to Vietnam. I had a draft-lottery number of 259 in 1971. But those of us who watched from the sidelines were not untouched.
VIETNAM FOLLIES is worth reading, whether you were a pacifist who didn't go or a soldier who did.

E J Tretter

Comments sent by readers to author: 1. What I found truly spectacular was that he was able to present many different situations and emotions of the war in a way that the reader could find interesting. 2. Dr. Etchison's book opened my eyes to the Vietnam War. The stunningly truthful stories brought me to tears. 3. I think the writer did a good job writing from both the American and Vietnamese perspective. I think all high schools should be required to read the book. I'm certainly glad I did. 4. The book gives the reader a clear idea of what the war was really like, and succeeds in arousing a good deal of sympathy.

Years later, the Viet controversy, its questions and few ethical answers are still remaining. Etchison's snapshots are as large as life and gripping. He spares you the travel details, the minutia of a lot of writing. The author gets right to it with his composite of happenings. Take them, one by one, and then, see the overall message of these events of the American intervention in Vietnam. Lessons? Maybe, but you are certain to find a better understanding of really tough circumstances for thousands on both sides of this moral vs. immoral conflict.

Mr. Etchinson's direct and powerful approach to a war that still lives with us in the new Millennium is packed full of vivid memories and images that affect the reader as if he/she had been actually there and had remembered these "snapshots" as if the reader had dreamt them. His verse is solid and concise and evokes shades of Hemingway. Each story acts as a capsule of truth and hits upon our darkest emotions. Not since the movie "The Deer Hunter" have I been moved so much. I commend Mr. Ecthinson for his labor on a subject matter that needs revisiting when other countries are experiencing war times in this day and age. Excellent performance.

My Uncle wrote this book when I was 7 or 8 perhaps. I finally read the book an dit makes me realize what he went through. I have been looking for another copy of this book. Thank you to everyone who has read the book. His dream was to one day have a book published and he did it!

This is a very iteresting inside look at the Elint war in Viet-Nam. Beginning at language school at the Monterey Presideo, the author takes us through training and then active duty in Viet-Nam as an intercept operator.

I'm a bit amazed that the book was cleared by the U.S. government for publication (?), but it brought back a lot of memories for many of us who did the same work.

Well done!

Vietnam Spook Show is exactly the type of book that the NSA (National Security Agency) would like to ban, and it no doubt gave the NSG (Naval Security Group) fits as well. It's an incisive look into the lonely, stressed and twisted life style that Cryptologic Technicians (Interpretive) suffer through, from their days in language school through the high stress experience of invisible responsibility for others' lives at the end of a passive radio link.

Set in in the era of Vietnam, it is a timeless story of how the intelligence community eats it's young and disposes of the remains in unmarked graves. I read this book in one sitting, and several other "ex-spooks" I know did the same. Wayne Care is one of us, and he speaks for all of us. If you, or someone you love, has had a hard time dealing with the reality of a post intelligence life, this book might just offer the insight a civilian therapist needs to help them.

Well written, wry and extraordinarily moving in it's grasp of what "in the weeds" intelligence collection does to the collectors, this book is a must read for potential spooks.

Senseless violence, inexplicable rages, and bad judgment make up the very personal hell described in this memoir. These are...deeply personal accounts of the soldiers...as told by an author with 26 years of experience in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.

I particularly liked the idea of including Kathy in several chapters to explain that Viet Nam was not a place for men only.

The book covers areas that were widely discussed in the media at the time that they occurred. The Long Binh riots, murder & rape at the Americal division, the commanding officer who demanded a body count and a discussion of project 100K, which allowed soldiers to enter the military service who were not otherwise qualified. Also included are scenes from Saigon where high ranking civilians and military lived a life of luxury.

This has been the most helpful tool guiding me in forming a close relationship with an friend of many years. The information here is essential. The author tells you what you must know it in order to understand your loved one and cope with stress-related behaviors. There are many helpful suggestions and resources listed. Author is an expert in Viet vets and PTSD. As a nurse with 20 yrs experience and a strong background in psychology, who has had a number of vet friends & coworkers, I knew a little about Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Yet this book has really made a difference - I couldn't have managed without it. If you are in a relationship with a vet or even contemplating one, get this!

I am officially an "expert" in combat PTSD with all sorts of fancy letters after my name, and I can say that Aphrodite Matsakis's VIETNAM WIVES and Patience Mason's RECOVERING FROM THE WAR [also available from Amazon.com] do more good than a planeload of folks like me. Nobody should have to go through it alone--not the veteran, not his or her spouse, not their children, parents, friends, employers, therapists. Healing (and protection against secondary traumatic stress) happens only in community--at least that's what I conclude from 11 years working with veterans. Both of these books are useful to not only their main audience, the veteran's spouse, but to veterans themselves and anyone else who wants to make their hearts wiser and their understanding deeper. I recommend these books frequently, and for years they were hard to find.

Identifying information on reviewer:

Jonathan Shay, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist whose only patients are Vietnam combat veterans in the Boston VA Outpatient Clinic. He is author of _Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character_ (available from Amazon.com)

Great book,could be confusing for layman. Need to stress more spousal support. My spouse left me broke,no transportation on one of my anniversaries. Now she is being hidden by J. LeFever in Shadyside,MD. They are both members of Vietnam Vets Wives and are conspiring agaist this decorated,disabled combat vet-no wonder we don't trust women-in general they've crapped onus now and during the war. Jennie LeFever and Gerry Hall typify whats wrong between vets and sig. others. They think this is a big game and its deadly serious.

As a former Special Forces medic in Viet Nam I could not put this book down until I had finished it. I got out of the Army in 1966 and didn't look back, but I could never get Viet Nam and Special Forces out of my blood. It was truely a calling that I failed to hear.

I was surprised to read about many people that I had long forgotten, but there they were again, as big and true to life as if it was yesterday.

There was even a story about the little sleepy camp, Polie Kleng, that I had helped build in 1966 (A-241), and of course there were lots of stories about Dak To, Kontum, Pleiku, Na Trang, Saigon and other places I had been.

I have always wondered what my life would have been like if I had made a career of Special Forces. Now I know. There is a good chance I would have gotten zapped, but it sure would have been an exciting life while it lasted, and I would have had an endless supply of the greatest friends in the world. I have never had those kinds of truely great friends since getting out of Special Forces.

This book tells it all, just as it was. Get ready for a lot of flash backs. Every word of it is true. Even the lies are true!

I grew up during the Viet Nam war, in a military family. I joined the Army immediately after college and was the first woman commissioned at my University, in 1975. While I never served in combat, I knew many who did. I read this book to try and understand what it must have been like for the men who served, without having to read through the filters of the liberal media, or the continuing lies of our government.

Being from a military family, I understand what duty, honor and country means, and to me, the Green Berets are some of last, true defenders of those ideals. This book did not disappoint me.

It is a wonderful book, with all the elements of life, both precious and horrible, woven through it.

My favorite story was of the POV and how his faith in God was restored by a fir tree and some fire-flies. He does work in mysterious ways!

To my brothers-in-arms--my heartfelt thanks for sharing parts of your souls with the rest of us.

To those who are stil! l unaccounted for--forgive us. I, for one, shall never forget you.

As a fellow Green Beret, I found Hans Halbertstadt's book very refreshing. It is free of the bravado and hype found in most books regarding Special Forces. What it shows is the real face of war a told by the unique and courageous men who fought it. You'll laugh out loud after reading one page and cry after reading the next. I highly recommend it!

Back in college I took a course entitled "Vietnam: An American Perspective", this opened me up to a wealth of literature on the Vietnam experience and the impact it has had on our nation as well as our culture. Therefore, when a friend of mine told me about this book, I had to get it. There are many books about Vietnam, each with different perspectives. Some discuss the historical or political issues, others may discuss the theological, moral, or philosophical issues. This book doesn't do any of those things. It goes one better, it deals with the human condition and how the horror of war impacts it. "West Dickens Ave" tells the story of one young marines experience in Khe Sanh during the height of the Vietnam War. This first person account is an incredible story of what our soldiers went through. Corbett's narrative and style submerge the reader right into the action, you feel like you're there, but you thank God you're not. Once I started reading I was unable to put the book down, I was so captivated that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I highly reccommend this book, and would like to thank the author for sharing his story with me.

As a country we seem to forget all of the men, woman, and children who's lives are drastically changed or taken by war. History repeats itself, and this book should be an inspiration to our youth to change the pattern. I am proud of my Uncle Jack for putting his thoughts and emotions out there for the whole world to judge. Honor all of our brothers and sisters who stand up for your rights by giving up their youth or holidays with their children. My Grandma passed away only 7 months prior to the books release, but those who knew her loved her. She and my Grandfather raised 8 childern, all who I am proud to know.They are surely smiling down on Jack now!

This is the first Viet Nam book that I have read and it has opened my eyes. An excellent 1st person account of what it was like to be on a fire base. Jack is a friend of mine and he has hit the nail squarely on the head with his depiction of what it was like for American kids growing up in Viet Nam. Just because you were on a fire base, didn't mean you were safe. Shelling, sappers, friends, stupidity, sleepless nights, the overlooked heroism, were all a part of it. Large bangs still make me jump. I used to feel guilty about having "only" been on a fire base. No more. I whole heartedly endorse this book.

Howard Olsen's book hits the nail on the head. If all veterans (not just from Vietnam) of every war and military experience would read and apply the information contained in this book there would be incredible healing amongst them. I am blessed to have read this book.

Chuck Dean
Author of "Nam Vet: Making Peace with Your Past"

Wounded Warriors, Chosen Lives provides a compassionate and supportive response to those seeking healing and resolution for severe woundings of the human spirit. This prophetic call for personal accountability is balanced with good news of hope and renewal through God's transforming power. Olsen's use of personal accounts by Vietnam veterans and his compelling statistics of the lingering effect of the war on those who fought it are deeply moving. His experience as a veteran and as a Christian counselor ministering to the needs of thousands of fellow veterans gives him a powerful credential to speak words of truth and of hope. John and Paula Sandford, Elijah House Ministries, Post Falls, Idaho.

Teaching and learning are the twin ocupations of life. In Wounded Warriors, Chosen Lives, Howard Olsen speaks with experience, in depth, with insight and wisdom. He gives us truth so we may learn to live in reality. It is an awesome book! Edwin Louis Cole, Edwin Louis Cole Ministries, Ft. Worth, Texas.

Weak kneed, left wing, doves should avoid the reality of the portrayal of the life of Myers and the Marine comrads he so eloquently shares with the reader. This is not a sugar coated documentary of all that is right with our military strategy on the ground , in day-to-day life of combat Marines, but the true story of how these Marines prevailed in spite of the strategy. Anyone who ever hold a position of leadership where conditions are extremely difficult must read this book. Only a few books ever capture the reality of war, this is one of them. A must read.

This book took me back to c/1/12, to the very places I had been, I did't know SSgt Meyers, but I think I was there while he was. Super book, thanks for putting our Battery story in print.

In Your War, My War: A Marine In Vietnam, Sergeant Donald Myers shows us the chaos and hysteria that was the hallmark of active combat in the Vietnam War. His memoir begins on October 30, 1967 when he arrives at Gio Linh and spans sixteen months of lethal combat and mind-numbing drudgeries of military life in a combat zone. What makes Your War, My War unique and distinctive from other Vietnam biographies is that each chapter represents a day's journal entry, juxtaposed with American newspapers that coincide with the entries, enabling the reader to envision the contrast of the American political and journalistic structure versus a day at battle. This contrast of the reality of Vietnam with the Never-Never Land perceptions back home is particularly jarring and informative. Your War, My War is a highly recommended and much appreciated contribution to the growing body of literature on the American military experience in Vietnam.

It seems to me as if stories about the U.S. foot soldier in Vietnam abound, but the Vietnam War was also a war Americans fought fiercely in the air. It stands to reason then that the chronicle of the F105 fighter pilot, who flew the most harrowing missions and suffered the greatest losses, is one of the more significant, albeit under-appreciated, tales worthy of telling. As such, Ken Bell's 100 Missions North is an excellent place to dig in to the subject to appreciate a unique, by-gone perspective. Bell's first-hand account of the 100 missions he flew as a Thunderchief pilot over north Vietnam in 1966-67 provides a superb, three-dimensional picture of his life at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base north of Bangkok, Thailand, one of two primary facilities for F105s during the war. Aside from the fact that Bell was a major at the time and thus missed out on the opportunity to live dorm-style in a hooch with lower-ranking officers, his story in many ways typifies the life of an F105 pilot of this era. Although his is not the only first-hand account of the F105 pilots' experience, it may be the most satisfying.

Thud Ridge, Jack Broughton's account of his tour, for instance, although essential as a piece of F105 fighter pilot history, is not a straightforward chronological account of his experiences. Instead, Broughton picks and chooses subjects for each chapter, so although there is something of a running narrative, the text skips around a bit. Not a big problem but it can be confusing unless you've been a member of a fighter wing. Therefore, I would also say Broughton seems to be writing more to a limited audience, the fellow fighter pilot as well as the military enthusiast; hence, although a good book regarding its subject, Thud Ridge is more for those already with a base knowledge of air war and squadrons.

Another top-notch book but with a broader appeal than Thud Ridge is G.I. Basel's Pak Six. Basel's book is quite an enjoyable read. He turns a nice phrase, recounts interesting stories, and is easy to follow and understand. Basel also has a good sense of humor that helps the outsider appreciate the F105 fighter pilot mentality. Why then is Pak Six not the first book to pick up on the F105 pilot experience? Length! Pak Six has about half as many pages as 100 Missions North. In spite of the fact that Basel's book was a pure pleasure to read, and I finished it in about two days, it nonetheless gets into and out of its subject too quickly. It's good to leave the reader wanting more, but I wanted much more.

It was after I read these two books that I came across 100 Missions North. Bell's book is the one I wished I'd picked up first. At 300 pages, it provides a detailed, nicely paced, chronological account of the 100 missions he flew. Although he doesn't literally account for all 100 missions, Bell presents the highlights of his most significant missions and discusses life outside the cockpit as well. Like Basel, he is easy to understand and can tell a good story, and like a seasoned writer, is not embarrassed to confess his fears and mistakes while flying missions. Likewise, he provides honest observations about the world and people around him during his tour.

For anyone interested in this side of the Vietnam War, all three books are a must, and certainly, all three offer something unique that in total present a thorough picture of what it must have been like to be there, a subject of particular interest to me since my father was there too, but he's no longer around to recount his experiences. Of the group, 100 Missions North is the most well-rounded regarding its subject and is certainly a worthy place to begin getting a grasp of life inside the cockpit while flying bombing missions into a region reputed to be the most heavily defended in the history of warfare.

Ken Bell's book describes the life of an Air Force fighter pilot during the combat of the 1960s. Many things have changed since then:
- A pilot had a 50% chance of completing a tour (100 missions over North Viet Nam) without getting shot down.
- Targets were often selected for political, not strategic, reasons. Good pilots were lost going after targets of marginal value.

One thing that has not changed is the bravery of the pilots that fly combat and the professionalism and dedication of the maintenance crews that keep the aircraft flying.

Ken Bell documents all this in an excellent manner. You get the feeling that the F-105 is a two-seater with you in the back seat. He is honest about the problems that he encountered, and how he dealt with them.