I don't often re-read a book in the same decade, but after recently re-reading K-9 Sodiers, Vietnam and After, I learned over the "NET", that Suzie's story is to be aired on Discovery Channel early next year. I think this is SUPER, giving our four-footed heroes some much deserved recognition. ... For readers who haven't read K-9 Soldiers, you really should. It's the kind of book you won't put down until you have reached the back cover. ... For those of us, who have read it, I heartly recommend Paul Morgan's barely fictionalized account of behind the lines action around the Cambodian border, entitled "The Parrot's Beak". This is another slam 'em, bam 'em, damned good read. You can taste the smoke of battle and feel the humidity and tension ... go now ... read "K-9 Soldiers", read "The Parrot's Beak" ... Look for Suzie's story, it's to be featured on Animal X, Discovery Channel in 2001 .... AND K-9 officers attention ... "K-9 Soldier's" is a must read for you, I understand some K-9 units consider it to be one of their manuals!

Paul Morgan's book K-9 Soldiers: Vietnam and After is a story of Paul's military life from beginning to end and the intense training this soldier endured to become a U.S. Army Green Beret with two tours in Vietnam. There are stories about Suzie his faithful German Shepherd that saved him and his buddies more than once in the jungles and rice fields of Southeast Asia. After the military he started his own K-9 security business. The many stories that he tells about his K-9 companion's will bring tears to your eyes and make you smile.

Jim Hart 12th SPS K-9 PhuCat 1970-1971 USAF

Thumbs up for K-9 Soldiers. Paul Morgan Shares his wartime and civilian experiences with his K-9 partners.Dog lovers, history buffs and anyone in between will find this book to be a fascinating and very enjoyable read.

When I first picked up "Nam Vet" I could not put it down. The text in the book was a mirrored image of my own struggles with "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PTSD). It revealed very clearly that I was not standing alone with my pain related to my combat experiences in Vietnam. Chuck Dean has been able to offer some basic guidelines for recognizing and dealing with PTSD. He will be the first to admit that the concepts he portrays are not based upon medical expertise, but upon Godly principles. If a veteran or family member remains open to the rationale put forth in the "Nam Vet" book, then I'm certain that they will receive something of value from its content. The book is laid out in a simple manner which is easy to understand. Anyone who suffers from any kind of PTSD, whether war related or not, should read "Nam Vet". I have spent several years laboring with Chuck Dean in ministry to veterans. I am convinced that a day does not pass where someone somewhere is assisted by the "Nam Vet" book. I would encourage you to take this vital step towards recovery from PTSD. You will never regret it.

As a Vietnam Vet I have had a lot of the same feelings as described in Chuck Deans book. But had thought that it was just how I turned out. But after reading Chuck's book, It opened my eyes as to what was going on. Not only did I read this book, but my Wife and Kids read it as well. So if you are a Vet and think that you may suffer from PTSD, or want to find out more about PTSD, I strongly suggest you read this book or get a hold of Chuck and Athena's tapes. It will be worth your while.

If you are reading this review, I'll bet you are in your 50's or you have a loved one who is, and you are trying to find some peace from scars that were dug in over 30 years ago. As Vietnam veterans age, and as our secondary casualties (called wives and children) become searching adults, Nam Vet is a MUST READ! Chuck Dean has taken his painful search for peace and shared with the rest of us a mirror into our own troubles. I have carried the burden of being a scary husband and father, and at last I can see I am not alone! I can see the roots of my distrust for "the system," my resistance to authority figures, my hair trigger temper, and rages over stupid things like computer freezes goes back to Vietnam. Nam Vet has helped reinforce for me that only through accepting forgiveness and God's grace can we put down the ruck sack our minds have been trying to carry all these years. It is NOT too late to read this book and start or continue your healing! WELCOME HOME!

Ms. Baker's attention to detail in depicting war and its effect on people's lives is unforgettable. I was immediately swept away by the characters and their stories--and couldn't put the book down until I'd turned the last page. A great read!

Fran Baker has expanded her writing style from "pure romance", to include the history of a family that begins in World War Two, and follows them through the Viet Nam war until present times. This book begins with the character Mike Scanlon as he sets off to France to fight on Omaha Beach. He meets the love of his life; a frail but brave girl in the French Resistance. The book has wonderfully descriptive scenes of France in the war torn years of Hitler's invasion. The book then leads us to the Viet Nam war, a war that saw so much controversy in the USA. and that tore many famlies apart. We meet Mike's daughter and follow her in her Quest to find out what happened to her husband. Ms. Baker makes us care deeply about the characters; they could be people you know. Set back, curl up by the fire, and let Fran take you on a journey filled with excitement, love, and the pathos of true life, in times of war. This book will keep you thinking long after you have finished the last chapter.

The author has created vibrant characters I still can't forget and a seamless blend of love and war that left me breathless at times. I highly recommend this book.

This was a well written and researched account which told the true story behind the numerous missions to rescue Bat-21 Bravo and other fliers downed during subsequent missions during April 1972. Firstly I must say I was amazed to read of the neglect shown in the passage of information and/or Intelligence between the American Air Force and Army. How this could come about or allow to continue amazes me considering it had some bearing on the lives of American soldiers and airmen and also on the prosecution of the war.

I was unaware of the full details of the rescue of Lt. Col. Hambleton and the role and involvement of Navy SEALS and Sth Vietmanese troops. I had only seen the movie 'Bat 21' before and figured that it portrayed the 'true' story - how wrong can you be.

I think the authors attempt to answer a number of questions in relation to the 'worth' of one man during the 1972 Easter Offensive is well done but I would recommend that readers should take the opportunity to read 'Trial by Fire' by Dale Andrade which offers a detailed and excellent account of America's last Vietnam battle and which could also place this episode in perspective.

'The Rescue of Bat 21' is a good, quick book (164 pages) to read, the narrative flows along and the story never gets bogged down. If you want to read about man's un-selfish devotion to duty and his fellow man during a terrible war this is the book to read. Well done to the author and well done to those men who played a part in this story, especially those who did not return.

Unlike the Hollywood film Bat 21, Whitcomb's book provides in-depth coverage of entire rescue effort of Bat 21, from the pilots who flew the rescue sorties to the staff and intelligence officers who planned the operation behind the scenes to the Navy Seal team who worked the effort from the ground. Anyone interested in why the SAR mission expanded so greatly during the Vietnam War and why rescues are so critical to the morale and welfare of the air services must read this book. A tour de force!

John Sherwood, author of Officers in Flight Suits: The Story of American Air Force Fighter Pilots in the Korean War

The lone survivor (Bat 21 Bravo) of a six-man crewed American warplane shot down by a surface-to-air missile parachutes near the DMZ and seeks cover to await recovery. Heavy clouds obscure visibility, but other than that the search and rescue aircraft crews have no reason to believe that this won't be anything but a moderately easy pickup.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Jay Crowe commanding an Air Force rescue helicopter drops through the clouds heading for the survivor when enemy fire comes up from all directions. The dashboard begins to disintegrate. Crowe and his copilot struggle to control the helicopter and clear the area. The crew is amazed at the scene below. North Vietnamese Army trucks, tanks, guns, and soldiers are everywhere. Bat 21 is trapped between two enemy divisions barreling across the borders in a full offensive to conquer South Vietnam. Still, the rescue attempt goes on.

As the author of "Coast Guard Action in Vietnam," I am pleased to read, not only a darn good true book about the Vietnam War, but, one that brings out the fact that Coast Guardsmen were active in that long engagement. Flying combat search and rescue was only one of their numerous missions. For example, LORAN, the electronic navigation system used to keep Bat 21 pinpointed and to place ordnance on enemy positions, was installed in the theater and manned by the Coast Guard.

Do yourself a favor, get both "Bat 21" by William C. Anderson and "The Rescue of Bat 21" by Darrel D. Whitcomb. Read them in tandem. Read "Bat 21" first. It puts you with the survivor on the ground evading capture for twelve days. Then read Whitcomb's book. It pulls back the camera to take into view the entire panorama of situation, equipment, and people, that went into this remarkable rescue exploit.

When you start the reading make sure you have a block of uninterrupted time because you may not want to stop until--the end.

Beautifully written, touching, disturbing, encouraging, spiritually enlightening, and tremendously upsetting, this account of a true American Hero's 7 1/2 years of imprisonment in Vietnam will exhaust every human emotion that the reader possesses. I read this book from cover to cover without stopping to breathe. I was shocked by every page. I never allowed myself to believe that human beings could treat each other the way that Admiral Denton was treated by the North Vietnamese. I have the utmost of respect for him, considering the pain that he lived with, not only during his imprisonment, but during the writing of this book as well. A lessor man would make all effort to block these years from his memory, but Jeremiah Denton relived the horror everyday that he spent writing this book. He did this for me, you, and all Americans so that we might begin to fully understand, not only how he was treated and how his faith in God, his family, and his country got him through this ordeal, but the necessity of this badly misunderstood war as well. This is a "must-read" book for any American who hasn't taken the time to stop and thank a Veteran for our freedom. Without the courage and loyalty of men like Denton, our country would not be the wonderful place that it is. I thank God everyday for these men who risked their lives for people like me, whom they don't even know. What greater hero is there?

This is the story of Admiral Jeremiah Denton's 7 and a half years of brutal imprisonment in North Vietnam. His book is a way for readers to discover his heroic acts and selfless attitude while held prisoner, and the inspiration he was to his fellow prisoners. His story is unforgettable, and told in a way that will have you holding on to this from start to finish.

In July of 1965, Naval aviatior Jeremiah A. Denton was shot down over North Vietnamese territory and taken as a prisoner of war. When Hell was in Session details the harrowing experiences faced by Denton and many other United States prisoners of war in Hanoi.

During his seven and a half years in captivity, quite a bit of that time spent in solitary confinement, he was subject to horrific tortures and treatment that the average person could only experience in their very worst nightmares. It is readily apparent that Denton was a very brave and honorable man with an iron will when he resisited his jailors at every turn. Furthermore, it is a testament to his courage and character that he chose to relive those horrifying years in his mind to be able to write this book with so much detail.

Even though this book is only 182 pages, its contents are probably one of the best eye-witness accounts you will read of an American held in Hanoi's infamous Hanoi Hilton prison complex. I've read quite a few books on U.S. captives in Hanoi and this one is at the top. Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in this subject material.

From what I have seen written on the pages exhibited, I am asking our librarian here in Sandwich, NH to purchase this book. Hugh Thompson has always been a hero to me, and represents the helicopter pilots who were in Vietnam quite well. We were all brash, and ballsey, and would stand up to a lot of things we didn't think too swift. His deed outshines us all. I flew UH-1D's in the Delta, and have written about my experiences there in OUTLAWS IN VIETNAM.
Being a helicopter pilot in this war was the best job one could wish for--it was the best year of all of our lives! Hopefully, more of these excellent aviators will be profiled in the future.
My librarian finally purchased the book after these initial notes, and I have been reading it nonstop. This should really shed some light on the horror of the Americal Division higher-ups who authorized this bloodletting by Lt. Calley and others of Charlie Company that day. They had been ordered to commit the atrocities we all know about today, and as I continue the book, it is interesting to me to experience the angst that Hugh Thompson and his crew felt that terrible day at My Lai. He is most human, and painfully so. The author discloses all this helicopter crew went through then and since; well done!!

Since the US Army finally got around to acknowledging the real heros of the My Lai massacre in March 1998 this book has been awaited by thousands of Americans who knew there was a great deal more than had been reported in the media and from official sources. Trent Angers' compelling story fills in all the details.Many of us who had served our country in the Vietnam period and previous conflicts knew that there had to be Americans who would not standby and permit killing of innocent non combatants by our own troops or by enemy forces for that matter. Something was dead wrong on that fateful day in March 1968 with the leadership of the military forces involved in an operation gone awry in the village of My Lai in central Vietnam.Now thanks to the clear reporting of CWO Hugh Thompson's story we know the full story of the undaunted courage and bravery of Thompson and his crew when they discovered the shocking truth that US troops were out of control and had committed unspeakable horror against unarmed women,children and elderly villagers in executing unlawful orders in a fundamently flawed search and destroy operation.

Author Angers brings to light events leading up to and following My Lai in vivid detail and the development of the ethical foundations of Thompson and his crew that did't allow them to look the other way on that fateful day.It is quite clear now that the Thompson crew stopped what could have been an even more egregious stain on the over two hundred year distinguished history of the US military.

As Angers tells us, the Thompson story did not come to light until a patriotic citizen soldier, Prof.David Egan of Clemson University saw a British documentary in 1989 and began a ten year crusade to see that this forgotten hero was justly recognized for restoring honor and integrety to the US Army he himself had served.

Angers telling of the Hugh Thompson story restores the faith faith of countless citizens that most of our soldiers in Vietnam served honorably and some like Hugh Thompson,Larry Colburn and their crewmate Glen Andriotta, honored on the Memorial Wall in Washington DC,were the real heros of that difficult period in our Nations history.This story of ordinary men taking an extraordinary action is destined to become a classic in the literature of the Vietnam period.As the author of the US Army's lengthy investigative report on the massacre tells us,"...If there was a hero at My

Lai,it was helicopter pilot CWO Thompson"

If you liked the movie "Saving Private Ryan", you will love this book. The only important difference is this one is a true story! It will restore your faith in the courage of three ordinary soldiers who risked their lives to save innocent women, childern, and elderly civilians during a barbarous killing rampage at My Lai in 1968. Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot, who directed the ad hoc rescue operation, also endured nearly 30 years of criticism and indifference from many of his peers in the armed forces. At long last, the heroic actions of Mr. Thompson, Larry Colburn, and Glenn Andreotta have finally been recognized and appreciated by the government of the United States. This book proves that it is never too late to correct a wrong and that true American heroes live among us. Every parent concerned about the dangerous effects of peer pressure should buy this book as a gift to their childern.

James W Walker presents you with the story of his time in Vietnam and allows you to be transported there as if you were watching yourself.

He starts the story by describing how he managed to get to the States - via Hull, UK and through various schools in the area before moving with his mother to the USA, volunteering for the Army and shipping out to Vietnam.

Walker's description of his time in Nam is written so clearly that he betrays the fact that so many years have passed between the Tour and the book. His writing is not in the style of a list - like so many other books in this genre - but of a well-structured novel by a clearly talented author.

Fortune Favours the Bold - Walker was certainly bold. A number of tales in this book must have taken sheer courage to undertake. But Walker does not flaunt this - there is no ostentatious hint that he was the best, nor did he even think he was anything other than an average young man.

The book has, as all Nam books do, a fistful of photos taken of the author and his friends. The dipped head of Walker in one of the photos underlines my earlier statement - Walker is a real person. One with whom you can associate and befriend.

Being British myself it could be understood that out of the endless Vietnam books I have read this one would stay in my mind more than others, but Walker has a style that allows you to become him, to understand him and to like him. I would recommend anyone to read this book, regardless whether they are interested in Vietnam, war, fear and courage or not because it is a good read that will transport you from noon to night as you glide through the book, living your own war. I think you should buy this book - you will read it, love it and recommend it to your friends.

Mr Walker, Sir, when will you bless us with another book?

Limey's account as a 101st Airborne LRRP in Vietnam will keep you riveted to your seat and you immediatly feel yourself being transported to the action! Fortune Favors the Bold is extraordinary. Step into the lives of tough, rugged, professionals who performed their jobs well and with pride,under extremely difficult conditions. One you start this book, be prepared - you can't put it down!

Do you think that life in Lurps was all guts and gore and glory?

If so, you're wrong. If you're looking for a book about these things, look elsewhere. If you want to know what Lurping was REALLY like, read this book. It tells it like it was, warts and all. As you read it, you'll meet a gamut of emotions. You'll laugh, and you'll cry; you'll be angry and you'll be frustrated.

Just like Limey Walker and the men who made up the famous recon unit of the 1st Brigade/101st Airborne Division in Vietnam: LRRP--Long Range Reconaissance Patrol, The Foul Dudes, The Eyes of the Eagle.

This is the story of the life of an unusual man, one who was a hero, but not the Audey Murphy type.

The Limey was born in Britain and spent the first two decades of his life looking for something truly meaningful. His search took him 3 continents to come to an end. He found what he was looking for when he wound up in Lurps, in Vietnam, the only subject of Her Majesty, the Queen of England, to serve with the Foul Dudes.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD is the story of his search, and the record of what he found at its end. It tells how he grew from a child into a man, and then grew as a man. It tells of his mistakes and the trouble he got into along the way. It tells of the remarkable men he served with, in great honor.

It's a Lurp's-eye view of one phase of the War in Vietnam, in the rear, and on the line as a member of a 6 man recon team creepy-crawling in Mr. Charles' backyard.

It's the story of a common man who joined with others like himself, and together created created an uncommon legend of uncommon courage, valor and gallantry that was acknowledged even by the enemy, who feared them more than a B52 raid.

This made them--and him--a shining part of the history of a war without luster.

Read it, and learn what Lurps was really like. And learn what the Limey was really like at the same time--a very brave man with a big heart, who epitomized a "Band of Brothers" who never let their friends down, nor failed to do their duty.

If LRRP history interests you--read FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD. If courage interests you--read it. If men who put honor first interest you--read it. If you just want a good read--read it.

The Limey's book has them all, and is worth the effort. It's plain and unvarnished truth, told by a heck of a soldier, and told very well indeed.

It's a keeper.

A short book that tells a long story. A recommended reading for people of all ages; young people to learn about the way men
and women fought to help protect the freedoms we enjoy and adults to remind them of the sacrifices men and women made to serve their country because as the more time that passes, the more we forget. All ages can learn about happenings of the war in the easy to read, colorful, and descriptive style used by author Reich. His story reminds us of the unpleasantness of a soldier's life and should be read by those who benefited and by those who need to be reminded of the sacrifices made by the combat soldier.
Discover the real story of the Vietnam War from a man who fought in it and made the best of the situation. I am appreciative and thankful for people like the author who served their country and to the author for sharing his not-so-pleasant experiences by writing about them in a day by day account that helps the reader learn the real story.

A friend gave me Rockets Like Rain as a gift. Not liking "war stories", I opened the book with hesitation. From the first paragraph, where Reich is kicked out of the university, I was hooked. Reich conveys the atrocities of war with passion and kindness. His strong writing style decribes life in the field, without the usual unsavory details and four letter words. As a woman, I found this particularly enjoyable.

Rockets Like Rain is a classic memoir which should be required reading for middle and high school students. It would truly help them understand history.

Picture a soldier, a draftee and combat correspondent, under the protective arm of the Army's Public Information Office, facing near certain death just days prior to the completion of his one year tour of duty in Vietnam, and a mere 72 hours before his final departure from Duc Pho. The soldier, in fact, is closest to death during those few hours, while buffered by the firebases surrounding his brigade headquarters, than at any time during the year of his enlistment. Enemy rockets rain down like fireworks as a sendoff.

That soldier is Dale Reich and his story, ROCKETS LIKE RAIN, reads like a letter home written by a young and lonely and frightened recruit. The year is 1969 and the place is Vietnam where death has no "moratorium". It is always in the air -- a malevolent presence, one whose spectral face a soldier might not even glimpse before the falling of its axe. Vietnam, we are reminded, was a place where death could come as easily in the form of friendly fire as from bullets fired purposely, or randomly, by the enemy.

From reading Reich's vivid account, told movingly in simple and unadorned language, one gains an understanding that people, caught in the maelstrom of a war, devoid of direction or mature leadership, can be warped beyond recognition. Vietnam, Reich tells us, was a place where every soldier's individual craziness had room to grow, in moist, fertile soil, into full blown madness. (Note: Dale Reich was a co-editor of the official newspaper of the 11th Infantry Brigade of the Americal division, the one which produced the My Lai Massacre.)

One also learns that the individual soldier could also exercise reason and caution, and even strive to be removed from action in the killing fields. It was Reich's struggle to resist the insanity that makes one realize that not every new and inexperienced soldier is automatically a killing machine.

Though painful to read, ROCKETS LIKE RAIN delivers a powerful message and a necessary reminder to those of us who are currently counting statistics about Afghanistan, and who think we may, with the passage of time, be able to put our nightmares about the carnage of war safely aside. It reminds us forcefully that war -- any war -- however conducted or concluded, lives on in the memories and lives of our veterans, and that those memories deserve a respectful forum.

I am grateful to Dale Reich to be so reminded.

This book is worthwhile reading. It's fairly brief and recounts the interesting experience of the author as a platoon leader operating near an important contested village in Vietnam, Truong Lam. He details his own struggles and triumphs as he takes control of his platoon and his responsibilities. Since his service was fairly late, starting in August, 1970, he had his share of problems due to the general war weariness of everyone involved. He spared the true identities of the other characters, which I'm sure was appreciated by his company commander and several others.

I didn't rate this a 5 star book because I didn't find the quality of writing to be in the same league as I'd expect from a professional writer. McDonough did a respectable job of writing and used a simple, straightforward style. Still, I thought his experiences would have been more gripping and interesting if he'd had some help from a professional writer. As such, I didn't find it hard to put the book down and was glad it wasn't longer. Basically, I found the writing to diminish the story rather than equal or enhance it. No disrespect to the author, who seems like a fine Army officer and a decent writer. It's just that I think the book could have been better if there had been some writing help.

I'd recommend this book to be read along with On Point by Roger Hayes (spelling?). Platoon Leader is a low level officer's experience and On Point an enlisted man's experience. The two books are similar in strengths and weaknesses and the two authors seem to share a lot of the same attributes.

I can't forget the characters in this book: Killigan, Nail, Donne, McDonough himself, and all the others. The prose is sparse but muscular. The author's passion for integrity in leadership and for his troops drips from the pages like tears shed at the Wall in Washington, D.C. The center piece of this unforgettable tale is the tragic truth that America would never know what good and honest and selfless men served their country in the Nam. I will use this book in my high-school English classes to teach new generations about the war, about the men who served, and about the strength of character that once existed in America and that made this country great. My favorite line occurs toward the end when Lt. McDonough, attempting to save the life of one of his troops, writes "I would not let him die. I would rip the world off its axis first." It's a powerful read and one you will not easily forget.

It is not easy to be a leader if you are young and inexperienced. The book describes how a young officer established his leadership among a group of veterans. He faced a lot of difficulties at the beginning as the veterans perceived him just a "college boy" but they had to put the whole platoon fate to this "boy's" hand. Eventually, Lt. McDonough became a successful leader after he had devoted himself entirely to his platoon and his job.

The inside world of Lt. McDonough had a lot of similarities to mine when I was a probationary police inspector - similar capacity of a Lt. who normally leads a platoon or similar team size of policemen in the Hong Kong Police Force. We both experienced similar things for gaining the trust from our subordinates, we both needed to participate and devote ourselves in order to set good examples to others. We both needed to show firm and strong leadership in order to convince our men of our competence. I will recommend this book to my friends in the Force and I think they will like this book too.

This is truly an astounding book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).
He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.
He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.
There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.
The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the sections where he is flirting with Jackie Kennedy)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now..
Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1974 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.
It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the very best presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's leaking info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.
The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.
In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."
If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking indeed: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully kept Hoover on his side for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.
Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation...but by the end of the volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country and the innocence and joy of the early 60s.
I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you're a fly on the wall in the White House.

This is truly an astounding, superbly compiled, book. Now, years later, we finally know the truth: Lyndon B. Johnson was not merely a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he mistakenly believed he could win (with various political restrictions on the military).

He was, this book proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in its lively transcripts of his secretly taped phone conversations, a tragic president who stuck to his guns and fought a war he firmly believed would be LOST no matter WHAT.

He didn't want to lose, but he didn't want to be the one to pull out, so he got in deeper and deeper, losing sleep and agonizing all the way -- and the consequences to his administration and the country were catastrophic.

There are a slew of reasons why you should read (or gift) this amazing book.

The main one: true, it does give you perhaps more than you wanted to know about LBJ (but I don't care WHAT some reviewers have said: I LOVE the many sections where he is flirting with and flattering Jackie Kennedy!)...but if you read it you get a clear idea of how a president operated -- and many parts of this book are so dramatic and gripping, they read like a movie script. In fact, I can see the Oliver Stone movie now.....

Historian Michael Beschloss makes it seem easy when you read it, but transcribing and annotating (so you know through footnotes what LBJ is referring to when he talks and get some historical context..and know when LBJ is spinning) these conversations taped between 1964 and 1965 could not have been easy. Yet, he gives you the meat and you get to "know" how LBJ thinks and, politically, works.

It shows Johnson, warts and all, as a man who could have been one of the top presidents because of his skills, will and sincere desire to serve. But it also shows a highly conflicted, contradictory, at times paranoid and highly depressed man. On the night of his monster landslide 1964 election he is angry and "down," steaming over Bobby Kennedy's influence, lack of political deference and possible future machinations. As he presses and manipulates to get his Great Society legislation passed, he's secretly leaking negative info on election opponent Barry Goldwater, keeping the lid on information regarding his number one aide's role in a sex scandal. He talks of victory in Vietnam, but repeatedly tells politicos and his wife that there is absolutely no way the U.S. can ever win, and he is tormented by his terrible choice and unwanted role. He wants to help the poor and the blacks, but will talk a little more "southern" if he has to while talking to someone who doesn't quite agree with him to make them think he's on their wavelength.

The famous Gulf of Tonkin resolution? Even Johnson believed it may not have happened. But he took the resolution in Congress and ran with it -- using it to justify the war he knew he the U.S. could not win.

In Feb. 1965 he told a Senator "a man can fight if he can see daylight down the road somewhere. But there ain't no daylight in Vietnam. Not a bit."

If you went back and contrasted his public pronouncements with what he was saying privately, it would be shocking: pep talks to the country (and troops) to the contrary, he never felt we could win. Meanwhile, he kissed J. Edgar Hoover's you-know-what to keep Hoover on his side (actually, they had been neighbors in Washington and Johnson had carefully wooed Hoover for years) in his battle against Goldwater, Kennedy and others.

Not all of the book is about the sad, deceitful slide into Vietnam. Many of the transcripts deal with his election campaign, domestic legislation etc....but by the end of this fast-moving volume Vietnam is devouring LBJ alive as it did the country -- and the innocence and joy of the early 1960s.

I read this book rather quickly. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Read it and you'll be a very sad fly on the wall in the White House.

Reaching for Glory is a terrific book, Lyndon Johnson and his times in his own words. The book has two things going for it. First, it gives the reader the ultimate behind the scenes look at the Presidency - and don't forget the critical time portrayed, the aftermath of the assasination of a President, the struggle for civil rights, and the descent into Vietnam. Second, it has been expertly edited by crack Presidential historian Michael Beschloss. Beschloss has done a masterful job of giving helpful information and context is footnotes that never distract the reader. The big revelation in this book is the inner conflict that Johnson felt about escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He knew the U.S. couldn't win; but he couldn't find a way to leave Vietnam while our troop levels still were low, without leaving himself exposed on the domestic political right. Think what you like about LBJ, and even discount what's on the tapes in case you think he was preening for posterity, the fact of the matter is that he was the victim of a cruel and ironic tragedy. I can't recommend this book enough to anyone who is interested in history.