A must read for anyone wanting an honest, documented, and exciting story about what it was like being a war correspondent in Vietnam and Cambodia. What is outstanding about Leslie's writing is that he doesn't give in to the journalism game of giving the editors what they want to hear---He tells it like it is, and has a genius for getting his truth through the red-tape. His courage in going to the Viet-Cong for their view of the real reason of the war is absolutely the best exposure yet written about the United States senseless involvement in trying to be a strong-arm for the Saigon elite. Sincerely, Franklin D. Rast, Author-"Don's Nam," and "Ghosts In The Wire."

This is about a US Marine in Veitnam. A small man caught in a current that he couldn't recognize nor get out of. This book will challenge you, you'll be exhausted, perplexed, and asking why. Worst of all, you can see yourself doing the same. It's a very interesting work. One of the best examinations of Veitnam in several years.

I really don't enjoy reading guidebooks where the author simply lists places to stay, restaurants with locations, and sights to see without any hint of the quality of the place. How does one choose? I have been to Asia many times, but this will be my first trip to Laos and Cambodia. I realize this book is outdated, given its copyright, but plan to use it anyway (with notes from others to supplement). The cities, hotels, and restaurants will probably still be there, certainly with prices higher than those quoted in the book. However, I have had this experience from the most well-known of travel books with quite recent copyrights, so won't be surprised when this happens (I almost ran out of money once in Sri Lanka when prices were triple what I had read they would be). Examples of the personal note from Mr. Rutledge's book: "Without a doubt this is my favorite city in Laos.", "The choice of accomodations in Luang Prabang is quite clear.", "My favorite Vientiane resaurant. . .is Le Parasol Blac. . .", ". . . do not leave without at least one meal in the restaurant." I'll write a follow-up review in September, 2000 after I return!

Payne is by far one the the experts of the Kent State tragedy. Mayday also contains the personal papers and accounts of the students who were killed - due to Payne's close relationship with the families. The book also hits at the concept of Payne - which he calls "mediated reality," how the media through their reporting determines "reality" for the viewing/reading public. This is especially important given the role of docudramas in portraying history on television. Payne was an historical consultant for NBC's award winning "Kent State," and there is a chapter on troubling concepts involved in history being presented via a dramatic, commercial medium like television.

Payne wrote his dissertation on Kent State at Illinois and has been an international expert on the event.

Also, contact him regarding a superb website on Kent State at...

This outstanding book shows a different view about a war where less than 100 little and primitive airplanes gave some trouble to the "most powerful air force in the world". The book contains a lot of data, first hand testimonies and pictures of that unknown heroes, as well as a complete list of the "kills" obtained by these planes. The history comes from the early origins of the DRV air force to the last days of the war, including the training period in China and the Soviet Union. The book also contais more than 10 superb colour profiles featuring remarkable aircraft of that war(some of them with more than 7 victories), which are of very big interst for soviet plane's modellers. I recommend this book not only to modellers or air combat enthusiast, but also for everybody who wants to see Contemporary History from a point of view different from the american Propaganda machine.

This book describes all of the Navy Air-to-Air encounters in Viet Nam, successes as well as failures. The author tells of what went right as well as what went wrong; and the elations and frustrations that resulted. Some of his conclusions will not make people happy, but those conclusions are well researched and documented. Mr. O'Connor also discusses the political and strategic climate throughout the war as related to the air battles. This gives the reader a more complete picture of the air war.
My pilot and I were officially credited with shooting down a MIG-21 in North Viet Nam, and are mentioned in this book. The account of the mission, as well as the other events surrounding it, was accurate to the best of my knowledge.
This book is a great read. It puts everything in perspective for both those who were there as well as those who weren't.

From the World War II era engagements to the Vietnam years, Land Craft Support Vessels LCS(L) were a key element in the American naval domination of the seas. Military archivist Robin Rielly's Mighty Midgets At War: The Saga of the LCS(L) Ships From Iwo Jima To Vietnam is a vividly recounted chronicle history of these ships and the men who sailed them. We are also treated to the life history of some of these ships from their creation through their eventual retirement or sale to the fleets of other nations. The informative, engaging text is enhanced with more than one hundred period photos and illustrations. Mighty Midgets At War is a superlative contribution to military studies reading lists and history collections.

Those interested in the history of Christian mission in Vietnam and in the work of Alexandre de Rhodes will find in this volume a mine of information hitherto unavailable. In particular, the book examines de Rhodes's work, Cathechismus, which is the first published Vietnamese book in the Romanized script. Phan's book is a landmark study.

For anyone who loves the Iliad or aspires to immerse himself in great literature, this new book by classicist James Tatum is inspiring. This is the first of his books to leave classic Greece and Rome (and its corresponding literature) to explore classical themes right up through the present with an emphasis on Vietnam. His writing is crystal clear and his range and knowledge of modern and ancient poetry and literature shines through on every page. Therefore, the alert reader will learn much more than how relevant the Iliad is throughout the ages as a book of force, war and remembrance -- namely how a poem like the Iliad can illuminate all modern conflicts and how we memorialize these conflicts as well. I particularly enjoyed the introductory chapter that discussed the differences in various translations (Fagles, Lattimore and older versions like Alexander Pope's) explaining the subtleties of each. Rather than quoting from only one, he carefully alternates throughout the book to give each translator a chance to stand out in his own particular speciality. It was a pleasant surprise to be reminded of Pope's linguistically intricate translation that still stands as a modern masterpiece.

In short, any lover of the classics should savor this book since The Iliad has been Tatum's focus for many years as an Ivy league professor. You can't do any better unless you travel to Dartmouth and sit it on his ever popular and chronically oversubscribed classes.