The 13t Valley delivers a powerful story with memorable characters.

Del Vecchio did a fantastic job piecing together a story of survival and heartache in the 13th Valley. For realism, this book I'm sure captures the moment all too well. You can feel the leeches on you when you read this book.

For those interested in a good Vietnam war story, this one and Platoon Leader are definately worth checking out.

del Vecchio creates a great masterpiece with this book. His attention to detail and descriptions of the people, as well as his clear cut, no B.S. account of how life was in the war is outstanding. As a historian of Vietnam War, I found this book frighteningly realistic (almost unbelievable). He has done a fantastic job in making the characters live in the readers mind. One cannot help but to feel the pain and pride the characters feel. OUTSTANDING READING.

Okay... so there's probably an infinite number of reasons that books go out of print. Well, there's only ONE reason a book is brought back into print: BECAUSE IT IS TOO DARN GOOD TO BE KEPT FROM THOSE WHO TRULY APPRECIATE GREAT, GREAT WRITING! As a former Marine who served in Desert Storm, I will tell you from my heart that I do not believe that a person--military or otherwise--can truly understand, or appreciate, the Viet Nam War as a whole--and the individuals who were there--unless they first read this fine novel.

This book is a great read. In early 1969 Lt. Col. David Hackworth transformed a unit of malcontents and never-do-wells into a hardcore fighting outfit that beat the Viet Cong at their own game. These guys weren't volunteers, they were draftees, citizen soldiers, the kind of soldiers that have won every war since 1776. That's a point that Stephen Ambrose has already made in his books on World War II, and Hackworth reasserts here. I've always been impressed by David Hackworth. He joined the army at 15, got a battlefield commission in Korea, and is the most highly decorated living American soldier. In 1971 he left the army because he publicly stated that we couldn't win the war the way we'd been fighting it, i.e., with World War II tactics. Hackworth believed that you had to beat the VC at their own guerilla warfare, "out g-ing the g," he calls it. He also points out that this approach has some relevance for our current situation. Beating terrorists and terrorism, he argues, is going to require small unit tactics, the same tactics that the terrorists use: "out t-ing the t," to paraphrase the author. I liked this book a lot. The authors (Hackworth and England)did a good job with this book: it's readable, interesting and Hack's personality comes through every page. Hackworth has strong opinions that not everyone might agree with, but his story is worth listening to. And besides, it's a damn good read!

Hackworth definitely had the right strategy in mind. His tactics were superior to those of most commanders in Vietnam, and it's unfortunate that they weren't more widely used by the Army. Hackworth proved the VC could be beat in battle and ultimately destroyed using superior firepower and encirclement tactics, as well as geurilla tactics against the geurillas themselves. The book also provided good descriptions of everyday life in Vietnam. It also showed what poor leadership and bad decision making on the part of commanding officers can do to the morale and effectiveness of regular troops. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is Hackworth's unjustifiable hating of all officers and his likewise worshiping of enlisted men. This is not only apparent throughout the book, but in his opinion collumns as well. That said, I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn more about operations in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War.

This man's story should be used to develop armed forces policy for future conflict. Hackworth's account of 1969 post-Tet Vietnam war conditions and my husband's first person account of the Vietnam war from an infantryman's point of view entirely agree. If the top brass in the First Cav Division had adopted some of Hackworth's tactics, I am convinced that the outcome of the Vietnam conflict in general and the outcome for my husband in paticular would have been very different. Hackworth used a technique called 'management by walking around' and it was effective. You cannot lead men from a fortified bunker or helicopter 200 feet above fighting. You have to be with those who are putting their lives on the line--getting your hands dirty and getting you share of battle wounds. Hackworth demonstrates how to inspire people to do their best and be their best. He deserves all the acclaim given him. His willingness to serve his country and his fellow soldiers with bravery is apparent in this book.

I had to read this book for a history class I took in college. We only had two weeks to get through it, and I remember thinking it was such a great book that I'd like to read it again when I had more time, so I could enjoy it. I've read it a few more times since then, and it is probably the best non-fiction book I've ever read.

Halberstam, who has never written a bad book, gives us a fascinating look at the brilliant people who made up the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and shows us how these brilliant people made some horrible errors to get us deeper and deeper into the war. The book is filled with great anecdotes about these people, but it's not just about how the brilliant people screwed up. It also includes some heroic figures, like George Ball, who often found himself fighting against all of the others to try to convince the president to get out of Vietnam.

If you've never read anything by Halberstam do yourself a favor and buy this book. This was the first book I read by him, and ever since the first time I read this one, I've been buying everything I can find by him. I've never been disappointed yet.

When I read "The Best and the Brightest" I could not believe how fresh it was, despite the fact that it was written in 1972 it feels as if it were written yesterday. I am amazed at how much information Halberstam was able to collect in the late 1960s, before the Freedom of Information Act, and while the war was still raging, about the Vietnam War and the decisions that led up to it. If Halberstam were to sit down today to write this book, with another 30 years of historical documentation available he might write a different book but I cannot see how he could write a better one. Halberstam shows how bad decisions, dishonesty, an unwillingness to face facts and sheer basic stupidity got America into a war that was lost from the start. The amazing thing that this book reveals is how so many smart, well-accomplished people, the best and the brightest of the American foreign policy and military were so incredibly wrong for so incredibly long. I wish that I had read this book a long time ago, I'm glad that I've read it now.

When I read "The Best and the Brightest" I could not believe how fresh it was, despite the fact that it was written in 1972 it feels as if it were written yesterday. I am amazed at how much information Halberstam was able to collect in the late 1960s, before the Freedom of Information Act, and while the war was still raging, about the Vietnam War and the decisions that led up to it. If Halberstam were to sit down today to write this book, with another 30 years of historical documentation available he might write a different book but I cannot see how he could write a better one. Halberstam shows how bad decisions, dishonesty, an unwillingness to face facts and sheer basic stupidity got America into a war that was lost from the start. The amazing thing that this book reveals is how so many smart, well-accomplished people, the best and the brightest of the American foreign policy and military were so incredibly wrong for so incredibly long. I wish that I had read this book a long time ago, I'm glad that I've read it now.

John Laurence was a CBS-TV journalist during the Vietnam War. Now, thirty years later, he has pulled together all his recollections, notes and collected data in this in-depth tome, fully 841 pages long. Its physical weight alone meant that it was too heavy for me to carry around, and so I kept it at my bedside, reading only a few pages at a time each night and taking more than six months to finally finish it. This gave me a chance to fully digest the impact of the thousands of details that make up his story, bringing me right into the heart of the action, and sharing his experience of the conflict as he was living it.

In 1968, during the Tet Offensive in the city of Hue, amidst the bombing and destruction, he found an abandoned kitten with a feisty personality. To him, this symbolized the strong will of the North Vietnamese enemies. He adopted the kitten who then shows up sporadically during the long narrative, always getting into trouble, attacking other cats and generally being a nuisance. The author came to love this cat however, and the reader can sense the author's humanity in the way he cared for his pet.

The book is filled with hundreds of direct quotes from the men in the field, descriptions of day-to-day life in a war zone, the challenges of filming the war "up close" and getting the film to CBS on time for broadcast, the camaraderie and competition among the journalists, the physical discomfort of life in the field, compassion for the horrors experienced by both the soldiers and the Vietnamese people and the sharpened senses of knowing your life is always in danger. There were several incidents of conflict between the journalists and military brass and an incident captured on film when some soldiers made their own choices rather than accept an unwise command. There were also descriptions of drug and alcohol use, both among the men and the journalists, and some wild plane rides. Underlying all this, the question of "why" was always there.

I felt I was right there with Mr. Laurence, throughout the book - observing the carnage and meeting the people, enjoying brief respites from the violence, and, most of all, bringing the story to the people back home as a witness to his times. I learned facts in this book. And felt emotion. But, most of all, it made me think, and that is where the strength of this writing lies. I give this book an extremely high recommendation. It's a slow read. But definitely worthwhile.

Book Review: "The Cat from Hue: a Vietnam War Story" by John Laurence.

Reading a book like this and knowing the 8 ½ years it took to finish makes one appreciate the words more. A very well written book with no details left out. It is one of the good reading books about Vietnam.

Part I is about Hue in 1968. His first-hand experience with the Marines as they tried to retake the city of Hue. It was during this street-fighting that the cat was found, later to return to Saigon with him and finally back to the United States. The cat named Meo then took control of whatever place it found itself in.

As journalists they were not tied down and were able to leave the battle area and return to Saigon to complete putting together the story and get it sent back to the States to be shown on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He spent time with all of the units of the military while they went about the duties of accomplishing the assigned mission. Many times they humped it with the grunts and lived as they did in that foreign country so far away. Returning to Saigon for R & R between assignments to regain their senses Jack writes about things that the grunts never were able to see, the relaxing times in Saigon.

Part II starts after a chance encounter with a member of the advance party of the 1st Cavalry Division and he is able to see for the first time An Khe, which would become the first home of the 1st Cavalry Division. The101st Airborne Division was providing security and conducting operations in the area around An Khe while the 1st Cavalry Division moved in. He covered operations by the 101st Airborne Division then moved up north to cover the Marine units. A short visit to some Air Force units including a ride during a support mission in those famed A-1E's that were the workhorse for close-in support.

With the attack on the Plei Me Special Forces camp in progress, the battle of Ia Drang was beginning. A trip to the Special Forces Camp and then, as luck would have it, he was back in Saigon to file that story when the battle fought by the 3d Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division unfolded, with results that would be talked about and discussed for years to come.

Operation Masher and later called White Wing where many battles were fought receives some coverage as do battles after that, but then as with the Military when your tour is over you return to the States. At this time, May, 1966 Jack does not realize it but he will return to Vietnam to cover a much greater story.

In part III, he writes about working in the States and describes some of the stories covered, easy reading but not stories about Vietnam. Returning to Vietnam in August, 1967, he covers many battles and encounters by many units, in May 1968 he again returned to the United States and writes about his life after returning the second time, this time with the Cat named Meo.

During this stay in New York the talk of returning to Vietnam again starts, to result in the planning of a return trip in 1970 to do a feature story on one group of troopers and their daily life in the bush. Many days and nights and also the few times they were able to get out of the bush is described in easy reading detail in Part IV.

Part IV is set in March, 1970. Returning to Vietnam, he describes the events that lead to Charlie Company, 2d Battalion 7th Cavalry, where until censorship was imposed by higher headquarters Jack and his team spent the days and nights following in the footsteps of a Charlie Company squad lead by Sgt Lyman (Gene) Dunnuck. The series started and coverage of some of it being shown nightly on CBS News. Then as happened so many times in Vietnam, a change of company commanders, which leads to the censorship. But, as Jack describes the continued daily miracle that has followed him throughout his time in Vietnam, it happened again and he found himself with Charlie Company to cover their first assault into Cambodia. A final return to Charlie Company to wrap up the coverage and put an ending on the story was arranged. Jack made one last visit to the 11th ACR and then after a short stay in the 377th Air Force hospital in Saigon, he returned with all the haunting memories of three tours covering Vietnam.

Many years have passed since June of 1970 and the final result 8 ½ years of much hard work has produced 850 pages, a history of the War in Vietnam through the eyes of a CBS correspondent. Reading these pages provides the reader with an accurate account of the daily lives of combat units and their first-hand reflections as they counted remaining days till they returned to the United States. Humor is in these pages and a change of writing to bring the reader out of the pages that much of the time brings tears and memories.

Of all of the names mentioned throughout the book early research into finding out what has happened to the men of Charlie Company and what they are doing now has found that Sgt Lyman (Gene) Dunnuck passed away a few years ago.

Jack Laurence now lives in rural England with a tribe of cats but Meo is no longer with him having used up his nine lives and joined the fight elsewhere.

At long last, more than 25 years after the shooting stopped, legendary television war-correspondent John Laurence has written what might be called the last, final "bookend" volume to a stunning but uneven cascade of post-WWII, post-Korea war reports, starting with David Halberstam's "The Making of a Quagmire." Laurence's massive undertaking -- 848 pages --goes from the innocence and wildness of the 60s generation through the eventual horror of a nation and its leaders, to a re-thinking of imperialism and democracy in the 21st Century. "The Cat From Hue" -- and there really IS a cat from Hue -- conveys America's learning process and its consequences, examined by one of the architects of "the living-room war." Whether you've read all of "the Vietnam books," or none of them, "The Cat From Hue" delivers what the publisher calls "enlightened non-fiction," complete with foolish and fatal anecdotes, revelations of reporters perfecting their craft, and finding the truth, in the field and in the Alice-in-Wonderland world of "the military media." Laurence's carefully-kept notes and recordings provide a factual underpinning for a style that rivals Hammett, Forsythe and even Graham Greene in the depth, swagger and surprise of its findings.

I thoroughly enjoyed Le Ly Hayslip's account of her Vietnam War experience. Hayslip presents her story in a way that does not invoke sympathy from the reader; the story instead represents a call for action from the reader. Hayslip story is the heroic journey of a Vietnamese girl, and she effectively presents the numerous dimensions of the war in ways that relate to both Americans and Vietnamese Americans. I recommend Hayslip's novel to anyone wishing to learn more about this war and specifically any student of American history or culture. This story has the ability to bridge the gaps opened by the Vietnam War that have yet to be closed.

I read this book because it was assigned for an English class. Half way through the book, I hated it because it was too brutal and unsettling for somebody who knew nothing about the Vietnam War. It's hard to believe how anyone could have experienced, and yet endured all that Le Ly went through. I didn't appreciate reading about the gory and cruel details that she experienced, but after reading half way through the book, I couldn't put it down either. In the end, I really learned something about the war that most of the younger generations today never learned.. and even if we did, it was probably from the grotesquely portrayed account by Hollywood films.

This is a good book, and I have learned something truly valuable. I will never think of Vietnam war or Veterans day the same way I did before I read this book.

"Le Ly Hayslip had always been in-between south and north, east and west, peace and war, Vietnam and America. It has been her life and fate to be in-between Heaven and Earth." When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is a story of a woman from a small village in Vietnam called Ky La. The author, Le Ly Hayslip, is just another victim of the Vietnam War. The brutality of the war created separation in her family, destruction of an individual, and distrust among formerly warm-hearted neighbors. She was born the youngest of six children in a close-knit Buddhist family. Throughout her childhood, the peace breaks into pieces due to the war. Le Ly, as a little girl, serves the Viet Cong fighters, and she is honored for courageously surviving tortures in prison when captured by the government. The book focuses on the individual¡¯s emotional and physical outcomes caused by the war. If one wants to know the reality of what the effects of the war are, this book is definitely recommended. As an Asian, I was attracted to the story of the life of this Vietnamese woman. As I read, I found there was something very extraordinary about her life that stirred my emotions. To the public, this story is well known through the movie, "Heaven and Earth." As the movie was enjoyed by numerous moviegoers, the book will be appreciated by people of all ages, especially those who are interested in the Vietnam War.

As a Marine Corps officer, I read with great interest Mr. Timberg's account of these men. All played integral parts in government during the Reagan years. I found very informative the stories regarding their education at the Naval Academy and experiences in Vietnam. Overall, I think the book is excellent. The only problem I have is that Mr. Timberg too easily comes to criticize Mr. North with 20/20 hindsight. This seems to be a disturbingly consistent affliction with many members and veterans of the services: that they somehow have the right to judge another's deeds simply by virtue of the belief that they served without making mistakes. Mr. Timberg's implied bashing of Mr. North turned me off and is the sole reason I do not rate this book 5 stars.

A fascinating book that profiles five Annapolis graduates who all served in Vietnam, (Oliver North, John McCain, Bud McFarlane, James WEbb, and John Poindexter), and details how that the war and its tragic aftermath continues to haunt these men and effect American politics. With the emergence of John McCain as a presidential contender, the book is even more relevant now then when it first came out. The author has written a book that shows how these men and their compulsion to serve their country can manifest itself in a variety of ways, some tragic. Highly recommended and extremely well written, though the author's disdain for those who chose not to serve is evident throughout the book. He thus ignores the fact that the many who chose not to serve and protested the war at home may have shortened the war and saved many American lives. The book also contains one of the best accounts of the Reagan mystique, and its not very flattering. A riveting book that combines history, biography and politics, a must read for anyone interested in the Vietnam War, its aftermath, which included Iran-Contra, and its effect on American politics.

As an Annapolis graduate of the Vietnam era (class of 71), I consider this book an esential part of any American history education. Timberg clearly shows how 5 (6 if you include the author) young patriotic Americans, with a formative base of the US Naval Academy, lead such divergent lives. We see the strength and honor of Jim Webb and John McCain. How the other three deviated from the patriotic path on which they embarked is clearly a misinterpertation of one of the first things we all learned as plebes, "My country may she always be right, but right or wrong my country." As Naval Academy graduates they had the obligation to do their best to ensure that this country would be right more often than not. Webb and McCain met the challenge.

Bao Ninh's novel is, I assume, like most first novels, largely autobiographical. Like his protagonist, Kien, Ninh was one of ten survivors from his unit of 500 which started the war with him in 1965. This is a tough read, a story with tragedy scoring almost every page. There are no MASH unit antics or Hogan's heros characters here, only unrelenting bleakness, pain, terror, and loss. The Vietnamese began resisting the French occupation in small groups of guerillas before WWII. Stanly Karnow, in his book, Vietnam: A History explains quite explicitly why the Vietnamese did not consider the French occupation as one of the culteral highlights of their history. After the French were expelled by a ragtag army which had opposed the Japanese while the French cooperated with them back in the last good war, the United States subjected the people of Vietnam to our gentle mercies up until 1965 when it became obvious to all that many of the Vietnamese would never accept our installed leadership and artificial partioning of that country when it became obvious back in the late 50s that Uncle Ho was destined to win any free election of the people. However, by the time Lyndon Johnson sent in the first large scale troop deployment, much of the South had already been destroyed, at least in the countryside, by the creation of "strategic hamlets," in actuallity rural prisons, supposedly meant to protect the citizenry. This was a strategy which had failed in Chaing Ki Shek's China years before and was equally successful in Vietnam. Ninh/Kien's story really startes with him and a girl friend, Phoung, almost but not quite consumating their young love while skipping school, then skips back and forth beeen pre-war, post-war and wartime scenes. It is told mostly in flashbacks and stream of consciousness vignettes and is sometimes difficult for the unsophisticated reader to follow. Kien goes from a poor but happy and extremely idealistic young student to warrior and finally back to student and author after ten years of unremiting war, violence and loss. When he comes home to find Phoung still in the same apartment building in which he lived in the old days and still has an apartment, it seems as though he might have realized his dream of happiness. However, near the end of the book we discover the terrible events and betrayals at the beginning of their seperation which make a successful reunion impossible for both. For any who still think war is glory and honor and a test of courage and manhood, Ninh illustrates quite vividly that it is continuing horror, terror, chaos and blind chance which determines who lives and who dies. And sometimes the living envy the dead before the Sorrow of War has played its last chorus. The government of Vietnam opposed the publication of this book, and it is easy to understand why, given the honesty with which life in postwar Hanoi is portrayed. One of the most amazing things about the book is the almost total abscense of bitterness toward the Americans who invaded his country and started the war that destroyed so much of his life. There is also an interesting parallel between the American Vietnam veteran's homecoming after their time "in country" was over, and the Vietnamese soldiers who fought and suffered so long and so greatly for the eventual victory. The sorrow of war is almost overshadowed by the sorrow of his homecoming and all that he had lost as a result of that war. As we continues this new war, Ninh's is a cautionary tale which should be read by anyone rejoicing at the idea the American military might can overcome any foe. Vietnam proved a long time ago that it takes more than superior military equipment and a vastly stronger economy to win a war. Ninh tells us why. wfh

To fully enumerate the qualities of this book would be impossible here. As far as Vietnam literature is concerned, this book out-classes all other works in the field. As far as all war literature is concerned, only "All's Quiet on the Western Front" can even compare. Bao Ninh has produced a hauntingly beautiful eulogy to innocence lost in the maelstrom of war. Youth, love and art are all tenderly portrayed in the hard light of that ultimate metaphor for life, war. Supporting the book's incomparable handling of its subject is the author's superb prose. The book is written in a poetic, yet terse, style that is a model of economy. Every line of this relatively short novel is laden with aesthetic beauty and spiritual depth. The book abounds with insights about Vietnam as well as about the human spirit. It is a reading experience not to be missed.

When visiting Vietnam last year, a man stopped me outside the war rememberance museum in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. He carried a shrink wrapped stack of books three feet high and tried to sell me a knock-off copy of "The Sorrow of War". When I told him I'd read it, he broke into a bright smile. He then offered to sell me Greene's "The Quiet American". When I told him I'd read that too, his eyes sparkled, his smile stretched and he put his arm around my shoulders. He took me to meet his friends. He said something in Vietnamese to them. All of a sudden I felt like I was a rediscovered lost relative.

"The Sorrow of War" is a book that's not so much read as experienced. There is no escaping the intensity and naked reality presented. The author is a survivor of the American War who fought in the North Vietnamese Army, but Bao Ninh is kind to neither the North Vietnamese Army nor the Americans and its allies. There's no romanticism in this novel, only honesty.

Originally banned by the Communist government, the book proved so popular that the government reconsidered and lifted the ban. It's now a national treasure.

In my next life, when I'm a teacher, I will assign this to my class to be read back-to-back with Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried". These books could stop a war.

Stephen Coonts manages to wrap up three years' of Vietnam experience into a very well-written novel. While the characters are fictitious, the mood is very real. Many pilots faced the same dangers as Coonts' Jake Grafton. Low-alt dangers from small arms fire, SAM's, explosive concussions, in-flight refueling (a very hazardous proposition in itself), carrier launches in pitch-black darkness, landing on a heaving deck on a storm-swept sea. All these are in this book. This was Coonts' break-out book, the first in a series. Hollywood turned it into a film, but as usual, the book is better (and has a different ending). A must-read for aviation fans.

This excellent novel took place in Vietnam. As a controversial time for our country, Coonts captured this theme well. The protagonist, a humble, but typical flying ace, Jake Grafton became sick of the war. He was frustrated with losing friends for a cause he didn't understand. He eventually pairs up with a hotshot navigator/bomber, and they fly up to the "no-fly zone" of Vietnam, (Hanoi) to bomb something "important" for a change. Something worth "going for." The ensuing plot is accented by a casual romance with an American girl Jake met in Hong Kong, which eventually develops as a substitute family/friend during the war. Many flying sequences are included, and the majority of the novel is in a combat naval context.

Stephen Coonts' first novel, Flight of the Intruder, was superb. A Vietnam flyer himself, Coonts depicted historic naval aviation very accurately and compellingly. Not only did he include accurate and detailed facts about the technological aspect of carrier aviation, but a unique and flowing writing style that captures the reader. His beautiful and simple descriptions of the sky, the sea or flight were powerful and intriguing. Action-packed, well-paced, and worthwhile plotline and cast made this novel the best seller that it was. Anyone at all interested in the military or Vietnam would find this novel to be thought provoking and meaningful.

This is the story of navy attack pilots during the war in Vietnam. It is also the story of one particular pilot, LT Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton, an A6B Intruder pilot flying off the coast of North Vietnam as part of the Tonkin Gulf "Yacht Club."

This is a first novel by a writer who lived the experiences of his fictional character. When I first read this book about the time the hardcover was first published, I felt as if I was in the ready room with Grafton, Boxman, Razor and the others being briefed before "going downtown" to bomb Hanoi.

The feel for time and place is all here. The descriptions of the life aboard a carrier on station, the shore leave in Subic Bay and Olongapo City all ring true according to my navy veteran friends. As I read, I felt as if I could have been one of the characters Stephen Coonts wrote about.

For a debut novel, this one was extrememly well done. It was the entrant to a series that I hoped Coonts would write, and subsequently did. I like Jake Grafton because he is a man all of us could only hope to be. Most of all, he is a man of honor and integrity and this is demonstrated when he decides to put his career (and freedom) on the line by going after a target "downtown" after President Johnson has called a bombing halt over Hanoi and Haiphong.

Another wonderfully drawn character is LCDR Virgil Cole, Jake's B/N (bombardier/navigator). Cole has seen combat before and has the Silver Star. He trusts no one but himself but, does his job magnificently. In the movie version, the casting for this character was brilliantly handled when Willem Dafoe played the part to perfection. Although the book and the movie differ at the end, the characterization was true to Mr. Coonts' intent, in my opinion. Jake and Cole became a team and stuck together in thick and thin. Their friendship and loyalty to each other was proven when they went after their downed squadron commander, CDR Camparelli, were shot down themselves and had to survive. The two, who are bound by a well-defined sense of honor, keep their commitments to each other and their squadron.

Although Coonts the writer was also Coonts the lawyer at the time he wrote the novel, he introduces a question of military ethics and obedience when the navy investigates Grafton's and Cole's unauthorized mission against the North Vietnamese capital. Senator Fred Dalton Thompson of Tennessee, in one of his supporting screen roles, does an effective job as the navy Staff Judge Advocate arguing that control of the military must remain in the hands of civilians and elected officials if the United States is to avoid the dangers of military control of the government. Again, this actor turned politician mirrors exactly Mr. Coonts' character in the novel when he and other senior officers attempt to determine the fate of the two aviators who flew side by side in that wonderful Grumman attack aircraft.

Stephen Coonts' wrote a novel that begged for a sequel or a series. I am sure that most readers clamored for more of Jake Grafton after reading this book. I know I did. This book proves that Mr. Coonts is a man of many talents. After all, he flew the Intruder, came home to become a successful lawyer and then launched a very successful career doing something he really likes namely, writing popular novels. Even though I first read this book almost 11 years ago, I finally got the chance to thank the author for all the hours of reading enjoyment he's given me. I'd also like to thank him for his service in Vietnam and in the reserves from which he retired not so many years ago.

BZ CDR Stephen Coonts USNR (ret) and thank you!

Let's be honest: if you want a high-intense marine sniper action, you have to buy "Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills". Dead Center is more about the life of a marine sniper on Vietnam based on a every-day point of view. Sometimes the book tells you how boring was life on the camp. However, this doesn't mean the book is not helpful and entertaining. If you want to know how a marine lived on Vietnam, read this book but, if you want to read exciting stories about impossible sniper missions and crude enemy infiltration operations, you should try "Marine Sniper, 93 Confirmed Kills".
Now, about the book, its very funny to learn how the snipers made life on war fun, and how they killed boreness with certain games that we may call stupid. Besides, we get to know the impact of war on people's behavior, and how the sniper, because of being sniper, was more vulnerable to severe behavior changes after some time on war. The story about sniper missions are not very exciting.

Dead Center is a straightforward, no BS, skip the fluff, unglamorous account of Ed Kugler's two years as a Marine sniper in Vietnam. That's exactly what made it such a great book. I think this is an excellent book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. Too many war stories and books are full of glamour, heroes, and lame love stories. You won't find any of that in Dead Center. Not to say that Kugler and his fellow Marines weren't heroes, you just won't find him bragging about it. This book is an excellent, true account of a boy faced with the harsh reality of war that would eventually turn him into a man. From boot camp to Santa Domingo, on to Vietnam and the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley, you'll feel like you're a Marine the second you start reading this book. You won't be plagued with the boring details contained in many war stories, just raw action. However, this book does have a deeper side. Kugler demonstrates the importance to make good decisions, whether you're a sniper in the bush, or a politician in Washington D.C. He makes it known that the bad decisions made in Washington directly affect the young men we send to battle, and that a bad decision made in the bush could get you killed. Dead Center also shows the strong camaraderie and friendship between members of the United States Marines. Ed Kugler writes with his own kind of style. You'll likely never see him win a Pulitzer, but you'll enjoy his book regardless. The story is told through the eyes of a teenager, using the language of a teenager. It is not unlikely that you'll spot {an offensive word} more than five times on a single page, or any other vulgar words for that matter. But the language makes it more real, giving the reader the feeling that it came from an eighteen year old kid. I would definitely like to see Dead Center turned into a movie, mostly because of the fact that it goes against most other Hollywood war movies. I would definitely rather see the reality war and the lessons that come with it, rather than see a hero with a red bandana and a lame love story. All in all, it was an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone; who can handle the language that is.

I thought that this book was outstanding. It really gave me a feel of what it was like to live the life of a Marine sniper during that turbulent time. The action and suspense will keep you turning the pages. I read the whole book in two days. I couldn't put it down. Mr. Kugler gives the reader a good insight into what it was really like to be over there. Some of the grim realities of war are portrayed better most I have read. I was really moved with how he expressed the bond of brotherhood between himself and his fellow Marines. Anyone who is interested in this type of book must read "Dead Center"!

This massive work manages to convey both the broader sense of history that many other books lack and an excellent history of the war itself.UNderstanding the country's history is crucial to understanding the folly of our involvement there and the author carefully portrays both the roots of the country's nationalism and its long history of tragedy and conflict.Karnow also goes to great pains to remain objective about the war and for this reason this is the best factual account of the war itself. He does not have an axe to grind as do many of the book's successors. All other books must compare themselves to this one, and all historians of the war must read Karnow's book. However, Karnow's objectivity makes this book read like a textbook, it is difficult to plow through at times, though the work is well worth it. For pure histroy, read it, but if you are also interested in a more passionate account of the war, read A Bright Shining Lie or The Best and the Brightest. Those books will have you in tears by the end, this book will merely increase your knowledge of this seminal event.

As is related in the beginning of this book, Vietnam: A History is well read in Vietnam today--probablly due to the fact-based, unbiased, reporting style the author uses.

The book is split into two divisions. The first, containing a vast history of Vietnam, which can be laborious to get through, yet for history buffs, worth the effort. Second, the Vietnam War.

It is the second part of the book which will leave the readers awed by the ineptness and corruption of U.S. & South Vietnamese leadership--both military and political, especially at top levels--angry by the uninformedness of the American people, and shocked by the great cost in lives and property to two warring groups, whose involvement and happening was entirely preventable.

Probably no other person was, or is better qualified to write the Vietnam story than Stanley Karnow, who lived in Paris in the 1950's, as a U.S. foreign news correspondent during France's fight for dominance in Vietnam. He also interviewed numerous key participants. He dug into once classifed U.S. documents to reveal unknown information, and he researched and reported on the recollections of high-level polticians, dignataries, military leaders, and the soldiers, men, and women who fought on both sides.

An outstanding work!

I'd recommed reading "Paris in the Fifties" by the same author as a primer to this book.

"Vietnam: A History" is a masterfully written history of America's involvement in Vietnam - certainly one of the two best single-volume histories (along with "A Bright Shining Lie," by Neil Sheehan) of America's most regrettable war that I've read. Written by Stanley Karnow, a former Southeast Asian correspondent for "Time" and "Life" magazines, and "The Washington Post," this book is a comprehensive and fascinating look at the Vietnam war, from its underlying causes at the end of World War II, to the final takeover of South Vietnam by its Communist neighbor, North Vietnam, in April 1975.

Karnow delivers with crisp and precise prose an account of the Vietnam War which is both fair and objective. He analyzes the conflict from both the political and military standpoint, and is unsparing in his criticism of errors made by political and military leaders on all sides of the conflict. Three areas of this book were especially interesting to me: first, the author's account of the conflict between the French and Viet Minh, and how the French were defeated at Dienbienphu in 1954; second, how the U.S. government formulated its Vietnam policy under the Kennedy administration, and how that policy ultimately failed; and third, how Richard Nixon, upon becoming President in 1969, changed America's Vietnam policy and began the process of "Vietnamizing" the war. (Karnow's candid description of how the Kennedy administration initially supported South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, then tacitly approved of the 1963 coup d'etat which resulted in Diem's murder is fascinating.)

"Vietnam: A History" is an essential book for the reader interested in gaining a good understanding of the war and its causes. Highly recommendable reading!