Facinating!!!! I was honored to be the commander of Company C, 2nd of the 5th Cav about a year after COL Estep commanded it. I found the book by pure accident, and was drawn to it by the title because I too had been "Commanche Six." For those who did not serve in a line unit in RVN and would be curious to know the reality of it, this book is superb. COL Estep will not be remembered as a great writer, and I had the feeling this book was edited to appeal to young "war book" readers, but the experience is authentic. During the year's time between his command and mine, the 2/5 Cav had moved from the highlands to the Tay Ninh Province area. All the radio call signs remained the same, and much of the terminology. The only thing of significance that had changed was the name we called oursleves. I'd never heard the term "snuffy" until I read the book. We (including the officers) referred to ourselves as grunts. Avail yourself of the opportunity to read of authentic war experiences, as uncomfortable as they may be.

This book brought back a flood of memories for me as I was one of the radio operators mentioned in the book. After learning that Capt. Estep had written a book about Vietnam I was anxious to read it to find out what happened to him after he was wounded and put on a medivac. It's great to know that he is well and has been able to write a book about the experiences that so many of us spent as grunt's in Vietnam. I have read several books about Vietnam but none so realistic as "Company Commander". This book is as near to a real life experience as you'll ever come.

This is a Vietnam War far from the demoralized army of popular imagination.
Coordinated air assaults, aggressive patrolling and ambushing and skilled defensive systems characterize this other war of highly motivated and effective soldiers, taking the war to the enemy and honorably upholding the American military tradition in conditions as rugged as any in our history
Estep, a four-tour mustang who retired as Colonel, is a skilled memoirist who brings the reader into the action and paints a vivid picture of the fighting- and winning-American soldier in Vietnam.
(The numrical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

I enjoyed reading this book. Vietnam never interested me before as a vacation destination, until now. The author made it sound interesting and fun and exotic. His historic comments and quotes added to the learning experience. The author's sense of humor made it a fun read.

Reading "A Country, Not a War: Vietnam Impressions" is like listening to Jazz; Truman uses language like a musician uses his instrument. The words riff across each page evoking the sights, sounds and smell of Vietnam as the book weaves back and forth between modern day Vietnam and the war-torn Vietnam of 30 years ago. Truman effectively juxtapositions the country's current courtship with capitalism with its horrific, centuries old history of war and turmoil. Truman is at his best when he describes the Chu Chi Tunnel complex, the intricate underground system represents everything the U.S. didn't know about Vietnam at the time, and when he describes it's current tourist attraction, you can literally sense the difference in perception Vietnamese and Westerners have about the conflict that tore both countries asunder. This is must reading for anyone affected by the war, and for those who would like to understand how Vietnam overcame its past to become the beautiful land it was before the many wars the country has been involved. Truman, a true Texan attempting to avoid the "Ugly American" label and married to a lovely Vietnamese woman, also intersperses generous dabs of humor throughout the book as he describes his attempts to transcend cultural and historical barriers as he travels across the country.

Vietnam! For most Americans, Vietnam dredges up images of jungle fighting, tiger cages, 53,000 dead U.S. soldiers, and political turmoil. American political leaders thrust this country into a civil war without knowing anything about Vietnam's history, its people and its culture. For more than a decade, the people of the United States knew only that their brothers, husbands and fathers were fighting and dying in a tiny land 10,000 miles away. In the two decades that have passed since the last GIs left, Americans still do not know Vietnam and its people. Our images of Vietnam are shaped by the books and movies, most of which focus on the war and the political events surrounding U.S. involvement. However, the books and movies do not provide insight into the history, the culture and the lives of the Vietnamese. Even the few post-war books about Vietnam since the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 examine the political environment, with little attention paid to the Vietnamese people. "A Country, Not a War" is a journal that offers an insightful commentary regarding the people and their lives in post-war Vietnam. Author Harold Truman traveled from Ho Chi Minh City, which most Americans remember as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, to Hanoi, the former North Vietnamese capital that now serves as capital city of the unified Vietnam. Along the way, he visited some of the places that are familiar to many Americans: My Lai, Da Nang, Phu Bai. Although he doesn't speak Vietnamese, he was accompanied by his wife, Petite, a Vietnamese lady who moved to the United States in the 1960s. With Petite acting as interpreter, the author was able to engage in conversation with the Vietnamese, including men who fought on both sides during the war. He seems surprised at the lack of antagonism toward Americans in Vietnam; he also is stunned by the level of corruption still prevalent in the country, which despite the economic reforms still is a Third World nation. The concise commentary by Mr. Truman spares no one. He makes an honest appraisal of modern Vietnam, its successes and failures, and the stupidity of the American military bureaucracy, which understood neither its enemy nor its ally in the war. But he doesn't spare himself either, using dry humor to relate his unintentional breaches of local etiquette, offending an artist, as well as Petite's elderly cousin. It is obvious in the book that as he traveled throughout Vietnam, the author developed a genuine affection for the people, knowledge of their history, and a respect for their culture. "A Country, Not a War: Vietnam Impressions" is not ambitious; it isn't intended to be THE book about Vietnam. Still, it is unique. It achieves the author's goal superbly: It relates the impressions of one American about a small country that has become part of our collective psyche. For Mr. Truman, as well as for most Americans, the word "Vietnam" does produce a strong emotional reaction. Thanks to this book, we can begin to shed our long-held misperceptions of that land and its gentle people.

Beginning with Dau's first sentence, it becomes apparent that you are going to experience a young man's journey from innocence, through the hell of the Viet Nam War, to his struggle back to some form of emotional and physical normalcy. This book is real; it's raw; and, at times, surreal and mystical. I couldn't put it down. It's one of the best books about the Viet Nam War -- ever!

Emotional, well written, and fascinating. Mr. Dodge presents a very interesting view of VietNam, and displayed a remarkable knowledge of the entire situation, both during and after the tour of duty. Well, simply put, EXCELLENT!

Great writing. Just as there are many secrets we are finding out about World War II, there are more that need to be exposed about Viet Nam. When do we see more from this talented writer?

I am a college student who read this book for a critical book review. My father served was at Khe Sanh then later served with 1/9 in I Corps. We talked extensively about many sections of the book and he could find no faults with it. I found it to be an excellent read that really kept my attention. The only thing it lacked was that it relied heavily on American sources of information about what went on at Khe Sanh but even today it is tough to get Vetnamese sources. I recommend it for anyone looking for a book about the Marine experience in Vietnam or about Khe Sanh.

A very good peice of literature that gave a true sense of what the U.S. Marines that where there serving their country where involved with. I also apreciated the point of veiw from the NVA/VC, as well as the overveiw of the French errors at Dien Bien Phu.

As a Marine who was in I Corps I can report that Mr. Pisor has portrayed an accurate discription of life at Khe Sanh. Probably one of the best documents published about the VietNam war.

This is a detailed account of the U.S. consul's last months in Can Tho, South Vietnam and his risky escape by boat on the Mekong River in April 1975. As the collapse of Saigon was nearing and as the airlift of Americans and third country nationals from Can Tho never materialized, McNamara himself took charge of guiding more than 300 people to safety on military barges along the Mekong River. He was recognized for his bravery and given a medal in 1977.

The book was also a tribute to General Nguyen Khoa Nam, the IV Corps South Vietnamese commander who refused to be evacuated and remained at his post until the last minute. McNamara had known him for over a year as a brave and dedicated officer and a man of honor. General Nam and his deputy General Hung killed themselves instead of surrendering to the enemy a few days later.

This is an interesting perspective of an American's last weeks in South Vietnam, his dealings with the Americans, the Vietnamese, and the CIA.

During every great event there occurs little-known tales of heroism and sacrifice; Ambasador McNamara's book tells the story on one of them. The evacuation of the handful of American civilians and Marines of the U.S. Consulate General in Can Tho, along with their South Vietnamese employees and families,reads like a movie, and is all the more exciting for being true. Their story of sacrifice, heroism, betrayal, and tragedy was lost in the greater story of the simultaneous evacuation of Saigon, but one with a historical bent will see in McNamara's tale a reflection of Xenephon's Persian expedition. Don't start reading this one before bedtime, or you'll be up all night to finish it!

In a time of uncertainty, danger and demoralization, this is a story that shows that even in the midst of the end of the Vietnam war our few remaining Americans cared deeply about the people that they had supported. A story of heroism generally not recognized and long overdue in the telling.

Like "Thud Ridge", also by Col. Broughton, "Going Downtown" reflects on the former fighter pilt's experiences driving USAF F-105's through the flack, SAM and MiG infested skies of Vietnam. Readers who missed "Thud Ridge' may remember Broughton's story appearing in the Yeagher biography - a decorated and venerable fighter-pilot, Broughton was loved by the men he led, despite the draconian restrictions placed on them by politicians. During one mission that Broughton didn't even fly on, two of his pilots received fire from a flak gun aboard a Russian freighter, and responded with their own cannon. Jaded by the experience in which his pilots were clearly in the right, Broughton removed the gun camera film from the noses of the involved F-105's, and destroyed them. A board of review composed of such noted officers as Yeager and Robin Olds cleared Broughton's men but did cite Broughton for destruction of the gun camera film, a move that effectively ended his career as a fighter pilot. Broughton hints at the incident - the "Turkestan Affair" in Thud Ridge, but apparently decided against saying any more. Having decided otherwise in "Downtown", Broughton must have decided that he didn't have enough for a new book complimenting the first. Theough "Turkestan" and its consequences take up the latter half of the book, the first part is a mixed gril, offering the USAF's painful transition to the early and crude jets, the complicated underpinnings of the Vietnam war and the cover-up over the Tonkin Gulf incident.

The problem is that much of this seems out of place here - especially the author's anecdotes about the Air Force's experineces with early jets between Korea and Vietnam. The jets, which are underpowered and have over-complicated fire-control systems kill more of their own pilots than the enemy, and some - like the F-103 and the F-107 - never make the cut at all. None of those planes ever appears in Vietnam, and certainly not in Broughton's narrative. So why does he bother here? It's as if he realized that he hadn't enough, apart from "Turkestan" that merited a new book, and quicly decided that, besides some anecdotes about the Veitnam airwar overlooked from the first book, he might as well just keep going back, and toss in soem historical background about vietnam and USAF for good measure. Concluding his survey of the famed "Century Series" fighter jets, Broughton says "something funny was happening in southeast asia." But it was nevr clear why he didn't begin with southeast asia and leave all that other stuff behind. It's important stuff, but would be of better use as something Broughton could reflecton while flying in vietnam - as more of a personal context than an historical one. Actually, Broughton sells himself short - giving equal time to all subjects when I'd prefer a whole book with him in the F-105. Considering that he flew the most pivotal missions of his career in that plane, it's incredible that my knowledge of it seems unchanged from when I first opened "Going Downtown."

This book captures the true spirit of a fighter pilot and why they are such special people. His war on Hanoi, waged with one hand tied behind his back by McNamara and President Johnson needed to be told. And he told it as only a fighter pilot could. You could be reading fiction, but it's real. Where do we get men that court death and face losing friends every day. Colonel Broughton is busy telling us about his fight with Hanoi and Washington. But, what also comes through is the daily struggle of men strapping on an airplane and doing their duty against great odds. The rules of engagement are discussed and how they affected the lives of those charged with enforcing them. Colonel Broughton had over 200 missions. He is a true American hero.

I've read both this book and the predecessor "Thud Ridge" as well as several book written by Vietnam war era pilots. Col Broughton knows his stuff and tells it like it was. If you ever wondered why we failed in Vietnam ,you will understand why after reading this book. Poor leadership by Air Force Generals( one couldn't be sure whether the enemy was the N.V. or the upper level command) from 5000 miles away, telling wing commanders how to do their jobs ( and having no clue as how a tactical fighter wing works), Washington's tying their hands behind their back with target selection and restrictive rules of engagement, micromanagement from above, all added up to a winnable war that they were not allowed win( except the guys risking their butts flying to Hanoi). I heartily recommend reading this book and also Thud Ridge for some fascinating insight of this era. Also I'd recommend Phantom over Vietnam , John Trotti and PAK SIX by G.I. Basel.

Everyone knows about the war Vietnam, but few remember that the United States battled the Viet Cong and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia as well. And even fewer remember that in just six short months in 1970, over two dozen journalists were killed while reporting on this forgotten corner of the Vietnam War, many of whom were captured and tortured to death by enemy forces.

T. Jeff Williams provides an illuminating, ground-level view of Cambodia during the war and what it was like to be a correspondent when so many of your colleagues would go out to report the story and just simply never come back. But it is Kurt Volkert's section of the book that really shines.

Volkert gives a factual and detailed, yet intensely personal look at efforts by him and others to investigate and locate the graves of five newsmen who were killed chasing the scoop south of Phnom Penh. He chronicles the ups and downs, the sadness, the frustrations, the detective work, and the ultimate sense of closure that comes from helping scour the Cambodian countryside for five journalists and friends buried in shallow graves twenty years earlier.

All in all, this is an excellent book on a topic that has received almost no attention over the years. Well recommended for anyone interested in journalism, Cambodia, or the Vietnam War.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I found it fascinating. The first part, written by AP/CBS News correspondent Jeff Williams details the intricate history of Cambodia as it struggles against forces from within and without during the turbulant 60's and 70's. Part of the book is a fascinating portrait of what it's like to cover a war in Asia, specifically Cambodia. At times the country was terrifying, at other times comedic and at others beautiful, graceful and exotic. Under the pressure of competition, journalists jump in cars and race off down dangerous roads looking for action so they can scoop the other networks. During a 2 month span in 1970, 25 of those journalists who drove down those lonely roads didn't come back.

The second part of the book is a description by Kurt Volkert of his feelings loss and deep sadness for his murdered comrads and his persistant and amazing detective work in locating their bodies in the countryside TWENTY YEARS LATER. How he did it, what he thought of the system that forced journalists to risk their lives for a story is gripping stuff.

This is a great read!

During the Vietnam war, Cambodia seemed to be a forgotten country. But this book shows what it was like to be a journalist on the front lines in what must have been terrifying times. The book recounts how the war in Vietnam spread to Cambodia in 1970 and how 25 foreign journalists reporting the war there were killed by the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese.

The book is in two sections. In the first one, T. Jeff Williams describes the historical events that led Cambodia into a bloody conflict with Vietnam, its ancient enemy, and describes the 1970 coup that overthrew Prince Sihanouk, the country's leader. He then describes how it was to cover the war, and how so many journalists were captured and killed in just a few months.

In the second section, Kurt Volkert describes how a CBS and a NBC television team were captured and killed. And then how in 1992, 22 years later, a U.S. Army special team arrived to look for the missing newsmen. Mr. Volkert raises the question of why the TV journalists were in danger so often, and whether executives in New York were pushing them too much.

I highly recommend this book for the inside story it provides on how newsmen cover war and how dangerous it can be.

A very interesting book. I enjoyed it. It is for all people who like Navy SEAL's

Gary Smith tells about his five tours of duty as a Navy Seal in Vietnam through three different books: Death in the Jungle, Death in the Delta and Master Chief. All of these well written books are exceptional in that they not only tell the story of terror filled seconds during battle, but Smith also talks about the sheer boredom and mundane tasked that must be done. His stories about killing VC - VC ants that is, while waiting on ambushes are funny in otherwise near death incounters. Smith is able to talk about the inhumane acts that occur in war just as he is able to talk about the fun times. I was brought to tears while reading about the mother and baby killed during an ambush of a Junk and equally shed tears of laughter when he cooked "Venison" that barked!

Smith does an exceptional job interspersing Vietnamese words and phrases in all three books which gives the read a sense that Smith was a professional that took the time to increase his advantage by learning their language. The one criticism I can point out is that he listed too many of the overnight ambushes. It became hard to distinguish one from another after awhile. I also get the feeling that there is much more to tell about his tour with the PRU but that it might bring up too many unpleasant memories.

Finally, Smith makes a one sentence statement that Captain Gormly was one of the best COs he ever served under which speaks volumes about both warriors. A Very good set of books and I recommend these to anyone interested in getting a birds eye view of war from a Seal's perspective.

It is a very well written book that takes a good look at the SEALs in Vietnam. It is very detailed and makes you think you were really in these situations.

This is the personal memoir of an American diplomat who was posted to French Indo-China before, during and after the catastrophic defeat of the French Expeditionary Corps at Dien Bien Phu. It is not the scholarly review of the daily travails of the battle that can be found in the late Bernard B. Fall's HELL IN A VERY SMALL PLACE, but, it is a valuable addition to the literature of that pivotal battle. Simpson knew all of the key players on the French side. He knew "Bruno" Bigeard, commander of the famous 6eme "Batallion de Parachutistes Coloniaux; the aristocratic cavalry officer de Castries, who commanded the French garrison at DBP. He knew the rest of the "paratroop mafia" including Langlais, Botella, Brechignac and Giraud who eventually took command of the French pockets of resistance and held the Viet Minh at bay for 57 days. Simpson tells of the mistakes that the French made and compares them to some of the later ones made by America in our war there. But, it is also obvious that he was a man of his times and his leanings were toward the French. Simpson admired the elan and bravery of the soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps. The Frenchmen and Legionnaires who fought a thankless war at the end of the supply line were professionals and he respected them for their dedication and their desire to prevent the Associated States of Indo-China from falling into the Communist orbit. This book is a personal history, filled with personal anecdotes and of course because it is history, we already know the ending. The French lost at Dien Bien Phu and were eventually forced to leave the "crown jewel" of their overseas empire. Eventuallly, the problem would become America's as the decision-making shifted from Paris to Washington. I recommend this book to readers of Fall's fine history of the battle AND to people who haven't read it because they don't want to get into the technical details of the battle. Students of the French conflict in Indo-China should also read this book so that they can fill in any gaps concerning the personalities of the senior French leadership. All in all, this book needs to be in the library of any serious student of the lengthy war that bled the finest of both the French and American armies.

Simpson's profile of the legendary "Para" Bigeard is welcome, as their are not too many of this Homeric figure. I'd have given it a five star, but Fall's "Hell In A Very Small Place" and Jules Roy's "Siege of DIen Bien Phu" were more griping and comprehensive (Simpson had flown out of DBP by the the time of the siege.)

Well written depiction of one hell of a battle. Hats off to the brave French warriors who risked it all.

Unlike the usual Vietnam paperback, filled with one soldier's memoirs of his time spent in war, Pisor created a truly historical work. Not only is Pisor documenting one of the longest battles of the Vietnam War, but also delving into the repercussions of Khe Sanh. Do to his journalistic objectivity, Pisor is able to separate the governmental propaganda, and the rhetoric of the political Left, and form an accurate description of an event that shaped America.

Although the Tet Offensive is credited with breaking American resolve for the war, Pisor adds that the siege at Khe Sanh is tantamount to the de-escalation of the war. After impressive words from General Westmorland and Lyndon Johnson regarding the importance of a hold at Khe Sanh, numerous American's became disillusioned when the whole base was bulldozed into the earth. For what reason were all those American lives spent? Why should men die for land that will simply be reverted to barren waste? As Pisor points out, Khe Sanh serves as a watershed for the end of the Vietnam War much like Dien Bien Phu proved a watershed for the French withdrawal in 1954.

However, Pisor does not limit his work to strictly academic postulations. He does weave the foot soldiers' account of the siege with his study of the global ramifications. He describes the ferocity of the North Vietnamese and their frightening, suicidal charges in such a way that I am most thankful to be born a few years after the fall of Saigon.

In conclusion, this journalist from Detroit produced a most impressive and valuable work on the history of Vietnam, and the results of one of its most famous battles.

I was at Khe Sanh for about two to three weeks in Jan, 1968. I was one of 28 Army personnel on base on Jan. 20, 1968. I never really knew what happened or why on those fateful days until I was wounded on Jan. 26, 1968. By reading the day to day account of that time and after I know now what and how but no one will ever really know why.

This is an excellent book that not only gives us the story of the "siege" of Khe Sanh but it also gives us a different perspective on the politicals behind the war in Vietnam.