The book starts out fast and never slows down. It captures your attention with the all too real descriptions of the men in a US Army Special Forces detachment at a firebase in VietNam. The book pulls every emotion out of you from crying over the loss of a trooper to laughing with tears rolling down your cheeks at the attempts to get rid of an elephant carcass left over after a firefight with the NVA.

The only problem I have with this book is the over the top tales of American's having to hijack a helo in order to get out of an area where they found the CIA to be running drugs.

Still I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to know the real emotions of men under fire and how very different people come together to form a tight knit family of sorts.

This book is very intense, moving and offers an insight to how war is perceived by those induring the events first hand. I was pulled into the book by both it's writing and subject matter.

I am WW 2 vintage, service on Aircraft Carrier Wasp CV18 1944-1945. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that I experienced could equal the story of these men. I did not know any of them but did meet a relative of one(that's how I found the book) As I said the jackt has a touching remark about the Wall". I cried at the wall also!!!

My uncle, Ronnie Simpson, was one of the guardsmen who died on Firebase Tomahawk. I think this book is a wonderful honor to all the men who died there and the families who edured it. It's a great book to see the toll the war took on regular American families.

Do you like a book that is able to take you to the front of a war and able to make you feel that your there with the characters? If you do, then you'll love STEEL TIGER by Mark Bernet. This book is able to put you in the cockpit of an F-4 and in the heat of battle in the air and on the ground. Mark Bernet is able to give you the feeling that you have known the characters,your their best freinds, and they are telling you the story as you sit and have a cold one. Court bannister is the main character and the most believable: he si a major in the air force serving our country in the Veitnam War. STEEL TIGER is a book about the special bonds that are fromed between pilots an d co-pilots in the air and on the ground. It teaches that if you don't trust the person you fly with, than its most likely that you may end up dead or a prison of war. It portrays that the war is about people, those on both sides,(good or bad) and the stories that they can tell you. It shows that even though you have to fight the other side that they are not all bad people. The book was well writen and full of exiting dog fights and bar room fights that make you feel like you are in the air force and with the men of the Veitnam War.

More than mere paperbacks novels, reliving of a painful though now fabulously nostalgic era. A tale of good men in a bad war, I think i saw someplace,or on the review comments on back jacket, to be honest I didnt expect as fine a read as I ended up with from both 'Rolling Thunder' and 'Steel Tiger, having bought the second at a Sunday market 2nd hand for a song, I soon realized I had 'discovered' Mr Berent, who is a decorated USAF Vietnam pilot, someone who flew F4 MiG CAP over Hanoi, for those who know what that means. Mr Berent weaves fictional characters like gifted pilots but troubled souls Bannister and Parker, Special Forces rough-n-tough 'Wolf Lochert', who calls people 'ScheissKoph' for those with high-school German, but will punch your lights out for taking the Lords name in vain, and senior Pentagon AF-command types like 'Whitey' Whisenand, into the fabric and knit of a tale and an atmosphere with real characters such as Lyndon Johnson, Robert Strange McNamara ( an auto company civilian president who was placed in charge of Americas forces and war, echos of Mr Rumsfeld) and real-life Vietnam Airforce ace Robin Olds.Many chapters begin with a tom Clancy style geo-political or techical background preface, and like Mr Clancys chapters this really works, the depth of research, as well as the reminisce. The tale rollocks along, through triumph and tragedy, with a Vietnamese double-agent among Locherts special forces cadre, and Berent is able to take you in wind-whistling ride through Bannister and Parkers air combat missions, with loads but not too much technical explanation of jet-fighters, weapons and dogfights, and why not, Mr Berent went there and did it himself, with a silver-star and DFC in recognition.
I am a fan of Mr Berents Vietnam air-war series, his characters and his writing of this Hendrix/Animals/Byrds war and era, I wound-up sending to Amazons 'Fiction Addiction' bookshop in SC to get 'Phantom Leader' and 'Storm Flight', the remainder of a 5-part trilogy? and which were hard to obtain in Australia. I commend that store and what I bought.If you like a comparable writing style with Clancy, you like credible though exciting fictional characters combining with a historical President Johnson deciding war strategy as he sits on bathroom ceramic furniture, and if you are fascinated by the halcyon events and atmosphere of Americas most divisive and lamented war, youll like Berents long punctuated saga.

Who'd have thought some guy from Oklahoma would write this pithy discussion of business in Vietnam? Few books exist on this topic but Mr. Chambers has written the kind of honest, straightforward business book we need more of.

This is a well written and informative guide. It is much better written, and much more insightful, than most books of its kind. It is very useful for any person thinking of doing business in Vietnam...in fact, I would call it "essential".

This is a must read for those growing up in the shadow of the Vietnam war. The majoriy of american society only knows the negatives of Vietnamese people: the war that was a failure, the people whom didn't appreciate that our soldiers died for them, those poor people who have nothing and need our pitty, those people who come to America, form gangs, and live off of our government. These are the views of Vietnam. 'A Taste of Earth' makes the people of Vietnam people first with culture, beliefs, joys, sorrow--and most importantly, looks at Vietnamese people in a postive light! Also, interestingly, many of the stories have a similarity to Native American myths and legends--coincidence

These are the first myths from Vietnam I've ever read, so I can't compare the tales to the standard. The stories range from creation myths to tales of wars and food/custom myths. The writing is clear and lyrical. I was captivated, and enjoyed a break from the more familiar Greek myths and French fairy tales I know.

This book is also beautifully illustrated. Highly recommended if you are into comparative mythology or just enjoy a well told story.

This is a touching story of two women who carry out an incredible mission. Though it's out of print, you may contact the author at to obtain a copy. It's a MUST READ.

This Must Be My Brother is a remarkable book about the adventures of a partime nurse and homemaker who goes to Vietnam to escort 100+ babies and children back to the United States for adoption, just before the final pull out by the United States. Much to her astonishment she becomes involved one of the largest and most dangerous adoption transports in the history of international adoption - Operation Babylift. LeAnn Thieman shares her adventures with us with charm and captivating honesty. Her descriptions of the events leading up to the flight back via cargo jet with the children is sure to keep you turning pages. Just one warning - I don't think it is possible to read this book without wanting to adopt (or adopt again)!

Sgt Johnson's book on the tiger stripe camouflague pattern and its variants is an excellent book. Indeed, it is the authoritative reference on the subject for some time. The authour's methodical sysmatization and meticulious research have certainly provided militaria collectors with highly rigourous technical standards.

Although this book is primarly for collectors, modelers and reenactors will find this book equally helpful in their research.

Nevertheless, there are a number of glaring oversights that detract from the book's overall value.
First, there's no index. Given the book's meticulous details and bewildering variety of tiger strip patterns, an index isn't merely useful; it's absolutely essential.
Second, there's no bibliography. Its absence is inexplicable; how is the collector, modeler, historian or reenactor supposed to learn more about this pattern and become more discerning without the primary and secondary sources? Especially since the book is primarily for them.
Third, I found the historical background of the tigerstrips rather too perfunctory.I would've appreciated to know how the French Indochinese lézard pattern evolved into the tiger strips
Fourth, spelling mistakes mar this book and it's unjustifiable considering that the book is sold by a professional publisher and its price tag
Finally, the authour makes cryptic referencs to the 1990 edition of the book. Yet when I looked at the inside page for the publication data, the book was published in 1999.
Despite these glaring oversights, which can be corrected in a subsequent reprint, this book is highly recommended

This is an EXCELLENT book about Vietnam War Tiger dtripe uniforms. THis is a book for experts or for whom wants to be the Tigerstripe uniform expert. If you like to study Vietnam War stuffs. THe last thing you want to miss is this book.

This book is worth reading for anyone interested in the history of the Vietnam War.
It is a collection of forty-eight short recollections from a wide variety of Americans and Vietnamese involved in the war, or the country, from the late 50's to the 80's. It also touches on Cambodia and Laos. Each recollection is from one-half to six pages long, and may cover one short event, or several years' experience in the country.
The book deceptively starts out slowly, and it is only with continued reading that one discovers that within this chosen group of recollections are many of the great truths of politics and military conflict in South Vietnam.
The essays cover the fatal flaws inherent within South Vietnam, which include the long history of being a colony of France, without France taking any steps to prepare the country for independence, such as training civil servants or encouraging the rule of law through local rulers. Once independent, South Vietnam was fragmented on religious lines. The civil leaders were corrupt, engaged in nepotism, and did not relate well to the peasants. South Vietnamese military leaders were promoted not on merit, but by family ties and the size of the bribes they paid to the government. For political reasons, the military zone around Saigon was intentionally unorganized and inefficient.
The geography of South Vietnam -- having all its territory within easy reach of Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam -- made it a very difficult land to defend from an enemy with safe sanctuary so close to crucial areas. This book does not mention the oppressive acts of the South Vietnamese government, which helped alienate its citizens. The book seems to understand, if not almost excuse, wrongful acts by US soldiers.
The US tactics also contributed to defeat: rules of engagement tied the military's hands in senseless ways (a SAM base couldn't be attacked under construction, but pilots had to wait until it was operational); rotating inexperienced officers through Vietnam to "punch their combat ticket" was more important than retaining experienced officers and advisors who often "got it" just before being rotated out; the battle for "hearts and minds" was often ignored; and years were wasted on ineffective strategy, until home protests compelled withdrawal.
And, yes, North Vietnam really was an oppressive regime which used terror and lies to achieve its goals.
Any discussion of Vietnam brings up many "what if's?" What if South Vietnam had a more appealing and legitimate government? What if US politicians hadn't used such ineffective strategy and tactics? Is there ANY scenario which would have resulted in a long-term stable and secure South Vietnam?
If you're at all interested in the field, this is a book well worth searching out.

Moving and extreme reality

This book describes possible travel adventures in five quadrants of the world (North America, South America, Europe & the Middle East, Asia & the Pacific, and Africa). Each quadrant is broken down into 8 travel adventures which take place in different states or countries. The travel essays (which are short) consist of either some of the author's experiences (very helpful & enlightening information) or a historical or cultural story about the area (not very helpful, in my opinion). At the end of each travel essay, the author 1) compares different outfitters, 2) let's you know what to expect (i.e., physical and mental demands as well as necessary skills, if any), 3) lists books for further research on the area, 4) gives a breakdown of the outfitters (cost, phone#, length of trip), and 5) indicates the physical challenge, mental challenge, and skills ratings for the trip.

At the beginning of the book, the author has some very helpful chapters about choosing a trip, choosing an outfitter, and getting ready for a trip.

This book was very helpful for me in starting research for an overseas adventure trip. It describes all kinds of activities and trip variations. It really got me thinking and planning. The descriptions of the outfitters were very helpful too (I have found a web page for nearly each outfitter--that would have been helpful to include in the book); with so many outfitters available, it was helpful to have a few well-known names to begin with. Most of the reading was quite entertaining and informative.

I'm glad I bought this book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a well-written/organized book which describes numerous activities/trip variations which are possible in a variety of interesting destinations around the world. I did not give it five stars, because I was disappointed in a few of the chapters which had historical/cultural stories instead of the author's or another traveler's impressions of the region.

Loved it! Noland makes "adventure travel" real for the armchair explorer. In the spirit of Redmond O'Hanlon, this book describes the ups and downs of moving beyond the conveniences of the 20th century.

I bought this book because I was intrigued by the prospect of reading a memoir from the point of view of a South Vietnamese soldier. Although Gen. Lam Quang Thi was a very high-ranking member of the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) and attained high rank at a young age, I got the impression that he was one of the truly gifted officers in that army, who was idealistic about serving his country to the best of his abilities.

Throughout the book, Thi regularly takes issue with the corruption and incompetence of many of his fellow officers, and recounts the political situation in the South, where coup after coup after coup left the country of South Vietnam basically a rudderless ship. He tells of how many of his fellow officers attained high ranks, up to and including senior generals, not because of superior soldiering prowess, but because of having the right political connections. Even he (the author) benefitted a little from the political machinations of some of his superiors. In this regard, the book is an excellent source on the socio-political scene in Saigon in the 1960's.

However, as a war memoir, I found the book a little light in descriptions of battle and how he and the men under his command coped with the strain of combat. This is why I give the book only four stars. I suppose that as a general, his viewpoints of battle tend to be more detached and "big picture" oriented, which is reflected in his writing. Most descriptions of battles his units fought were mostly like, "We swept the area with the 1st regiment, while the 2nd was held in reserve. After heavy contact, we suffered 25 dead while the VC suffered 100 dead." None of the harrowing descriptions which can be found in many other terrific war memoirs are present here. Since so many of those other types of books have been written by American soldiers, with American perspectives, I was excited to finally be able to read one written from an Asian soldier's perspective. However, I was somewhat disappointed in this regard. All in all, however, I feel that this is a book that most Vietnam War buffs should read.

General Thi shares with us the major events of his life, from losing his father at an early age to the Viet Minh, to how his Uncles and Aunts were so instrumental in providing the Extended Family (Confucian) Values that enabled Lam and his brother to pull themselves up by their hard work and many accomplishments in school and later in their adult life.

We see through Lam's eyes the French Occupation of Vietnam, the reasons for the Viet Minh, the Fall of the French, the coming of the Americans, Lam's Army Career and how he so skillfully plays the hand Life has given him, making the best of what he has, leading all the way to making ARVN Lt. General (Three Star General) at such an early age through his sheer abilities and hard work.

The book also allows the Reader to see and experience Vietnamese Culture, from Tet (Chinese New Year), the tasty foods (I still can smell the Cha Gio) cooked in celebration of their various Holidays and Occations, to Confucian Extended Family Values of Respect for Elders and a High Premium on Education as the way to get ahead in Life, and how even later on in their lives when he outranks his Older Brother (who was "only" a Two Star General) that Older Brother still made the Final Decision and was obeyed when it came to Family Matters.

For those of you who did not know, Vietnamese Wives and Mothers, while seemingly docile and obedient, were actually Very Powerful when it came to Family Matters of Finance and Children. Vietnamese Family Values were demonstrated as we watch Lam and his Family when they get to visit with Emperor Bao Dai's Mother, and her demonstrated tenderness towards Children.

An excellent example of what one Vietnamese Life was like from 1950 to 1975, and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!