I loved this book! It was the first book I had read on the Vietnam war and afterwards, I had a hunger to know more about that era in American history. The story of Lance Sijan will provide an American citizen with gratitude beyond the expression of words. Not only that, his story is a tribute to the human spirit of survival and perserverance. What a person to look up to. Anyone reading this book, will leave in awe of the person that Lance Sijan was. I cannot even fathom the ordeal he went through in the jungles of Laos, but only know that a person of tremendous spirit is the only kind that could endure for as long as he did. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about a real hero or if you want to read about Vietnam. It's a great book depicting the horrors of the war.

I handed a strip map to Lt. Sijan just minutes before he began his last mission and had believed for years that he had been shot down and that perhaps I had failed to mark AAA emplacements or a SAM site on his map. I was relieved to know after so many years that I had no bearing in what happened. I've read many stories of courageous men, but never a story that compares with this one. Lance Sijan is a person that no young person could make a mistake in emulating. It is a book that I plan to give to my young son when he is at an age when he is ready to comprehend the strength of Sijan's character and I hope that he will endeavor to become the kind of man Sijan was. I believe that Sijan's story should become required reading in high school civics class - I think every young person should know what the true meaning of the word "hero" means and what the true connotation of "sacrifice" is.

I FIRST READ THIS BOOK ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WHILE WORKING IN A BOOK STORE. I HAVE SINCE READ IT SEVERAL TIMES. LANCE SIJAN IS ONE OF THE MOST COURAGOUS AND HEROIC MEN WHO HAS EVER LIVED. HE IS THE PERFECT ROLL MODEL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT READ THAT WILL NOT ONLY BRING THE PLIGHT OF THE VIETNAM WAR, BUT ALSO THE POW/MIA ISSUE INTO REAL LIFE. LANCE SIJAN IS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO, WHO WILL NEVER FORGOTTEN!!

Great book if you want to know every minute detail about Dien Bien Phu. To me it spends way to much time with the politics of why and how France found itself in Vietnam. The book was full of redundant information. If half of that was removed from the content you would have 200 page book. Instead we have to slug through 500. I thought the best reading of the entire book was the last two chapters where the author threw off the formalities and gave a good overall picture of the French defeat. It seemed to take forever to get there though. The Finale, detailing the journeys of those that escaped was also fascinating. As well as the Postface, "Where are they now". Other than that I'd pass this one up unless you are really insane for French Indochina military history. I only gave it 4 stars because it is historically, about the most thorough writing on the subject.

Bernard Fall's book, HELL IN A VERY SMALL PLACE is the definitive history of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, a battle that had serious implications for generations to follow. In it, he recounts in detail the planning and execution of the battle at all levels. The possibility that a small, preindustrial state like Vietnam could defeat a modern army never entered the minds of the French, until it was too late.

The Communists were adept at waging war at the military and political levels simultaneously. In order for the political, main attack to succeed, Dien Bien Phu had to be in Communist hands prior to the Geneva Convention. The number of casualties the North Viets had to sustain was irrelevant so long as they got what they wanted: a strong bargaining position at Geneva. After France left, if Communism was going to be contained in Indochina, America was going to have to do it.

Communist tactics such as moving artillery pieces and the tons of ammunition to support them down seemingly impassable roads and digging anaconda-like trenches around French positions slowly choking the life out of the garrison would soon be seen again by American soldiers. Western planning books said this could not be done. The books were wrong. They would still be wrong a few years later when the Americans arrived.

On the political front, France was reduced to begging for American air support to save the beleagured garrison and with it, their entire position in Indochina. The question of whether the U.S. could or should intervene and if so, how, was debated at the highest levels for weeks. As the politicians and diplomats bickered, the garrison slowly suffered, bled, and died.

HELL IN A VERY SMALL PLACE is a manual for communist political and military tactics used in Vietnam. Our failure to heed the lessons learned there cost many Americans their lives. We indeed failed to learn from the mistakes of the past. As usual, it was the soldiers on the ground who paid the price for those mistakes with their lives.

If you have an interest in the history of the Vietnam War, or the Indochina War, then this is basically a must read, it will simply put the entire French war in Indochina in perspective for you (though I would also recommend you read "Street Without Joy"). As other reviewers have said, its almost appalling at the similarities between the French mistakes during their war in Indochina and the US's mistakes during its war, so much of it could have been avoided if the right people would have listened and done the proper background work on Vietnam. As far as the book goes, if you want to know something about the Battle of Dien Ben Phu, this book can tell you, it simply has everything, maps, strategies, the times and places that the individual attacks/counterattacks happened, absolutely everything. Yes, there are a lot of military terms and units that will be referenced in the book, but its still well worth the read. Also gives a nice buildup to the battle, as to what had been happening in the war up to that point, and why the French felt it necessary to take such a gamble behind enemy lines. Trust me, its a long book, but its all well worth it, and you will come away with a better understanding of how the French got there, and why we eventually took over after they pulled out. Its unfortunate that our men had to suffer or die needlessly because the right people didnt get their hands on some of the great books out of this era, things could have been a lot different, but hindsight is always 20-20.

"I've never read a better account of a battle," said Stephen Ambrose about Keith W. Nolan's just published book, Ripcord. There are many perceptions of the Vietnam War and probably even more misperceptions. Nolan gives it to you straight. After writing nine books about the Vietnam War, Nolan said, "I have never encountered a Vietnam battle as dramatic, tragic, convoluted, and bewildering as Ripcord." Over a three year period of intense research, Nolan conducted hundreds of interviews via mail, email, telephone and in person. Thousands of doucments were checked in the National Archives.

As the brigade commander during the seige of Ripcord, Keith and I had dozens of interchanges. It is common knowledge that retired general officers can recall with precise clarity the details of events that never happened. Nolan's rule that "facts" must be verified by at least three sources probably explains why some of my input to an early draft did not make the final publication. My long-winded point is that you do not have the "whole story" of Ripcord, but what you do have in this superb book is true and accurate.

What gives me the most genuine gratification with this book is Keith Nolan's telling the individual stories of 356 real soldiers! Shocking, heartbreaking, inspiring; these stories help you to understand the outrage of General Eisenhower when he blasted a war correspondent saying, "I get so eternally tired of the lack of understanding of what the infantry soldier endures.....I get so fighting mad because of the general lack of appreciation of real Heroism which is the uncomplaining acceptance of unendurable conditions...."

This book is not about the Vietnam War. It is about but one battle of four and a half months in a ten year war by one brigade of the twenty four American brigades who fought in Vietnam. It is about conventional, not guerilla-conterinsurgency war. The enemy at Ripcord were uniformed regulars from North Vietnam that outnumbered us at least six to one; well supported with heavy mortars, heavy machine guns, recoiless rifles and rocket propelled grenades.

You will be saddened by this book, as was I. But you will also be filled with absolute and total pride in the young Americans who answered their country's call to duty and fought and bled and some died, but most persevered in the finest traditions of the American military forces.

As a former member of the 101st Airborne stationed in the northern province of Vietnam (I Corps) in 1970-1971, I read Mr. Nolan's account with extreme interest. The July 1970 siege at Firebase Ripcord was indeed the last great battle of the Vietnam War for American forces and one of the bloodiest of the entire conflict. The author spares no one in his quest for the truth concerning this event, but lets the reader ultimately decide as to who was truly responsible for this full-fledged military disaster. Yet even through the manic chaos of this bitter struggle, Nolan goes out of his way to recognize the astounding bravery and heroism demonstrated by the "Screaming Eagles" under the most dire circumstances. The Vietnam War is usually glossed over in little more than half a page in today's high school and college history books. For anyone who desires further knowledge of the war, Mr. Nolan's well-researched work would be a great place to start. His eyewitness resources not only gives readers a thorough understanding of the horrors of war, but nearly places them in the line of fire. Hopefully, this book will also put to rest the common view that nothing of any consequence happened in Vietnam after 1969. Because of Mr. Nolan's efforts, the epic and memorable battle that was "Ripcord" will be remembered.

This book is an excellent study of the siege at Ripcord. Mr. Nolan lets the participants tell the story without the intrusions that so often interfere with the accuracy of historical monographs. In the future, when scholars have the knowledge, insight, and emotional distance to start writing comprehensive histories of the Vietnam Conflict, Mr. Nolan's works will be in every bibliography.

The book debunks many of the myths surrounding the final years of the war. First, he demonstrates that the troops on the ground were not shirkers, but fought with bravery and purpose - even though every KIA knew, at the moment of his death, that the battle and the war would not be won. Second, he demonstrates that the military leadership had lost all direction by 1970. After years of complaining that the enemy would not stand and fight, they got their chance for a pitched battle at Ripcord. Ultimately they ran away - bowing to outside pressures -leaving the enemy to hold the field and wasting the lives of many brave soldiers.

Mr. Nolan is also surprisingly frank in describing the assessments that the participants made of each other. Even the battalion commander, who received the Medal of Honor, is portrayed as a complex figure with strengths and weakness, and not as some sort of comic book hero.

If you don't have time to read the whole book, read "Part Seven: The Storm". It is the author's best prose and tells the story of the most poignant part of a very poignant event.

For thirty years I have been waiting for this book. At the time of the battle, I knew that Ripcord was a big deal. Since then, I've read books and watched documentaries on Vietnam. Only the "The Thirteenth Valley" even vaguely addressed this battle. I want to thank Mr. Nolan for resurrecting this nearly forgotten tragedy.

The only piece now missing from the Ripcord saga is the prespective of the NVA. Hopefully, that information will be forthcoming before the last Ripcord survivor dies.

The photographs in this book are absolutely mind blowing. They are a creditable testament to the memory of the incredibly brave and talented photographers who did not return from Vietnam and Indochina.

Some of the greatest photographers of all time are listed here. Some of their photographs have remained unseen for some 40 years.
Some of the photographs taken were the last visions seen by photographers who were actually killed whilst in the act of taking them.

The first hand reality of the 'at war' experience is brought home to the unitiated reader. To take these shots the photographers were of a necessity extremely close to the action and sometimes in the very midst of it. For their sacrifice in obtaining these images they lost their lives.

One can only sit back with awe at the scenes illustrated and wonder at the suffering, humanity & sometimes lack of it, that perpetuated these conflicts.

These photographers have done a great service in bringing home the reality of war to those who were not there. An amazing and fitting epitaph to those who fought, suffered and died on both sides.

This book is summarised for me by a quote from David Halberstam .. ' they could not, as we print people could, arrive a little late for the action, be briefed, and then, through the skilled use of interviews and journalism, re-create a scene with stunning accuracy, writing a marvelous you-are-there story that reeked of intimacy even though, in truth, we had missed it all. We could miss the fighting and still do our jobs. They could not.' To be a great combat photographer one had to get CLOSE to the action. That's why so many of them were killed. I spent a total of 15 months in Vietnam, from 1969 through 71. The grunt on the ground viewed reporters skeptically, suspecting that they got a lot of their stories in the bar of The Caravelle Hotel in Saigon. But not the photographers. They were regarded with awe. This book comes as close as can be done to evoking the feeling of the country and the war. My friends describe me as a little to the right of Gengis Khan; I think the book is superb. It has nothing to do with politics, just presenting the truth as best as can be done and honoring a bunch of brave men and women whose performance speaks for itself. If you buy only one book this year, this should be it

Requiem is at one, a compelling pictorial account of the conflict which ravaged Indo-China for so many years and also a fitting testament to the courage and the skill of the photographers who lost their lives there. The first series of photographs by the American, Everette Dixie Resse reveal a land of great beauty and startling serenity. There is gentleness and largesse in these early photographs which one feels is drawn not solely from the ambience and topography of the region itself but must have been present in the heart of the man who took them. Requiem chronicles the course of the war from its' inception in the 1950's to the end of American involvement in the 1970's. The book contains not only the photographs of the more famous photographers such as Robert Capa and Larry Burrows but also those whose names are barely known and whose fate sadly, remain unknown. Many of the latter were the North Vietnamese photographers and I feel that their work goes a long way to explain how this small undeveloped country was able to drive the greatest military machine the world has ever known into eventual submission. There is an energy and determination in the eyes and very demeanour of the Communist soldiers that is not apparent amongst their opponents, the French and the Americans. When one sees Luong Nghia Dung's dramatic pictures of the NVA artillery shelling ARVN positions it is as if the very sinews of the soldiers are propelling the shells to the intended target and ultimate victory. The book is not without its lighter moments, although in truth, these are few and far between. The Japanese photographer, Kyoichi Sawada is pictured presenting a print to a family of a photo that he had taken of them swimming across a river in a successful attempt to flee an American air strike. This was indeed a happy occasion to celebrate a lucky escape. Also there are pictures taken by Henri Huet which capture the good-humoured resilience of two Americans wounded in 1966. One might recall the cliché, "blooded but unbowed" or perhaps "grace under pressure". They do however, manage a smile for Huet's camera. The book contains some fascinating biographical information on the men and women who took these photographs. They are from diverse backgrounds, countries and cultures but regardless of who they were, we are left in no doubt that the quality of a photograph has little to do with the camera but so very much with the eye and soul of the person pressing the shutter.

I enjoyed the book and it was great reading about some of my old friends at CCS. Ernie has told it like it was,the stand downs from missions, and the missions themselves. Each of us had are own way of handling things between missions, to his credit Ernie has openly shared his.

Only three things counted in those days, did the man pull his missions, was he any good in the woods, and would you go to the bush with him. These standards, once meet, formed a bond among us that will last a life time. Ernie met these standards long ago in Cambodia.

Ernie has expressed himself well, has given credit to those he served with and has share his personal emotions and actions with the readers. Honesty is the truth, this man has shared it with the world. Not everyone will agree with all he has written, he has however earn the right to tell his story. I respect him for it, its too his credit that he made no effort to make himself out to be anything but a SOG Recon Team member. He proved himself years ago, I am proud of him for sharing his experiences so openly with his readers, I am not sure I have that kind of courage.

Great Job my Friend

RT Plane CCS

This book was recommended to me, by a friend, who knows that I am interested in factual, down-to-earth experiences of the young people who fought in Vietnam. This book is extremely down-to-earth. Mr. Acre was one of those young people. I believe that's what makes it such easy reading. It not only portrays how those young men laid down their lives in combat, but also, their everyday experiences in a country they had never known. I was a 14 year old girl working on getting the dress code in my school changed, while Mr. Acre was fighting for lives in Vietnam. My mission seemed unimportant in comparison. My brother had just come home from Khe Sanh and didn't want to cause pain by sharing his experiences. I respected that. As I have gotten older, I want to try to understand or at least know what our brothers, friends and loved ones experienced, in most cases, at such an early age. So, I have tried to learn as much as I can concerning the real life experiences of such courageous men and women. This book will certainly peak your interest and leave you wanting to know more when you reach the end. I strongly encourage everyone to read this inspiring account of one young man's courage who could easily be one of your loved ones.

Mr Acre: I hope you see this. This is my 2nd review since last summer! After twice reading your book, you are and will always be my hero. I was between 10 and 12 at the time you were in SE ASIA. I cant tell you how proud and honored I am to know that there were "once" real men like you that so cared about giving of yourself for America. And the sacrifices endured by all SOG men. I wish I could be half the man you are. This book is tops with John Plasters Sog books! a must read many times over! Please write more books Mr Acre.I wish the men I know and work with were "true men", men that always worked together as a team"SOG" and cared so much so that I may be here and well today in a free and democratic society.Your my hero always! MR. ACRE. You, and all the brave warriors of SOG Sincerely, Tony Pache, Jr.

I've read a number of autobiographies of Vietnam POWs and "Glory Denied" is certainly the most disturbing one. Army Col. Jim Thompson's story reminded me of the biblical story of Job, except in the end, unlike Job, Thompson loses even his faith and is left simply with his stubborn sense of personal survival.

If there was ever a man who never got a break in his life, it was Jim Thompson. Raised by a domineering and abusive father, drafted into the Army he at first hates military life but then comes to love it. But even in the military things do not come easily for Thompson. Commissioned through OCS, he does not volunteer for Special Forces but is ordered into it when the Army, at JFK's directive, rapidly expands the Green Berets. Sent to Vietnam, Thompson and his team are sent to one the most remote and potentially dangerous outposts the Army has and he and his team find themselves very quickly in over their heads.

An interesting aspect of the book is that most of it is not about Thompson's actual experiences as a POW but rather deals with is pre- and post-Vietnam life. His saga as a POW for nearly 9 years is a brutal one---isolation, malnutrition, torture. It is not until he has been a prisoner over 4 yrs that he finally meets other Americans, a group of soldiers and civilian personnel captures at Hue during the Tet Offensive. By this point Thompson is reduced to about 100 lbs and looks to the other POWs to be in his 70s when he's actually in his mid 30s.
His story after his return is even more brutal---betrayal by his wife, divorce, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, career problems, totally dysfunctional children, attempted suicide, psychiatric hospitalization, struggling with his sexual identity, his son convicted of murder, suffering a stroke which handicaps him and finally a loss of faith in God.

Unlike other POW stories, I found nothing in this book to be uplifting. The Thompson family is literally destroyed by the Vietnam War and there are almost no survivors. The book is well-presented as an oral history of the Thompsons although his wife Alyce does come across as a villainess in the story. And despite her attempts to paint herself in a better light, her own behavior is just inexcusable.

"Glory Denied" chronicles the tortured experiences of Col. Floyd ("Jim") Thompson, whose life and family were rent asunder by the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

Thompson spent nine arduous years in captivity, including five long years held in solitary by the Viet Cong. Thompson is the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, although for a variety of reasons (mainly his familiy's insistence on privacy), Navy pilot Everrett Alvarez is often accorded that distinction.

Unlike the heroic Navy and Air Force pilots shot down over North Vietnam, Thompson was deprived of the physical and emotional support of fellow Americans who were enduring the same harrowing ordeal. (Thompson did not even lay eyes on another American for more than four years.) Instead, he found succor from his faith in God, country, and the wife and family that he thought awaited him.

However, these three pillars of faith would prove illusory. Upon finally achieving freedom, Thompson is unable to recognize the country and family to which he returned, and as the tragedies continued to mount, he soon renounces his religious convictions.

Despite being presented with evidence (a voice recording) of her husband's captivity fairly early on, Thompson's wife Alyce had wasted little time merging her young family with another man's, "for the sake of the children." Attempts to restore a normal family life prove disatrous, and Thompson ends up divorced twice, estranged from his children and involuntarily retired from the Army at age 47 due to a stroke.

The persistent problems (culminating in a murder conviction)of his youngest child and only son -- born the day after Thompson's capture -- is the lightning rod for a family reconcilation. Jim even dropped his deep-seated enmity for Alyce. But the rapprochement proved to be short-lived, and by the story's end, Thompson is once again an embittered, isolated man.

Too few Americans know the Col. Jim Thompson story. This story deserves to find the widest possible audience.

Colonel Jim Thompson's story is one of the most harrowing and powerful books I have read in recent years, and its themes are is so tragic and complex that it reminds me of a non-fiction rendition of Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy." The appearance of this remarkable work comes at a time when we have been inundated by McWar books and sentimentalized combat movies that trivialize the sheer horror and devastation of war. "Glory Denied" has the opposite effect in that it re-creates the agony of the Vietnam War in absorbing and faithful detail, and enables a generation that was not alive in the decades of the 1960's and 1970's to understand how the war was played out, not only on the battlefield but in the living rooms, classrooms, and bedrooms of millions of homes across the nation. While the book succeeds as both a biography and as a uniquely original work of history, it is first and foremost a tribute to Colonel Jim Thompson, who, despite his many frailties and very human flaws, comes across as one of our bravest and most exemplary American war heroes. It is hard to imagine many other American soldiers who could have endured the same tortures experienced by Thompson over nine years of captivity. Despite treatment that rivalled the worst barbarity of the Nazi concentration camps, Thompson survived, his spirit unbroken and his patriotic love of America intact. Not only did Thompson survive, but he attempted to escape from his North Vietnamese guards and torturers no less than five times. I find it surprising that given such unprecedented valor, that Colonel Thompson has not been already awarded the Medal of Honor, and one can only hope that one of the positive results of the publication of "Glory Denied" will be that the military will reconsider its criteria and award Thompson this medal. The book is not without its controversies, the first being its unusual structure. This is not a third-person biography, and the oral history style may take some readers time (for some, up to 50 pages) to get used to. Some critics will no doubt suggest that Philpott should have resorted to a more conventional third-person style, which was used in the excerpt in "The New Yorker," but anyone who sticks with the story for a few chapters will become easily accustomed to the style and find it, as if watching a soap opera, quite dramatic throughout. Perhaps more controversial than the style is the depiction of Thompson's first wife, Alyce, who, in contrast to Odysseus's heroically faithful Penelope, chose to live with another man while Thompson was in captivity. Many readers and reviewers have already attacked Alyce for her behavior and the fact that she did not "stick by her man." Her behavior, particularly her decision not to tell her children that they had a father who had been imprisoned in Vietnam, is deplorable, but to cast her as the villain of the story is far too easy and simplistic. The book would never soar to the power it does without Alyce's own saga, which Philpott conveys with great empathy (and in doing so makes this book appealing to more female readers). Colonel Thompson remains extraordinarily bitter that his wife moved in with another man and that the Pentagon chose to name another prisoner as the longest held POW in Vietnam. His anger is warranted, but the military was all too eager to designate another man, a far more "appropriate" poster boy, as the longest-held POW, and the military shares as much of the blame as Alyce (the way Alyce was abandoned by other military wives following Thompson's capture was particularly appalling). As the years have passed, Alyce becomes an especially easy target, but the fact is that she was a woman alone in her twenties who felt that she could not possibly cope on her own. Moreover, it is clear from the start that Thompson was not an ideal husband or father -- he was not present at any of the childbirths of this children, for example -- and his actions following his release in 1973 suggest that infidelity was just one component of a shaky marriage that was destined to fail. The fact that Alyce's behavior is, in fact, so controversial makes "Glory Denied" a book that will be debated for many years to come, and Philpott should be lauded, not censured, for his accurate portrayal of Alyce's own private trauma. As much as "Glory Denied" is the story of one extraordinarily brave soldier, it is on a grander scale the story of America at war with itself. Through the eyes of Philpott, the Thompsons, despite all their human frailties, become America's family, their stuggles reflective of an agonizing civil war that threatened to destroy the nation for much of two decades. For us to look down on anyone of them is to look down on ourselves, and we should be all inspired by Colonel Thompson's unbelievably heroic story. I hope that Colonel Thompson will one day be able to sit down with his four children before it is too late, for the grave will be a barrier to all amends and all redress. Above all, "Glory Denied" will have a power to move you like few other books and will establish for Colonel Thompson a place in American military history that he so clearly has earned.

I've read a lot of books on Special Ops and especially Lurps in Vietnam. I haven't read a book yet that I didn't like but this one was rather boring. I have to agree with another reviewer that there "wasn't anything making me want to turn the page." If you like sit on the edge of your chair, can't put the book down for hours read this isn't it. Still the book is informative and the series is pretty good.

I read Rey's book second, Although I would have love to have read the books by the numbers I still enjoyed it very much, as a matter-of-fact when I got the other two, I read this one again. I have read all three of them three times, and have enjoyed them just as much each time I read them. I think Rey did an outstanding job of telling how the LRRP companies started. I have never met Rey, I am hoping to get an invite to their next reunion. I am an EX/ LRRP/RANGER. I was with ECHO/ 50th LRRPs then We became ECHO 75th RANGER. Roadrunner 6 out

The LRRPS did. Time and time again the long-range-reconnaissance-patrols went out to "see" and not be "seen", and sadly, some individuals wouldn't return home.

This is fantastic series of books covering the history and evolution of the LRRPS/LRPS/RANGERS during the Vietnam War.

Rey Martinez, Kenn Miller, and Gary Linderer interviewed a great number of the surviving members of the LRRPS/Rangers to bring their history alive. While some members were able to tap in their memories, others wouldn't touch the pain from long ago. The authors did a terrific job bringing the histories together for a strong narrative.

If anything, I found myself wanting to know more! What were they thinking? What were you feeling? I'm sure much ended up on the "editing room floor".

The "SIX SILENT MEN" books are a very honest account if the units actions. Their packed with adventure and daring. While reading their books, I was filled with tension and dread, other times I had to laugh aloud, and a few times I became misty-eyed. You feel for the teams as they "will" themselves to become invisible while on patrol.

Don't be mislead by a negative review. The reviewer misquoted the book. This I know since I pulled my copy off the shelf and checked the text. The reviewer claims the authors are liars --- NOT SO. A great number of books on the Vietnam War are written very honestly, and the publishers do "Fact Checking" before publishing these books. Read the review by Harold Nealy, who was a LRRP! His testimonial supports this fine series. If these books were embellished tales, then Vietnam Vets who served in the LRRPS/Rangers wouldn't hesitate to post a review here and let the truths be known. As you see this isn't the case.

I have never met a veteran who has panned these books. Never.

If you enjoyed this series, I would also recommend Jim Morris' WAR STORY, John Plasters' SOG, James Rowe's FIVE YEARS TO FREEDOM, Larry Chambers RECONDO, and Leigh Wade's TAN PHU.

I had the honor of meeting Kenn Miller, Jim Morris, and John Plaster (and other Vietnam Vets) two years ago. They freely answered my questions. I was going to 'buy a round' when one of them said, "Put your money away kid." I was 33, and that gathering was enjoyed by all.

Read the books. You won't be disappointed! God Bless and Attack life!

I have just read Born on the Fourth of July. I found it to be a very moving account of Ron Kovic. He is very graphic when he explains his thoughts, feelings, and the hospitals. I think that it should be that way. The war should not be sugar coated the way some people depict it. If it wasn't, America would not know what the veterans really had to go through. From this book I have learned more about the Vietnam War then I ever learned in school. I think Ron Kovic did an excellent job writing this book. I recommend it to anyone interested in veterans or the Vietnam War.

I became familiar with Ron Kovic while still a Marine. Probably in 71 or 72 after I returned from Vietnam. Luckily I was not wounded. While stationed in Hawaii after returning, I had the occasion to join Vietnam Veterans Against the War. A friend tried in vane to persuade me to join, but I never could quite do it. I had been taught just like thousands of other young recruits that ours was a noble deed. I still believe that. However...after having read this book, I became much more enlightened to what a lot of men experienced after being wounded/and or wounded severely and emotionally. This book is not about a man against America, but in favor of waking some people up to the horrors of war and the terrible losses we all suffer because of war. A must read.

I had first seen Oliver Stone's adaptation when I was 11 years old. My pre-pubescent sensibility didn't allow me to comprehend what was on the screen, either did my post-adolescent sensibility. This past summer I had read Mailer's "Armies of the Night", and never stopped pondering the concluding line, "For we must end on the road to that mystery where courage, death, and the dream of love give promise of sleep." So then, what does it mean to be an American? Kovic brought this statement forth in such a compelling manner, that I couldn't help asking myself this question, while reading. I sit cozily, well-fed, and warm, reading this book as an undergraduate; Kovic's experience is unfathomable to a slothful log like myself. Perhaps, this is the point of Kovic's heart-felt articulation, to awaken us, the slumbering masses, who watch a media blurb on war and violence, then leave it behind us and change the channel, while eating our turkey breast with gravy. Things like Vietnam will always happen as long as people remain quiet and content! Thank you Ron Kovic for reminding me of this lesson.

Having served time in the Military, I understand pretty much everything that the author is talking about. It is exciting as you turn each page, you can actually see the author grow as as the story progresses. It isn't difficult to finish this book in one sitting. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves this type of adventure/Military Story. Belive me, It's just a fun book to read!

Read this true story of one of Americas real heroes from the Vietnam war. The author served in the Studies & Observation Group, or SOG. It was one of the most secretive units and performed the hairiest missions all over Southeast Asia. A great read telling the tales of a few men in the enemies backyard. I collect special operations books and I highly recommend this story of courage, honor and duty to our country.

15 Months is the type of book that makes you not want to stop at the next chapter. Its really enjoyable to see what will happen in the next short story. I like how it was laid out, a collection of short stories that really helps you to appreciate all the different aspects of that difficult time in our history. The people the author associated with, the tough decisions he had to make all end up finishing with a strong point. A very good book..... I am glad to see a book like this on the shelves.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. Wolff is a gifted writer, but it doesn't seem like he's got a whole lot to talk about when it comes to his time in Vietnam. Wolf portrays himself as an inept soldier, someone who got his officer's commission by an idiotic stroke of luck. He even gives examples to back it up. A great example is a practice parachute insertion, when he mistakes a garbage dump for his intended drop zone and orders his team to jump.

The more I read, the more I began to dislike Wolff. After reading the combat memoirs of men like Frank Miller (Reflections of a Warrior), Robert Mason (Chickenhawk), Bruce Norton (Force Recon Diary), and others, it's hard to feel otherwise. He comes off as an extremely self-centered individual-not only in 'Nam, but in every aspect of his life.

On a side note, the book ends with a truly bizzare paragraph explaining the type used to print the book and a brief biographical note about the type's creator. I have no idea what purpose this paragraph serves, but I mention it here because it is, by accident or design, one of the books most memorable parts.

After reading "This Boy's Life", I had to read "In Pharoah's Army", even though I have no interest in the Vietnam War.

The nice thing about this book is that even with a subject that I don't care for, it is told from an individual's perspective which can make or break any situation if told in the right way.

Wolff comes through with this book too, by being very honest with his readers. He seems to be holding back a little more with this book than he did with his earlier memoir, but that appears to be more of a function of space and time considerations than of concealing information.

Although there were things about his character that disappointed me, that made me like the book all the more due to it frankness.

I hope that Mr. Wolff is working on a third memoir over the next phase of his life. I can't wait to read it.

This book continues where THIS BOY'S LIFE left off, following Tobias Wolff into the Army and Vietnam. Wolff is very funny and very insightful, and he pulls you into the story right away. You get to know his friends, the "Army types", the Vietnamese people, his (pathetic) dog, and his Stateside circle of intimates. These characters are all fully-drawn, especially his best Army buddy.

This is not a humor collection of amusing wartime anecdotes; war is ugly, and nobody gets out unhurt. Wolff includes all of this, but he has a sense of irony about events, and a sense of compassion toward people. Also, each chapter can stand alone as a fully-realized short essay.

I've read his short fiction and his memoirs, and I think Tobias Wolff is one of the most gifted American writers of this generation.