Military history: post-WW2 conflicts Books

Book SynopsisThe Marine Corps Way of War examines the evolving doctrine, weapons, and capability of the United States Marine Corps during the four decades since our last great conflict in Asia. As author Anthony Piscitelli demonstrates, the USMC has maintained its position as the nation’s foremost striking force while shifting its thrust from a reliance upon attrition to a return to maneuver warfare. In Indochina, for example, the Marines not only held territory but engaged in now-legendary confrontational battles at Hue, Khe Sanh. As a percentage of those engaged, the Marines suffered higher casualties than any other branch of the service. In the post-Vietnam assessment, however, the USMC ingrained aspects of Asian warfare as offered by Sun Tzu, and returned to its historical DNA in fighting “small wars” to evolve a superior alternative to the battlefield. The institutionalization of maneuver philosophy began with the Marine Corps’ educational system, analyzing the actual battle-space of warfare—be it humanitarian assistance, regular set-piece battles, or irregular guerrilla war—and the role that the leadership cadre of the Marine Corps played in this evolutionary transition from attrition to maneuver. Author Piscatelli explains the evolution by using traditional and first-person accounts by the prime movers of this paradigm shift. This change has sometimes been misportrayed, including by the Congressional Military Reform Caucus, as a disruptive or forced evolution. This is simply not the case, as the analyses by individuals from high-level commanders to junior officers on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, demonstrate. The ability of the Marines to impact the battlefield—and help achieve our strategic goals—has only increased during the post-Cold War era. Throughout The Marine Corps Way of War: The Evolution of the U.S. Marine Corps from Attrition to Maneuver Warfare in the Post-Vietnam Era, one thing remains clear: the voices of the Marines themselves, in action or through analysis, describing how “the few, the proud” will continue to be America’s cutting-edge in the future as we move through the 21st Century. This new work is must-reading for not only every Marine, but for everyone interested in the evolution of the world’s finest military force.

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Book SynopsisValor in Vietnam focuses on 19 stories of Vietnam, stories of celebrated characters in the veteran community, compelling war narratives, vignettes of battles, and the emotional impact on the combatants. It is replete with leadership lessons as well as valuable insights that are just as applicable today as they were 40 years ago. This is an anecdotal history of America’s war in Vietnam composed of firsthand narratives by Vietnam War veterans presented in chronological order. They are intense, emotional, and highly personal stories. Connecting each of them is a brief historical commentary of that period of the war, the geography of the story, and the contemporary strategy written by Dr. Lewis“Bob” Sorley, West Point class of 1956, and author of A Better War. Valor in Vietnam presents an historical overview of the war through the eyes of participants in each branch of service and throughout the entire course of the war. Simply put, their stories serve to reflect the commitment, honour and dedication with which America’s veterans performed their service. About the Author Allen B. Clark graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, he volunteered for service in Vietnam and was assigned to the Fifth Special Forces Group. He was wounded in an early-morning mortar attack on the Dak To Special Forces camp on June 17, 1967, that necessitated the amputation of both legs below his knees. He lives outside Dallas in Plano, Texas, and is the author of Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior.Trade Review…an interesting read and potentially a source book for some gaming scenarios. * Wargames, Soldiers, and Strategy *

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Book SynopsisU.S. Army Captain Kimberly N. Hampton was living her dream, flying armed helicopters in combat and commanding D Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry, the armed reconnaissance aviation squadron of the 82nd Airborne Division, when in January 2, 2004, whilst flying above Fallujah, Iraq, searching for an illusive sniper on the rooftops of the city, the helicopter crashed, killing her. A little past noon her helicopter was wracked by an explosion; a heat-seeking air-to-ground missile had gone into the exhaust and knocked off the helicopter’s tail boom. Kimberly’s Flight is the story of Captain Hampton’s exemplary life. This story is told through nearly fifty interviews and her own e-mails to family and friends, and is entwined with Ann Hampton’s narrative of loving and losing a child. About the Authors Award-winning journalist Anna Simon has been a reporter with The Greenville News in South Carolina since 1990. She received the South Carolina Press Association’s first place award for Reporting in Depth in 2009, and is a past recipient of multiple awards in education reporting, the press association’s Judson Chapman Award for Community Service, and other news and feature writing awards. Kimberly’s mother, Ann Hampton, first met Anna Simon immediately following her daughter’s death, when Ms. Simon wrote a series of stories for The Greenville News about Kimberly. Ann has travelled twice to Iraq, most recently in November 2010 as a Gold Star Mom in a“Hugs for Healing” program where American and Iraqi mothers grieving the deaths of their children worked side-by-side on humanitarian projects.

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Book SynopsisThis work describes U.S. Marine Corps helicopter operations, including their actions and evolution, throughout the Vietnam War. The book is divided into parts spanning the three stages of the Corps’ combat deployment: “Buildup (1962–1966),” “Heavy Combat (1967–1969),” and “The Bitter End (1975).” Each part includes chapters devoted to “telling the story” of Marine helicopters from the individual to the strategic level. Vietnam has often been called our“first helicopter war,” and indeed the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Army, had to feel its way forward during the initial combats. But by 1967 the combat was raging across South Vietnam, with confrontational battles against the NVA, on a scale comparable to the great campaigns of WWII. In 1968, when the Communists launched their mammoth counteroffensive, the Marines were forced to fight on all sides, with the helicopter giving them the additional dimension that proved decisive in repelling the enemy. The author, a Vietnam veteran, uses his experiences as a company commander to bring the story to life by weaving personal accounts, after-action reports and official documents into a remarkably readable narrative of service and sacrifice by Marine pilots and crewmen. The entire story of the war is here depicted through the prism of Marine helicopter operations, from the first deployments to support the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) against the Viet Cong through the rapid United States buildup to stop the North Vietnamese Army, until the final withdrawal from our Embassy. Colonel Dick Camp, a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.Trade Review“Assault from the Sky is an extraordinary tribute...bears Camp’s witness of the escalation of battle and ...documents the skill, capacity, and commitment of those Marine pilots and crews, both officer and enlisted. This book is a significant reportage of and gracious tribute to that group of men... Assault is enhanced immeasurably by the interspersing of an album of black and white vintage photos. It is a book of military history and personal stories, techniques and tactics in the context of personal truths.” * Veterans Law Journal *Assault from the Sky is a well-researched, detailed history of Marine helicopters from the time the first ones arrived in Vietnam in 1962 all the way through to the helicopter-heavy evacuation of Saigon in 1975. * The VVA Veteran *

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Book SynopsisAs the Soviet Union teetered on the edge of collapse during the late 1980s, and America prepared to claim its victory, a bloody war still raged in Southern Africa, where forces from both sides vied for control of Angola. The result was the largest battle on the dark continent since Al Alamein. The socialist government of Angola and its army, FAPLA, had only to wipe out a massive resistance group, UNITA, secretly supplied by the U.S, in order to claim full sovereignty over the country. A giant FAPLA offensive so threatened to succeed in overcoming UNITA that apartheid-era South Africa stepped in to protect its own interests. The white army crossing the border prompted the Angolan government to call on their own foreign reinforcements—the army of Communist Cuba. Thus began the epic battle of Cuito Cuanavale, largely unknown in the U.S., but which raged for three months in the entirely odd match-up of South African Boers vs. Castro’s armed forces, which for the first time in the Cold War proved what it could achieve. The South Africans were no slouches at warfare themselves, but had suffered under a boycott of weapons since 1977. The Cubans and Angolan troops had the latest Soviet weapons, easily delivered. But UNITA had its secret U.S. supply line and the South Africans knew how to fight. Meantime the Cubans overcame their logistic difficulties with an impressive airlift of troops over the Atlantic, while the Boers simply needed to drive next door.Trade Review'... a detailed examination of the battle of Cuito Cuanavale that will assist military historians concerned to understand the value of specific armaments in determining the outcomes of proxy wars in the Cold War era.' -- Ian David Stewart, Michigan War Studies Review * Michigan War Studies Review *

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1991, this classic work has now been revised and updated with additional photos. It is the story of how, in Vietnam, an elite group of Air Force pilots fought a secret air war in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes—flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the Forward Air Controller made an art form out of an air strike—knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life and death decisions as a battle unfolded.The expertise of the low, slow FACs, as well as the hazard attendant to their role, made for a unique birds-eye perspective on how the entire war in Vietnam unfolded. For Tom Yarborough, who logged 1,500 hours of combat flying time, the risk was constant, intense and electrifying. A member of the super-secret“Prairie Fire” unit, Yarborough became one of the most frequently shot-up pilots flying out of Da Nang—engaging in a series of dangerous secret missions in Laos. In this work, the reader flies in the cockpit alongside Yarborough in his adrenaline-pumping chronicle of heroism, danger and wartime brotherhood. From the rescuing of downed pilots to taking out enemy positions, to the most harrowing extended missions directly overhead of the NVA, here is the dedication, courage and skill of the fliers who took the war into the enemy's backyard.

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Book SynopsisIn our wars since 2001 the term “front line” has long since lost its meaning, and the true combats have waged throughout the countries we’ve invaded, especially along the supply routes. Our opponents have not been able to stand with conventional forces, but instead attack inside our lines, their presence everywhere, if not always discernible. Into this mix of behind-the-lines attacks, combat logistics have played a larger role than ever. In Afghanistan particularly, the long convoy routes have been vulnerable to the same kind of surprise attacks suffered by the Soviets in past decades, the British 150 years ago, and Alexander the Great 2,000 years ago. The combats surround, and in that godforsaken landlocked land, the means to supply a Western army has to be undertaken with blood and sweat, once the quick panacea of airpower is overtaxed.When he joined the Marines, Jeff Clement was not a high-speed, top-secret recon guy. A logistician instead, he led combat convoys across treacherous terrain in southern Afghanistan through frequent enemy attacks in order to resupply US and British positions. As such he and his vehicles were a constant target of the resistance, and each movement was a travail, often accompanied by thundering blasts as the insurgents paved their way with IEDs. Each movement was fraught with danger, even as each objective had to be met. As a Marine Corps lieutenant, he deployed to Afghanistan twice, and always found a learning curve, as men previously on the ground were more savvy, and the insurgents, there for the duration, were savvier still. The Lieutenant Don’t Know provides a refreshing look at the nitty-gritty of what our troops have been dealing with in Afghanistan, from the perspective of a young officer who was perfectly willing to learn, and also take responsibility for his units in a confusing war where combat was not merely on the “front,” but all around, and looking over all their roads.

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Book SynopsisThroughout the Vietnam War, one focal point persisted where the Viet Cong guerrillas and ARVN were not a major factor, but where the trained professionals of the North Vietnamese and United States armies repeatedly fought head-to-head. A Shau Valor is a thoroughly documented study of nine years of American combat operations encompassing the crucial frontier valley and a 15-mile radius around it—the most deadly killing ground of the entire Vietnam War. Beginning in 1963 Special Forces A-teams established camps along the valley floor, followed by a number of top-secret Project Delta reconnaissance missions through 1967. Then, U.S. Army and Marine Corps maneuver battalions engaged in a series of sometimes controversial thrusts into the A Shau designed to disrupt NVA infiltrations and to kill enemy soldiers, part of what came to be known as Westmoreland’s “war of attrition.”The various campaigns included Operation Pirous in 1967, 1968’s Operations Delaware and Somerset Plain, 1969’s Operations Dewey Canyon, Massachusetts Striker, and Apache Snow—which included the infamous battle for Hamburger Hill—culminating with Operation Texas Star and the vicious fight for and humiliating evacuation of Fire Support Base Ripcord in the summer of 1970, the last major U.S. battle of the war. By 1971 the fighting had once again shifted to the realm of small Special Forces reconnaissance teams assigned to the ultra-secret Studies and Observations Group—SOG. Other works have focused on individual battles or units, but A Shau Valor is the first to study the nine-year campaign—for all its courage, sacrifice and valor—chronologically and within the context of other historical, political, and cultural events. In addition to covering the strictly military aspects of the various campaigns in the A Shau, Tom Yarborough, author of the renowned Da Nang Diary, shows how events in both Vietnam and the United States became inexorably linked, as domestic dissent and a lack of realistic military strategy ultimately led to America’s first lost war.Trade ReviewFeatured in MHM's round-up of the best military history titles for October 2016. * Military History Matters (Reviewer) *Having read only 30-40 Vietnam books, I have no claim to expertise, but this is the best I’ve ever read.[…] The writing style is excellent, and coverage is superb. The author was a Forward Air Controller and brings an immediacy and insight into the horrendous nature of the business. * Miniature Wargames - Chris Jarvis *A book like no other on the Vietnam War, it pulls no punches and puts the reader right there amid the jungle. * Gun Mart *There is such a great deal we still don't know about some of the theatres of the Vietnam War - Yarborough writes as though he were there when it happened, such is the vividness with which he recounts some of the events… * Books Monthly *

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Book SynopsisOn The Frontlines of the Television War is the story of Yasutsune "Tony" Hirashiki's ten years in Vietnam—beginning when he arrived in 1966 as a young freelancer with a 16mm camera but without a job or the slightest grasp of English and ending in the hectic fall of Saigon in 1975 when he was literally thrown on one of the last flights out.His memoir has all the exciting tales of peril, hardship, and close calls as the best of battle memoirs but it is primarily a story of very real and yet remarkable people: the soldiers who fought, bled, and died, and the reporters and photographers who went right to the frontlines to record their stories and memorialize their sacrifice. The great books about Vietnam journalism have been about print reporters, still photographers, and television correspondents but if this was truly the first “television war,” then it is time to hear the story of the cameramen who shot the pictures and the reporters who wrote the stories that the average American witnessed daily in their living rooms.An award-winning sensation when it was released in Japan in 2008, this book been completely re-created for an international audience. In 2008, the Japanese edition was published by Kodansha in two hardback volumes and titled "I Wanted to Be Capa." It won the 2009 Oya Soichi Nonfiction Award-a prize usually reserved for much younger writers—and Kodansha almost doubled their initial print run to meet the demand. In that period, he was interviewed extensively, a documentary was filmed in which he returned to the people and places of his wartime experience, and a dramatization of his book was written and presented on NHK Radio. A Kodansha paperback was published in 2010 with an initial printing of 17,000 copies and continues to sell at a respectable pace."Tony Hirashiki is an essential piece of the foundation on which ABC was built. From the day he approached the Bureau Chief in Saigon with a note pinned to his shirt saying he could shoot pictures to the anxious afternoon of 9/11 when we lost him in the collapse of the Twin Towers (and he emerged covered in dust clutching his precious beta tapes,) Tony reported the news with his camera and in doing so, he brought the truth about the important events of our day to millions of Americans." David Westin, Former President of ABC NewsTrade ReviewIf there were no pictures in this at all, it would still be a great read and an incredible insight into the life of a ‘non-combatant’ in a brutal war. * Editor - Model Boat World *Sometimes a book comes out that astounds the reader, and I believe this is one of them…This is a riveting read. 5 stars * Soldier Magazine *This work is Hirashiki's vivid account of his time in Vietnam - and it's a damn good one…equally emotive and and insightful as the dozens of newsreels that set his work apart from the staid 'bang-bang' war drama of other news networks of the time. * All About History *This superb book looks at how we reached this point in TV reporting, and is well worth a few hours of your time. * Books Monthly *The acute details of his recollections of a battle in Happy Valley and the chaos leading to the war’s end—which open and close the book—provide highly informative and enjoyable reading… The book’s importance lies in its neutrality. Many people have criticized Vietnam War correspondents, especially television reporters, for promoting antiwar sentiments. On the Frontlines of the Television War, which was edited by Terry Irving, contradicts that opinion by telling the story of a closely knit group of professionals who strove to report what they saw as accurately as possible. * Vietnam Veterans of America *

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Book SynopsisThe classic, revised story of how an elite group of US Air Force pilots fought a secret air war over Vietnam in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes―flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the Forward Air Controller made an art form out of an air strike―knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life and death decisions as a battle unfolded. The expertise of the low, slow FACs, as well as the hazards attendant to their role, made for a unique bird’s-eye perspective on how the entire war in Vietnam unfolded. For Tom Yarborough, who logged 1,500 hours of combat flying time, the risk was constant, intense and electrifying. A member of the super-secret “Prairie Fire” unit, Yarborough became one of the most frequently shot-up pilots flying out of Da Nang―engaging in a series of dangerous secret missions in Laos. In this work, the reader flies in the cockpit alongside Yarborough in his adrenaline-pumping chronicle of heroism, danger and wartime brotherhood. From the rescuing of downed pilots to taking out enemy positions, to the most harrowing extended missions directly overhead of the NVA, here is the dedication, courage and skill of the fliers who took the war into the enemy's backyard.Trade ReviewTom Yarborough's account of his involvement in just one aspect of the war makes for a hugely exciting read - not the kind of thing that made headline news at the time, but something quite extraordinary and amazing. * Books Monthly *

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Book SynopsisThe Angolan Civil War lasted over a quarter of a century, from 1975 to 2002. Beginning as a power struggle between two former liberation movements, the MPLA and UNITA, it became a Cold War struggle with involvement from the Soviet Union, Cuba, South Africa and the USA. This book examines the height of the Cuban-South African fighting in Angola in 1987–88, when 3,000 South African soldiers and about 8,000 UNITA guerrilla fighters fought in alliance against the Cubans and the armed forces of the Marxist MPLA government, a force of over 50,000 men. Bridgland pieced together the course of the war, fought in one of the world’s most remote and wild terrains, by interviewing the South Africans who fought it, and many of their accounts are woven into the narrative. This classic account of a Cold War struggle and its momentous consequences for the participants and across the continent, is released in a new edition with a new preface and epilogue.Trade ReviewRe-issued with a revised preface and interesting epilogue, this book has to be in the library of anyone who is interested in the minutiae of the war in Angola and the impact of the Cold War in Africa. * Miniature Wargames - Paul Jackson *...a very impressive contribution, which will have its place across the world in studies of this theatre. * Paul Trewhela, South African Journalist and Commentator *…a gripping text that highlights just how much political and social considerations dictate the outcome of war… A highly detailed work of military history, The War for Africa can tell us a lot about the nature of counter-insurgency warfare and how small states can become contested battlegrounds between superpowers. * New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisReviews for Hardback Edition: “In order to produce this fine book, the author has conducted extensive interviews with participants and consulted archival and published materials. This gives the book an excellent balance between the events as witnessed by the participants and the broader historic, strategic and tactical issues. It also makes for a great reading experience. The text is full of excellent “war stories” and covers a wide variety of combat and non-combat scenarios... You’ll not be disappointed. Highly recommended.” Missing LynxTrade ReviewTogether these books provide the definitive history of the USMC's tank forces…Very highly recommended. * Military Modelcraft International *An excellent read which fills a gap on my bookshelves. Recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *If you're interested in The Korean War, Tanks, or the US Marine Corps, this is an interesting book on an interesting subject that should give you some hours of entertainment, and remain on hand as a reference for the modeller or historian. Korea has for too long been called the forgotten war, and these USMC tankers probably forgotten more than most. Highly Recommended. * Britmodeller.com *...an often gut-wrenching account of brave, highly trained men doing their best under circumstances that defied them at virtually every turn. * The VVA Veteran *History's stories told in this unusual, veteran' voices format, alongside interesting archive photography leaves a lasting impression of what it might have been like to serve as a marine in this bitter and protracted war. * Classic Military Vehicle Magazine *

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Book SynopsisReviews for the Hardback Edition: “If you have any interest in the Vietnam War or military history in general I can thoroughly recommend Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam as a great read that's very hard to put down once you have started.” Model Military International“The Marine tankers found themselves in the forefront of this fierce fight and endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war, but throughout it all they demonstrated versatility, dedication and courage despite the harsh conditions and this excellent book tells the story of these men in a no-holds barred account of life of a US Marine Tanker.” Military Machines International“A fascinating read that takes you through the mind numbing daily routine of the M48 crews, their frightening actions and what happened to them afterwards.” Tankette“...an interesting book, giving us a very down-to-earth account of the war in Vietnam...” Tank“... an effective picture of the War from a Marine Corps tankers point of view” Classic Military Vehicle“This is an enthralling account of tank combat in Vietnam from the Marine perspective based largely on first hand accounts from veterans.” AFV Modeller UK“…does a fine job of combining the personal stories (of which there are many) of Marine tankers with well-documented descriptions of both tactical and strategic situations as they developed throughout the war….near the top of my must read military history list.” MilitaryTrade ReviewThis book is as readable as the films are watchable, but its content hasn't been tarnished or simplified by artistic license. * Classic Military Vehicle Magazine *Gilbert's book is a highly readable account of the Marine Corps' tankers campaigns in Vietnam…Very highly recommended. * Military Modelcraft International *Ideal information for model-makers…highly recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine *If you're interested in The Vietnam War, Tanks, or the US Marine Corps, this is an interesting book on an interesting subject that should give you some hours of entertainment, and remain on hand as a reference for the modeller or historian. Luckily Vietnam has not been as forgotten as some other wars, however the role of the USMC tankers has largely been ignored; not so now. Highly Recommended. * Britmodeller.com *

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Book SynopsisOn his second tour to Vietnam, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. This unit was part of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group), or Studies and Observations Group as it was innocuously called. The small recon companies that were the center of its activities conducted some of the most dangerous missions of the war, infiltrating areas controlled by the North Vietnamese in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The companies never exceeded more than 30 Americans, yet they were the best source for the enemy’s disposition and were key to the US military being able to take the war to the enemy. This was accomplished by utilizing both new and innovative technology, and tactics dating back to the French and Indian Wars.This small unit racked up one of the most impressive records of awards for valor of any unit in the history of the United States Army. It came at a terrible price, however; the number of wounded and killed in action was incredibly high. Those missions today seem suicidal. In 1970 they seemed equally so, yet these men went out day after day with their indigenous allies - Montagnard tribesmen, Vietnamese, and Chinese Nungs - and faced the challenges with courage and resolve.This riveting memoir details the actions and experiences of a small group of Americans and their allies who were the backbone of ground reconnaissance in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It became a cult classic among the Special Forces community when first published over a decade ago.Trade ReviewI can see why this book soon became a cult classic on its first publication ten years ago - it is essential reading, and spectacularly well written and quite riveting, for anyone with an interest in the conflict that defined modern-day America. * Books Monthly *We Few pulls no punches. This book endlessly recounts the wanton thievery that Special Forces men routinely engaged in, their predilection for random acts of violence, and their many dust-ups with REMF authority. Brokhausen is as hard-boiled as they come, but this book is also replete with plenty of humor, even if it is obsidian black… an excellent and exceptionally raw look at the Vietnam War just at the apex of its unpopularity… this battle-scarred memoir is an excellent tribute to the generation that fought, laughed, and died in Southeast Asia. * New York Journal of Books *Some of the action accounts have you holding your breath in anticipation of the ending. * Miniature Wargames - Chris Jarvis *

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Book SynopsisIn his own words Andre Scheepers describes his childhood on a farm, learning about the bush from his African friends, and becoming a soldier. The family had to leave the farm after being ambushed by terrorists.A quiet, introspective, deep thinker Andre started out as a trooper in the Rhodesian Light Infantry commandos and was hectically engaged in Fire-Force combat operations before leaving for the SAS. Wounded 12 times, his operational record is exceptional even by the high standards that existed at the time and he really emerges as the quintessential SAS officer displaying extraordinary calmness and audacious cunning in the course of a host of extremely dangerous operations.Loved by his men Andre, writes very eruditely about his mental and emotional condition during the war and reflects very candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since. Offered a commission in the British SAS after the conflict he decided to stop soldiering and entered a seminary whereupon he became a minister.In addition to Andre’s personal story the book also reveals more about the other men who were distinguished operators in other celebrated SAS operations. This is the story of soldiers, the hardships, the battles they fought and the challenges they faced.Trade ReviewIt is held here for the meticulous descriptions of the activities of the Rhodesian troops in Mozambique, almost always victorious, sometimes very far from the border. * Africana Studia 07/02/2019 *Table of ContentsEarly life; RLI recruits course; SAS selection; SAS operations; Officers course; RLI Fire-Force Operations; Back to the SAS; SAS operations. Late 78 – early 1980; Tactics in war; Personal reflections on war and challenges faced.

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Book SynopsisPeter Clark's year in Vietnam began in July 1966, when he was shipped out with hundreds of other young recruits, as a replacement in the 1st Infantry Division. Clark was assigned to the Alpha Company. Clark gives a visceral, vivid and immediate account of life in the platoon, as he progresses from green recruit to seasoned soldier over the course of a year in the complexities of the Vietnamese conflict. Clark gradually learns the techniques developed by US troops to cope with the daily horrors they encountered, the technical skills needed to fight and survive, and how to deal with the awful reality of civilian casualties. Fighting aside, it rained almost every day and insect bites constantly plagued the soldiers as they moved through dense jungle, muddy rice paddy and sandy roads. From the food they ate (largely canned meatballs, beans and potatoes) to the inventive ways they managed to shower, every aspect of the platoon’s lives is explored in this revealing book. The troops even managed to fit in some R&Rwhilst off-duty in the bars of Tokyo. Alpha One Sixteen follows Clark as he discovers how to cope with the vagaries of the enemy and the daily confusion the troops faced in distinguishing combatants from civilians. The Viet Cong were a largely unseen enemy who fought a guerrilla war, setting traps and landmines everywhere. Clark's vigilance develops as he gets used to ‘living in mortal terror,’ which a brush with death in a particularly terrifying fire fight does nothing to dispel. As he continues his journey, he chronicles those less fortunate; the heavy toll being taken all round him is powerfully described at the end of each chapter.Trade ReviewThis is one of those books - from a personal perspective anyway - that I had to keep reading. Not just for the account of the fighting but for the gentle humour and humanity that the author displayed…. A damn good book and I would heartily endorse it. * Army Rumour Service *… [a] particularly well-written, detailed and engaging piece of writing. * Armorama 24/07/2019 *A grunt’s account, gritty and napalm-raw, that exudes a stylish cynicism—one of the best memoirs to emerge from the Vietnam War. * Chris Cocks, author of 'Fireforce' *In intelligent, articulate and beautifully evocative language he renders an honest, moving and richly nuanced account of what it was like to go to war and then, being wounded, to come home again. Compassion, good sense, and decency permeate every page. An outstanding contribution to the literature of the Vietnam War. * Lewis Sorley, author of 'A Better War' *Thoughtful, provocative memoir of slogging through one of the worst of many bad years of the Vietnam War...A worthy entry in the vast library of books devoted to a misbegotten conflict. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisThe Secret War in Laos was one of the first “Long Wars” for special operations, spanning a period of about thirteen years. It was one of the largest CIA-paramilitary operations of the time, kept out of the view of the American public until now. Between 1959 and 1974, Green Berets were covertly deployed to Laos to prevent a communist take-over or at least preserve the kingdom's neutrality. Operators dressed in civilian clothes, armed with cover stories and answering only to "Mister", were delivered to the country by Air America, where they answered to the U.S. Ambassador. There they were faced with the complexities of the three factions in Laos, as well as operating with limited resources – maps of the country often had large blank areas and essential supplies often didn't arrive at all. In challenging tropical conditions they trained and undertook combat advisory duties with native and tribal forces. Veterans remember Hmong guerrillas and Lao soldiers who were often shorter than the M1 rifles they carried. The Green Berets' service in Laos was the first strategic challenge since its formation in 1952, and proved one of the first major applications of special warfare doctrine. Clouded in secrey until the 1990s, this story is comprehensively told for the first time using official archival documents and interviews with veterans.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing modern portraits and first-hand accounts, this book offers a unique perspective on the Vietnam War, bringing together the stories of American Vietnam war veterans, southern Vietnamese war veterans and civilians.The surreal imagery of Thomas Sanders' vivid portraits encourages the viewer to take a closer look at those who experienced the war, giving them a chance to read the haunting, inspirational, and sometimes comical stories of the individuals of the Vietnam War. Set in a surreal jungle environment, the portraits evoke the sense of darkness and uncertainty felt by those who experienced the war. Some of the portraits hold objects that relate to their role or experience during their time in the service. The objects tell a deeper story of a dark and confusing war: the common cigarette pack smoked by the vets while in the jungle; a homemade grenade made by the northern Vietnamese; and a “order to report” document – a piece of paper that changed many a life.Vietnam Portraits serves as a form of catharsis for the many people involved in the Vietnam War and honours them by giving them an opportunity to tell their story, bearing witness to their service, their experiences and the aftermath.Trade ReviewThis book does important work. * War History Online *

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Book SynopsisIn late 1971, the People's Army of Vietnam launched Campaign "Z" into northern Laos, escalating the war in Laos with the aim of defeating the last Royal Lao Army troops. The NVA troops numbered 27,000 and brought with them 130mm field guns and T-34 tanks, while the North Vietnamese air force launched MiG-21s into Lao air space. General Giap's specific orders to this task force were to kill the CIA army under command of the Hmong war lord Vang Pao and occupy its field headquarters in the Long Tieng valley of northeast Laos.They faced the rag-tag army of Vang Pao, fewer than 6,000 strong and mostly Thai irregulars, recruited by the Thai army to fight for the CIA in Laos. By the time the NVA launched their first attack, 4,000 Tahan Sua Pran had been recruited, armed, trained and rushed in position in Laos to defend against the impending NVA invasion. They reinforced Vang Pao's indigenous army of 1,800 Lao hillstribe guerrillas.Despite the odds being overwhelmingly in the NVA's favour, the battle did not go to plan. It raged for more than 100 days, the longest in the Vietnam War, and it all came down to Skyline Ridge. As at Dien Bien Phu, whoever won Skyline, won Laos.Against all odds, against all WDC expectations, the NVA lost, their 27,000-man invasion force decimated.James Parker served in Laos. Over many years he pieced together his own knowledge with CIA files and North Vietnamese after-action reports in order to tell the full story of the battle of Skyline Ridge.

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Book SynopsisEvery war continues to dwell in the lives it touched, in the lives of those living through that time, and in those absorbed by its historical significance. The Vietnam War lives on famously and infamously, dependent on political points of view, but those who have “been there, done that” have a highly personalized window on the time they spent in Vietnam creating that history. Valor in Vietnam focuses on nineteen stories of Vietnam, stories of celebrated characters in the veteran community, compelling war narratives, vignettes of battles, and the emotional impact on the combatants. It is replete with leadership lessons as well as lessons learned that are just as applicable today as they were forty years ago. Dedicated to “our comrades-in-arms, who did not return with us from Vietnam, and to those who did, but carry scars in body, soul and spirit,” this is an anecdotal history of America’s war in Vietnam composed of firsthand narratives of Vietnam War veterans, collected by the author, who is also a Vietnam War veteran, and presented in chronological order. These are intense, emotional, and highly personal stories. The Vietnam War transcended the relatively small geographic area within which it was contained. Depending on where you served, when you served, and what your work entailed— Green Beret A-team leader near the Laotian border, rifle company commander fighting in the Ia Drang Valley, Phoenix operative in the Delta, Swift Boat skipper patroling the mangrove swamps of the U Minh forest and Ca Mau Peninsula, air force F-4 Phantom pilot over Hanoi, combat medic in the A Shau Valley, piloting a navy A-1 Skyraider over the South China Sea—your experience was likely different, dramatically different from that of other veterans. The stories in Valor in Vietnam cover all this ground... and much more. Included are the experiences of vets from all four of America’s armed forces: the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. Historical commentary is provided by prominent military historian Lewis Sorely, West Point class of 1956 and Vietnam War veteran, and author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated Vietnam history A Better War: The Unexamined Victories and Final Tragedy of America’s Last Years in Vietnam (1999) and Westmoreland: The General Who Lost Vietnam (2011) among other books. This commentary provides the connective tissue between the stories: setting the stage, discussing what was going on during the war at that time, detailing the geography of the story, and presenting the then-current strategy of the war. Valor in Vietnam presents a historical overview of the war through the eyes of the participants, men and two women who lived it. Simply put, their stories serve to reflect the commitment, honor, and dedication with which America’s veterans performed their service in Vietnam.Trade ReviewFor anyone with an interest in the history of the Vietnam War, I am confident to recommend this as well worth reading. * Military Model Scene 01/07/2019 *What comes through in all stories is the troops' commitment and dedication to each other - something that can only be understood by brothers in arms. Well worth a read for any history buff. * Soldier Magazine 05/08/2019 *

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Book SynopsisSince the fall of Saigon in 1975 there have been many books published on why (and whether) America lost the war in Vietnam. The senior American commander in charge of prosecuting the war during its buildup and peak of fighting, Admiral U.S.G. Sharp, concluded his memoir, saying: “The real tragedy of Vietnam is that this war was not won by the other side, by Hanoi or Moscow or Peiping. It was lost in Washington, D. C.” This remains an all too common belief. The stark facts, though, are that the Vietnam War was lost before the first American shot was fired. In fact, it was lost before the first French Expeditionary Corps shot, almost two decades earlier, and was finally lost when the South Vietnamese fought partly, then entirely, on their own.Offering an informed and nuanced narrative of the entire 30-year war in Vietnam, this book seeks to explain why. It is written by a combatant not only in six violent, large battles and many smaller firefights, but a leader with a full range of pacification duties, a commander who lost 43 wonderful young men killed and many more wounded, men who were doing what their country asked of them. This story is the result of a quest for answers by one who, after decades of wondering what it was about – what was it all about? – turned to a years-long search of French, American, and Vietnamese sources. It is a story of success on the one hand, defeat on the other, and the ingredients of both, inspirational or sordid as they may be.It is a story mostly lived and revealed by the people inside Vietnam who were directly involved in the war: from leaders in high positions, down to the jungle boots and sandals level of the fighters, and among the Vietnamese people who were living the war. Because of what was happening inside Vietnam itself, no matter what policies and directives came out of Paris or Washington, or the influences in Moscow or Beijing, it is about a Vietnamese idea which would eventually triumph over bullets.Trade ReviewThe Vietnam War had already been lost long before the US became involved, says Haponski, himself a commander in that conflict. * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *an informed and nuanced narrative of the entire 30-year war in Vietnam * Society of 1st Infantry Division Quarterly Newsletter 09/08/2019 *

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Book SynopsisInherent in “A Navy Flyer’s Creed” is the power of inspiration: “My country built the best airplane in the world and entrusted it to me. They trained me to fly it. I will use it to the absolute limit of my power. With my fellow pilots, aircrew and deck crews, my plane and I will do anything necessary to carry out our tremendous responsibilities. When the going is fast and rough, I will not falter. I will be uncompromising in every blow I strike. I will be humble in victory. I am a United States Navy Flyer.” In Vietnam, barely a month after the start of the Tet Offensive in 1968, one such proud United States Navy flyer applied the fundamental but sometimes forgotten maxims expressed in this creed. And he dared to risk not only his naval career, but the lives of his fellow aircrewmen in rescuing a wounded U.S. Army advisor whose time had nearly run out and whose loss of blood meant that he was only moments away from certain battlefield death. The pilot, Lieutenant Commander Allen E. “Wes” Weseleskey, had been assigned to the Navy’s Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three, the “Seawolves” at the Vinh Long Army Airfield. His controversial mission took place on March 9, 1968 on the outskirts of Sadec, in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Two ARVN companies were being overwhelmed and despite coming under heavy fire, Weseleskey decided to go in and rescue as many survivors as possible. The accompanying Seawolf is forced to turn back after taking hits, but Weseleskey with the agreement of his crew persisted in the attempt, flying so low under the treeline that the VC rocket launchers were unable to reach it. On reaching base, it was observed that the overladen helicopter "looked like it had been used as a battering ram." Allen Weseleskey was awarded the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Navy Cross during his service. This is his story, from early assignments, clashes with superior officers, missions and rescues during the Tet Offensive, to homecoming. It is the story of a quintessential flyer, an American hero who was prepared to speak his mind and take risks. It also encapsulates the vital role of the Seawolves in the Vietnam War.

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Book SynopsisOn his second combat tour, Nick Brokhausen served in Recon Team Habu, CCN. This unit was part of MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group), or Studies and Observations Group as it was innocuously called. The small recon companies that were the center of its activities conducted some of the most dangerous missions of the war, infiltrating areas controlled by the North Vietnamese in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The companies never exceeded more than 30 Americans, yet they were the best source for the enemy’s disposition and were key to the US military being able to take the war to the enemy. This was accomplished by utilizing both new and innovative technology, and tactics dating back to the French and Indian Wars.This small unit racked up one of the most impressive records of awards for valor of any unit in the history of the United States Army. It came at a terrible price, however; the number of wounded and killed in action was incredibly high. Those missions today seem suicidal. In 1970 they seemed equally so, yet these men went out day after day with their indigenous allies – Montagnard tribesmen, Vietnamese, and Chinese Nungs - and faced the challenges with courage and resolve.Whispers in the Tall Grass is the second volume of Nick's riveting memoir of his time with MACV-SOG. Written in the same irreverent, immediate style that made We Few a cult classic, this book continues Nick's hair-raising adventures behind enemy lines, and movingly conveys the bonds that war creates between soldiers.Trade ReviewThere is much here for the wargamer. * Miniature Wargames *

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Book SynopsisKeith Nightingale’s accomplishments in both military and civilian life largely contribute to the excellence of Living and Breathing as a memoir of unusual depth as well as breadth.Uniquely adopting a third-person omniscient point of view, Nightingale eschews the “I” of memoir in favour of multiple perspectives and a larger historical vision that afford equal time and weight to ally and enemy alike. Examples of the many perspectives based on real-life characters include: Hu, a VC 'informant' whose false information led the Rangers straight into the jaws of a ferocious ambush; General Tanh, the COSVN commander; Major Nguyen Hiep, the 52d Ranger Commander; and Ranger POWs later returned by the North.Nightingale moreover offers the point of view of an American advisor to elite Vietnamese troops, a vital perspective regrettably underrepresented in the literature of Vietnam, including Burns’ documentary. Added to this are well-informed conjecture of enemy psychology; insight into the dedication and often misunderstood role of the elite Vietnamese Ranger forces; the intelligence acquired from debriefing captured Rangers, whose captors had told them that the entire battle had been a carefully staged attack planned by COSVN as part of a larger Total War strategy developed by the leadership of the North Vietnamese Army; and an eye-witness account by a gifted author who is a rare survivor of one of the most vicious – and heretofore forgotten – battles of the war.Trade ReviewIt provides a good backdrop to the operation, with an intese account of the fighting…' * Miniature Wargames *

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1967, the Marines in I Corps, South Vietnam’s northernmost military region, were doing everything they could to lighten the pressure on the besieged Con Thien Combat Base.Still fresh after months of relatively light action around Khe Sanh, the 3d Battalion, 26th Marines, was sent to the Con Thien region to secure the combat bases’ endangered main supply route. On 7 September 1967, its first full day in the new area of operations, separate elements of the battalion were attacked by at least two battalions of North Vietnamese infantry, and both were nearly overrun in night-long battles.On 10 September, while advancing to a new sector near Con Thien, the 3d Battalion, 26th Marines, was attacked by at least a full North Vietnamese regiment, the same NVA unit that had attacked it two days earlier. Divided into two separate defensive perimeters, the Marines battled through the afternoon and evening against repeated assaults by waves of NVA regulars intent upon achieving a major victory. In a battle described as 'Custer’s Last Stand—With Air Support', the Americans prevailed by the narrowest of margins.Ambush Valley is an unforgettable account of bravery and survival under impossible conditions. It is told entirely in the words of the men who faced the ordeal together – an unprecedented mosaic of action and emotion woven into an incredibly clear and vivid combat narrative by one of today’s most effective military historians. Ambush Valley achieves a new standard for oral history. It is a war story not to be missed.

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Book SynopsisTold from the point of view of the men in the foxholes and tanks, outposts and command posts, this is the definitive account of the epic retreat under fire of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.The author first sketches in the errors and miscalculations on the part of the American high command that caused the Marines to be strung out at the end of a narrow road scores of miles from the sea. He then plunges right into the action: the massing of Chinese forces in about ten-to-one strength; the Marines' command problems due to the climate and terrain and high-level over confidence; and the onset of the overwhelming Chinese assault.With a wealth of tactical detail and small-unit action, Eric Hammel's masterful account of Chosin offers invaluable perspective on war at the gut level.Trade Review[T]his is in many ways a book that reads as much as a gripping novel as a first-rate work of military history. Anyone with an interest in tactical small-unit combat will find much to appreciate in these pages. * Globe At War 11/01/2023 *

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Book SynopsisOn 18 August 1965, regiment fought regiment on the Van Tuong Peninsula near the new Marine base at Chu Lai – the first major clash of the Vietnam War. On the American side were three battalions of Marines under the command of Colonel Oscar Peatross, a hero of two previous wars. His opponent was the 1st Viet Cong Regiment commanded by Nguyen Dinh Trong, a veteran of many fights against the French and the South Vietnamese. Codenamed Operation Starlite, this action was a resounding success for the Marines and its result was cause for great optimism about America's future in Vietnam. Starlite catapulted the Vietnam War into the headlines across America and into the minds of Americans, where it took up residence for more than a decade. Starlite was the first step in Vietnam's becoming America's tar baby. The phrase "han tu" — "blood debt," came into Vietnamese usage early in the war with the United States. With this battle, the Johnson Administration began compiling its own blood debt, this one to the American peopleThis unique account of the battle is based not only on interviews with the Marines involved, from private to colonel, but also on interviews and battlefield walks with men who fought with the 1st Viet Cong Regiment, all of them accomplished combat veterans years before the U.S. entry into the war. The result is a detailed narrative of the battle from the mud level, by those who were at the point of the spear.The book also examines the ongoing conflict between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines about the methodology of the Vietnam War. With decades of experience with insurrection and rebellion, the Marines were institutionally oriented to base the struggle on pacification of the population. The Army, on the other hand, having largely trained to meet the Soviet Army on the plains of Germany, opted for search-and-destroy missions against Communist main force units. The history of the Vietnam War is littered with many 'what ifs'. This may be the biggest of them.

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Book SynopsisThe slang, the unique vocabulary of the soldiers and Marines serving in Vietnam was a mishmash of words and phrases reaching back to the Korean War, World War II, and even earlier. At the same time it used words and phrases reflecting the country's changing protest culture at home, ideological and poetical doctrine, ethical and cultural conflicts, and racialism and the drug culture. The slanguage in Vietnam was made even more complex by the Pidgin Vietnamese-English used by Americans and Vietnamese alike. American culture and society were changing rapidly and drastically at home and this bled into Vietnam. In the jungles, swamps, and hills of Vietnam soldier and marine slang also followed the traditional path of what was important to their daily lives: their leaders, the harsh environment, food, uniforms, weapons, equipment, and how they fought and lived in the country.

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Book SynopsisThis is an account of the battle of Kham Duc, one of the least known and most misunderstood battles in the American Phase of the Second Indochina War (1959 to 1975). At the time it was painted as a major American defeat, but this new history tells the full story.The authors have a unique ability to reassess this battle – one was present at the battle, the other was briefed on it prior to re-taking the site two years later. The book is based on exhaustive research, revisiting Kham Duc, interviewing battle veterans, and reading interview transcripts and statements of other battle participants, including former North Vietnamese Army (NVA) officers.Based on their research, the authors contend that Kham Duc did not 'fall' and was not 'overrun'. In fact, it was a successful effort to inflict mass attrition on a major NVA force with minimum American losses by voluntarily abandoning an anachronistic little trip-wire border camp serving as passive bait for General Westmoreland's 'lure and destroy' defensive tactics, as at Khe Sanh.Trade ReviewThis book is one of those rare historical narratives that explains in rich detail a battle that was little understood or reported on at the time it was fought but was of strategic importance and heroic dimension. * Marine Corps Gazette *

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Book SynopsisWhen the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment came ashore at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, in September 1966, it faced a number of challenges. The enemy - Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) - was, of course, the most critical challenge. But the terrain and weather were also factors that could adversely affect the employment ofboth armored vehicles and helicopters alike. The dearth of doctrine and tactics for the employment of armored cavalry in a counterinsurgency was equally challenging - especially during the pre-deployment training and initial combat operations. But just as importantly, there was an institutional bias within the Army that an insurgency was an infantryman’s war. Despite the thick jungle and monsoonal rains, despite the lack of doctrinal guidance, Blackhorse leaders found a way to overcome the obstacles and accomplish the mission. Within a year of their arrival in Vietnam, Blackhorse troopers overcame ambushes that featured volleys of anti-tank weapons, multitudes of mines, and coordinated assaults by reinforced enemy regiments against troop-sized positions. They defeated an entire enemy division twice their size. Most importantly, the 11th Cavalry successfully demonstrated the ability to operate on and off the roads, in the jungle, and during both the wet and dry seasons. By the spring of 1967, Army leaders were beginning to realize the value of armored forces in Vietnam. With the Blackhorse Regiment leading the way, armor was considered an essential part of the combat team.This is a history of the Blackhorse Regiment in the Vietnam War, and the stories of some of the 20,000 young Americans who served in its ranks during the war.

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Book SynopsisThe Freedom Shield brings together stories of veterans of the 191st Assault Helicopter Company, tasked with carrying troops into battle, attacking enemy positions and evacuating the wounded in their UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopters. The unit was assembled from a hodgepodge selection of hand-me-down aircraft, used equipment and overlooked personnel—its appearance belied the invaluable work the crews of the 191st would undertake during the Vietnam War. This narrative of the Company, told through collected stories of veterans, defines a breed of soldier newly minted in Vietnam: the combat assault-helicopter crewman.The 191st pilots, crews, and support personnel vividly share the details of what it was like to be at war, forced to rely on your fellow crewmembers for your own survival. Their accounts of helicopter combat at the height of the Vietnam conflict accurately recreate the sights and sounds of the battlefields, the fear and horror of watching close friends torn to pieces, their feelings on returning to base. Their message is infinitely clear: 'The price of freedom is painful.'Endorsements“The story of the 191st Assault Helicopter Company’s combat actions in Vietnam is one of heroism and dedication to duty. It is a vivid picture of young American soldiers full of P and V and the ‘want to’ needed to get the job done with bullets flying in all directions. An adrenaline rush is the order of the day. Read this book to gain new respect and admiration for the Vietnam-era veterans who fought in this unpopular war—they were truly magnificent!”—Brigadier General John C. “Doc” Bahnsen, Author of American Warrior: A Combat Memoir of Vietnam“An amazing story of perseverance and will. The author accurately chronicles how the 191st Assault Helicopter Company was assembled, during the haste of the Vietnam buildup, with secondhand equipment and filler personnel to become a crown jewel among aviation units in battle. A true testament of American mettle that we all still admire and envy.”—COL Alan B. Renshaw“This is a refreshing new perspective of the men inside the Hueys, who played such an important role in the conduct of the Vietnam War. How frequently the victorious accounts of combat units in Vietnam failed to credit the pilots and crews who risked everything so ground forces could do their job. Countless narratives mention these warriors only as inanimate objects. . . . This book speaks of the flesh and blood of those who flew those missions.”—COL Paul Patton Winkel Jr.“A riveting firsthand account of a combat assault-helicopter company in Vietnam. The book provides an invaluable number of Vietnam lessons learned, which flared up again in the more recent desert wars. A must read for aviators and commanders of combat units.”—COL FrancisW. Matthews“The author brings you up close and personal to the human side of helicopter warfare and the heart-wrenching fears and pains felt by the pilots and crews. A well-written account of how the tactical employment of airmobile assets can provide battlefield solutions as well as failures. Honest rendition of some intelligence and communications failures that resulted in extensive collateral damage on assaulting forces. Provides an extraordinary insight for ground commanders preparing for airmobile combat.”—COL John J. McGinn“Climb into the cockpit with 191st Assault Helicopter Company Huey pilots and experience combat assaults firsthand. Feel what it was like . . . flying into the Vietnamese jungle, never sure what might be waiting. Imagine yourself being one of the several sitting-duck ground targets receiving incoming small-arms fire while waiting for troops to load or unload. Nobody leaves the LZ till the last ship is ready. Listen to the clatter of the M60 door guns and the music of the lumbering Charlie-model gunships close overhead, pouring welcomed suppressive fire into the hostile tree lines, allowing the slicks to escape once more . . . usually.”—COL Dennis L. ButlerTable of ContentsForeword Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Ben Tre—A Bloody Fight Chapter 2: Birth of the Assault Helicopter Company Chapter 3: Patnode Commanding Chapter 4: Combat Ready Chapter 5: Airmobile Schemes Chapter 6: The Load Bearers Chapter 7: A Combat Assault from Lead’s Cockpit Chapter 8: Lethal Climate Chapter 9: Night Sampan Ambush Chapter 10: Human Wave VC Attack Chapter 11: Tet Offensive: The Communist Buildup Chapter 12: The Tet Offensive Begins Chapter 13: New Bounty Hunter Six Enters the Fight Chapter 14: Griggs Commanding Chapter 15: Crew Trust Chapter 16: Maintenance Crew Crash Chapter 17: Petric Commanding Chapter 18: Quiet but Deadly Chapter 19: The Hardest Blow Chapter 20: Schmidt Commanding Chapter 21: Battle at Ap My Thuan Chapter 22: The Natural Chapter 23: Mental Impacts of War Chapter 24: Conner Commanding with Bearden as Top Chapter 25: Nighthawk Down Chapter 26: The Final Call Killed in Action Glossary Index of Names

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Book Synopsis“Colonel Thomas Yarborough spent his time in the air over the A Shau Valley, but hehas detailed knowledge of what took place on the ground. He insightfully covers theinfantryman's hardships, difficulties, and physical price paid. Thanks to his extensiveresearch, study, and personal knowledge, Tom describes the nine-year war in the AShau in riveting detail. This book is a ‘must read’ for all interested in why we did notclose and win that war.” - Wesley L. Fox, Colonel USMC (Ret), Medal of Honorrecipient and author of Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps"Tom Yarborough provides a gripping, fast paced, page-turning account of America'sfinest warriors who fought in and above the most strategically important terrain inVietnam. A masterful blend of history, national strategy, and warrior ethos whichsimultaneously highlights leadership attributes at every level. A must read for allwarriors, scholars, and students of leadership. Additionally, it is a great tribute to thewarriors who fought, and those who died, in the A Shau Valley." - General H. HughShelton, U.S. Army (Ret), A Shau veteran, 14th Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, andauthor of Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior"... this is the first volume that looks solely at fighting in the A Shau during virtually theentire Vietnam War. It is a worthy endeavor." - The VVA Veteran"... arguably the first full length account of American combat in the valley, stands as asterling testament to the extraordinary courage- no less than 15 Medals of Honorwere awarded for actions in and around the valley- displayed by the men who foughtand died there." - Vietnam Magazine"The North Vietnamese Army and the US Army clashed frequently in this strategicvalley near the Ho Chi Min trail. The author covers the nine years of fighting thatoccurred there." - Military Heritage"This is a truly remarkable, well-written, thought-provoking book...will appeal to awide audience interested in gaining a better understanding of the Vietnam War" - OnPoint: The Journal of Army History"Yarborough's work is replete with repeated references to the valor of those whoserved in this hotly-contested section of Vietnam... Highly recommended for thoseinterested in this important part of the War in Vietnam." - Military Writer’s Society of America"A must-read book for anyone wanting to understand the success and failures of theU.S. military on the battlefields in Vietnam." - The Journal of America's Military PastThroughout the Vietnam War, one focal point persisted where the trainedprofessionals of the North Vietnamese and U.S. armies repeatedly fought head-to-head. A Shau Valor is a thoroughly documented study of nine years of American combat operations encompassing the crucial frontier valley and a 15-mile radiusaround it - the most deadly killing ground of the entire Vietnam War.Table of ContentsPREFACE MAP SECTION 1. Into the Valley of Death 2. The Rise and Fall of Camp A Shau 3. Project Delta Invades the Valley of Death 4. SOG: West of the A Shau 5. Annus Horribilis: 1968 6. Operation Dewey Canyon 7. Eleven Times Up Hamburger Hill 8. Ripcord: Valor in Defeat 9. A Shau Fini: The Ninth Year 10. A Bard for the Grunts EPILOGUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS CHAPTER NOTES GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisFollowing the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the subsequent fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein, the U.S. government embarked upon a reconstruction effort which included rebuilding an Iraqi National Police. Retired and former American Police Officers were contracted to travel to Iraq to train this new police force. Dependent on their experience and ingenuity to make life bearable under very austere conditions, and relying on the ‘gallows sense of humor’ they had acquired during their time in law enforcement back in the States, the instructors persevered in their task, often under trying and difficult circumstances, as well as hostile fire from insurgents determined to prevent the Iraqi police from regaining control of the streets of Baghdad. Life at the Police Academy varied from sheer boredom to moments of terror as mortars and rockets rained in. Leaving the academy to travel through the streets of Baghdad to the Green Zone for meetings could easily result in being ambushed. D. W. Wilber recounts his experiences as part of this effort, and the unique personalities who came to Baghdad to serve as instructors to the Iraqi Police Cadets attending the Baghdad Police Academy.Table of ContentsThere’s a Hell of a Gunfight going on Back Home, to the World Again Introduction to ICITAP, Baghdad Baghdad or Bust Never Have so Many Done so Little for so Much An Armed Cop is a Happy Cop Into the Red Zone Camp Shield (The Baghdad Police Academy) Happy New Year From Baghdad Gentlemen, Start Your Engines Choir Practice, Iraq Style“Thank You For Your Service” And So It Begins (The First Day) The Tin Hut Promotion, or Not Morale Phone ? What Morale Phone ? Hide and Seek, For Thirteen Thousand Dollars a Month The Seven Dead Puppies Saloon Banking With a Gun on Your Hip Wiffle Ball Champs Graduation Personalities Going Home Lessons Learned

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Book SynopsisSelected in 2005 by the Army to be the first airborne reconnaissance squadron, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, better known as 5-73 CAV, was formed from 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The members of the squadron were hand-selected by the squadron command team, Lieutenant Colonel Poppas and Command Sergeant Major Edgar. With just more than 400 paratroopers, they were half the size of a full-strength battalion and the smallest unit in the Panther Brigade.The squadron deployed to eastern Diyala in August, 2006. Despite their size, they were tasked with an enormous mission and were given the largest area of operations within the brigade. Appropriately for a unit known by the call sign of its CO—Headhunter—5-73 would go on to pursue various terrorist factions including Al Qaeda in Iraq. They got results, and 5-73 was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for launching the Turki Bowl campaign from November 2006 to January 2007 against insurgent groups in Diyala Province. However the toll would be heavy—the squadron lost twenty-two paratroopers during the deploymentHeadhunter is a unique account of the War on Terror. It’s a soldier’s story, told by those very paratroopers who gallantly fought to tame Diyala. Based on dozens of interviews conducted by the author, the narrative describes the danger of combat, the loss of comrades and the struggles of returning from a deployment. The voice of the families left behind are also included, describing ther challenges they faced, including the ultimate challenge—grappling with the death of a loved one. This book explores the human dimensions of loss and struggle and illustrates the sacrifices our service members and their loved ones make.Trade ReviewWell researched and comprehensive… * SirReadsAlot 22/03/2021 *a highly interesting and detailed account… * Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International *Headhunter is a gut punch that pulls out the raw emotion of combat and the feelings of losing those closest to you. If one is unfamiliar with war, Headhunter will shock the senses. * ARMY Magazine *Table of ContentsDedication Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter 1 Push Forward Chapter 2 Alpha Troop and Patrol Base Otis Chapter 3 AO Headhunter Chapter 4 Turki Bowl I Chapter 5 November 15, 2006 Chapter 6 November 16, 2006 Chapter 7 Stairway to Heaven Chapter 8 The Lost Boys of Alpha Mortars Chapter 9 Turki Shaping Operations Chapter 10 Turki Bowl II Chapter 11 Tightening the Noose Chapter 12 Hot Chow Chapter 13 Clear, Hold, Build Chapter 14 Operation 300 Chapter 15 Marathon Chapter 16 Troy Chapter 17 As Sadah—March 17, 2007 Chapter 18 Minotaur Chapter 19 Qubbah Chapter 20 Hardship of Loss Chapter 21 Long Shots & Landslide Chapter 22 April 7, 2007 Chapter 23 As Sadah—April 23, 2007 Chapter 24 We Regret to Inform You Chapter 25 Tim Cole Chapter 26 Olympus, Hoplite and Pericles Chapter 27 Church, Duran and Home Epilogue Endnotes Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisCounterinsurgency is defined as efforts to defeat and confine a rebellion against a constituted authority. While it has become a buzz-word in the last twenty years, it is as old as society itself. This concise history discusses the development of modern counterinsurgency over the last two hundred years, beginning with the origins of modern insurgency from the concept of ‘small wars’ and colonial warfare, through the ideas of early insurgents including Clausewitz and the theories of Lawrence of Arabia, to the methods of 20th-century insurgents, including Mao and Che Guevara.It then examines a number of post-1945 insurgencies and how western armies have tried to counter them, in particular how the French tried to counter insurgencies in Indochina and Algeria, and then the US in Vietnam, and the reaction to the American experience there. This is compared with the British approach in the years after World War II, particularly in Malaya, but also in Kenya and Northern Ireland. Against that backdrop there is an examination of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and Iraq, the rise of COIN literature, and the subsequent backlash against that literature. The book concludes with a discussion on the future of COIN.Trade Review…concise introduction to modern counterinsurgency, involving the methods and tactics that those currently serving will immediately recognise. […] a fairly academic overview of the subject, but it’s concise format ensures that the tempo of reading remains manageable. * Royal Anglian News 19/07/2021 *…an excellent account of the components of effectiveness in counterinsurgency campaigns. […] accompanied by a valuable discussion of the evolution of counterinsurgency doctrines in the British and American militaries. * Perspectives on Terrorism 05/07/2021 *Quite apart from its merits as a more than useful reference for members of the Armed Forces I commend this book as a ‘must read’ for politicians, diplomats, policy makers, political advisers, Foreign Aid practitioners, officials across government and the Treasury. * Sir Andrew Graham Bt CB CBE 13/09/2021 *

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Book SynopsisCourage Under Fire is the first book published about Operation Lamar Plain. After 50 years, the story of the renowned 101st Airborne's major offensive near Tam Ky, South Vietnam remains largely unknown. Fighting at Tam Ky by the 1st Brigade began 15 May 1969 while the 101st's 3rd Brigade battled on Hamburger Hill. The political consequences of Hamburger Hill's high casualties caused Lamar Plain and its high casualties to remain classified and undisclosed. Decades later, the fighting at Tam Ky is mostly forgotten except by those who fought there.Sherwood's superb research of now declassified records uncovers how such a large battle could remain hidden and undisclosed. But that is not the heart of his story. His focus is on the courage and commitment of the young infantry soldiers who fought. Many were sons of WWII and Korean War veterans. They had a legacy to uphold - to honor their families, the 101st Airborne, and their nation. Most of all in the crux of battle, they would not let their fellow soldiers down.Courage Under Fire uses actual battle records and eyewitness accounts to follow "Never Quit" Delta Company and its sister companies through 28 days of continuous combat at Tam Ky. Delta Company's young infantry soldiers live up to their motto despite increasing casualties, a tough enemy, harsh battlefield conditions, and loss of leaders. For all who fought at Tam Ky, their bravery and devotion to duty in an increasingly unpopular war is worthy to be remembered. With veterans of Tam Ky now growing older and fewer in number, it is past time to tell their story.Trade ReviewFor those with an interest in the Vietnam War, small unit actions, a forgotten era of combat or who wish to study human behaviour, this is a good read. The detail is excellent and will prove useful to both wargamers and historians. Highly recommended. * Scale Military Modelling International Magazine 31/08/2021 *[The author's] intent in writing this account is to honor those who served and educate their families as to what their loved ones experienced. In this effort he has succeeded for the book is full of the small details of military life, field service and combat which mark an infantryman's experience. * Military Heritage *Written and presented like a series of after-action reports, Courage Under Fire provides readers a thorough examination of Operation Lamar Plain from the point of view of the soldiers on the ground, particularly those of Sherwood's company. The author provides great detail on all aspects of the fighting. * ARMY *Courage Under Fire tells the story of the courage and bravery of the Vietnam soldier in a compelling fashion fit for audiences of all generations; As a retired Army Infantry officer, retired US history teacher, and a proudly still serving veteran, I highly recommend Courage Under Fire. * LTC (R) Dale Barnett, Past National Commander, The American Legion 2015-16 *Table of ContentsForeword The Infantryman’s Creed Preface Acknowledgements Prologue Introduction: Into the Fray Part 1 Combat Operations Before Tam Ky, 1 March–15 May 1969 Chapter 1 Hue and Beyond, 1 March–11 April Chapter 2 The A Shau Valley, 12 April–15 May Part 2 Initial Combat Operations at Tam Ky, 15 May–2 June 1969 Chapter 3 Arrival and First Combat Assault, 15–16 May Chapter 4 Finding the Enemy, 17–20 May Chapter 5 A Brutal Day-Long Engagement, 21 May Chapter 6 Recovery and Review, 21–22 May Chapter 7 Follow-on Operations, 23–30 May Chapter 8 A Broken Cease Fire, 31 May Chapter 9 Change of Command, 1–2 June Part 3 The Decisive Battle at Tam Ky, 3–12 June 1969 Chapter 10 Hill 376: The Final Challenge Chapter 11 Combat Assault and First Contact, 3–4 June Chapter 12 Trouble on the Hill, 5 June Chapter 13 The Move to the Top, 6 June Chapter 14 Nearing the Top, 7 June Chapter 15 Unexpected Setbacks, 8 June Chapter 16 Turning Point, 9 June Chapter 17 Aftermath, 10 June Chapter 18 Coming Off the Hill, 11 June Chapter 19 Extraction, 12 June Chapter 20 Final Thoughts on Hill 376 and Tam Ky Epilogue Looking Back Over 50 Years Later Appendix 1 Operation Lamar Plain: A Hidden and Almost Forgotten Battle Appendix 2 The Enemy at Tam Ky Appendix 3 Organization for Combat at Tam Ky Appendix 4 Delta Company Soldiers Appendix 5 Delta Soldiers Killed in Action, 1 March–15 August 1969 Appendix 6 1-501st Medics Killed in Action, 1 March–15 August 1969 Appendix 7 PTSD and Agent Orange Appendix 8 Life After Vietnam Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Bibliography Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisFor the first two weeks of the Easter Offensive of 1972, the 571st Military Intelligence Detachment provided the only pertinent collateral intelligence available to American forces. Twice daily, the Detachment provided intelligence to the USS Buchanan (DDG-14), US Navy SEALS and Special Forces units including tactical and strategic forecasts of enemy movements, information that was otherwise unavailable to U.S. units and advisors in-country.In the weeks before the offensive, vital agent reports and verbal warnings by the 571st MI Detachment had been ignored by all the major commands; they were only heeded, and then only very reluctantly, once the Offensive began. This refusal to listen to the intelligence explains why no Army or USMC organizations were on-call to recover prisoners discovered or U.S. personnel downed behind enemy lines, as in the BAT-21 incident, as the last two Combat Recon Platoons in Vietnam had been disbanded six weeks before the offensive began. The lessons and experiences of Operation Lam Son 719 in the previous year were ignored, especially with regard to the NVA’s tactical use of tanks and artillery. In his memoir, Bob Baker, the only intelligence analyst with the 571st MI Detachment in 1972, reveals these and other heroics and blunders during a key moment in the Vietnam War.Trade Review...provides the historical intelligence example that can be used today by current military leaders and educators regarding the planning staff’s responsibility to help the commander’s visual the battlefield. * Military Review 16/12/2022 *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1 – Growing Up an Army Brat Chapter 2 – Basic Training Chapter 3 – USA Intelligence School Chapter 4 – On To Vietnam Chapter 5 – My New Home Chapter 6 – The Laos Prelude Chapter 7 – Skyline Ridge/Campaign Z Chapter 8 – Disrupting Internal Affairs Chapter 9 – ABC’s of the Easter Offensive of 1972 Chapter 10 -The Enemy Plan Chapter 11 – What Enemy? Chapter 12 – Day 1: Thursday, 30 March 1972 “...let slip the dogs of war.” Chapter 13 - The South Vietnamese Marines and their U.S. Advisors Chapter 14 - Cut and Run: What ARVN called “Mobility” Chapter 15 - The 571st “Recce Squadron” Chapter 16 - Too, Too Many Tanks Chapter 17 - In Retrospect Chapter 18 - Prologue to Surrender Chapter 19 - A Massacre near the Rockpile? Chapter 20 - NVA Artillery in the Easter Offensive Chapter 21 - The Bridge at Dong Ha Chapter 22 - NVA Tanks Resume Chapter 23 - U.S.S. Buchanan (DDG-14) Chapter 24 - BAT-21 Chapter 25 - Independent NVA Regiment Actions in I Corps Area Chapter 26 – National Intelligence Chapter 27 – Theater and Area Commands Chapter 28 – Diversions and Deceptions at the Onset Chapter 29 – 571st Military Intelligence Detachment Chapter 30 - Observations, Reflections, and Conclusions Chapter 31 – Astrology (tu vi) Use Chapter 32 – Southern I Corps Chapter 33 - Quang Trung 729 Chapter 34 – Lessons Still Disregarded Epilogue Appendices Index

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Book SynopsisWhat will happen when international forces finally vacate Afghanistan? The answer to that question is unknown, but if there is any hope for Afghanistan, veteran journalist Peter Eichstaedt asserts, it is with its people. After spending 2004 in Afghanistan working for the nonprofit Institute for War and Peace Reporting and helping build Afghanistan’s first independent news agency, Eichstaedt returned to Kabul in 2010. As he worked with Afghan journalists to document their history and collective struggles, he realized that although Kabul itself appeared cleaned up, with freshly paved roads, the optimism of the newly liberated capital had faded under the rise of the Taliban insurgency. Eichstaedt subsequently crisscrossed the country to interview an astonishing array of Afghans. In Above the Din of War, he shares these conversations, including emotional and critical commentary and opinions from a former warlord, a Taliban judge, victims of self-immolation, poppy growers, courageous women parliamentarians, would-be suicide bombers, a besieged video store owner, frightened mullahs, and desperate archaeologists. Providing a forum for the everyday people of Afghanistan to be heard, Eichstaedt reveals the truth behind the calculated rhetoric of war, politics, and diplomacy, and suggests a path forward toward a sustainable future for Afghanistan and southern Asia.Trade Review"Authentic voices of Afghanistanones the US news media have not brought youcome to life through Eichstaedt's capable reporting as compelling reading, vitally important for their future. And ours." David Isby, author, Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires" Above the Din of War is a critical read for anyone looking to understand what's at stake and likely to happen as American forces leave Afghanistan in 2014." Tom A. Peter, Afghanistan correspondent, The Christian Science Monitor"These are vivid, mostly sympathetic portraits of Afghans who have weathered decades of chaos, and though a solution still seems far-off, Eichstaedt has done a great service by bringing their perspectives to the American public. . . . illuminating, timely, and necessary." -- Publishers Weekly"A work of skilled and brutally honest journalism. Heartbreaking and spellbinding dispatches from a country descending into madness." Kirkus Reviews"Filled with testimony from the Afghan people, this is an eyeopening, important examination of Afghanistan today."-- Booklist"Peter Eichstaedt's portrait of Afghanistan, based on a year of travel there, is revealing and unusual because he invites the views of locals from all kinds of backgrounds." South China Morning Post"Powerful collection of interviews with Afghan people." Denver Post

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Book SynopsisWhat will happen when international forces finally vacate Afghanistan? The answer to that question is unknown, but if there is any hope for Afghanistan, veteran journalist Peter Eichstaedt asserts, it is with its people. After spending 2004 in Afghanistan working for the nonprofit Institute for War and Peace Reporting and helping build Afghanistan’s first independent news agency, Eichstaedt returned to Kabul in 2010. As he worked with Afghan journalists to document their history and collective struggles, he realized that although Kabul itself appeared cleaned up, with freshly paved roads, the optimism of the newly liberated capital had faded under the rise of the Taliban insurgency. Eichstaedt subsequently crisscrossed the country to interview an astonishing array of Afghans. In Above the Din of War, he shares these conversations, including emotional and critical commentary and opinions from a former warlord, a Taliban judge, victims of self-immolation, poppy growers, courageous women parliamentarians, would-be suicide bombers, a besieged video store owner, frightened mullahs, and desperate archaeologists. Providing a forum for the everyday people of Afghanistan to be heard, Eichstaedt reveals the truth behind the calculated rhetoric of war, politics, and diplomacy, and suggests a path forward toward a sustainable future for Afghanistan and southern Asia.Trade Review"Authentic voices of Afghanistan--ones the US news media have not brought you--come to life through Eichstaedt's capable reporting as compelling reading, vitally important for their future. And ours." --David Isby, author of Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires"Above the Din of War is a critical read for anyone looking to understand what's at stake and likely to happen as American forces leave Afghanistan in 2014." --Tom A. Peter, Afghanistan correspondent, The Christian Science Monitor"These are vivid, mostly sympathetic portraits of Afghans who have weathered decades of chaos, and though a solution still seems far-off, Eichstaedt has done a great service by bringing their perspectives to the American public. . . . illuminating, timely, and necessary." -- Publishers Weekly"A work of skilled and brutally honest journalism. Heartbreaking and spellbinding dispatches from a country descending into madness." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book Synopsis The Last Warlord tells the story of the brotherhood forged in the mountains of Afghanistan between elite American Green Berets and Dostum that is told in the movie 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horsesoldiers The Last Warlord tells the spellbinding story of the legendary Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, a larger-than-life figure who guided US Special Forces to victory over the Taliban after 9/11. Having gained unprecedented access to General Dostum and his family and subcommanders, as well as local chieftains, mullahs, elders, Taliban prisoners, and women’s rights activists, scholar Brian Glyn Williams paints a fascinating portrait of this Northern Alliance Uzbek commander who has been shrouded in mystery and contradicting hearsay. In contrast to sensational media accounts that have mythologized the “bear of a man with a gruff laugh” who “some Uzbeks swear, has on occasion frightened people to death,” Williams carefully chronicles Dostum’s rise from peasant villager to Uzbek leader and skilled strategist who has fought a long and bitter war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda fanatics that have sought to repress his people. Also revealed is Dostum’s surprising history as a defender of women’s rights and religious moderation. In riveting detail The Last Warlord spotlights the crucial Afghan contribution to Operation Enduring Freedom: how the CIA contacted the mysterious warrior Dostum to help US Special Forces wage a covert war in the mountains of Afghanistan, how respect and even friendship quickly grew between the Afghan and American fighting men, and how Dostum led his nomadic people charging into war the same way his ancestors had—on horseback. The result was one of the most decisive campaigns in the entire war on terror. The Last Warlord shows that, far from serving as an exotic backdrop for American heroics, it was these horse-mounted descendents of the Mongol warrior Genghis Khan that allowed the American military to overthrow the Taliban regime in a matter of weeks.. Trade Review"A riveting account of a warlord's rise to power that has all the drama, intrigue, and warfare of The Kite Runner , only this Afghan story is real." --Scott C. Levi, associate professor of Central Asian history, Ohio State University"A jewel. General Abdul Rashid Dostum is a crucial and colorful character in the United States' stunning victory over the Taliban." --Peter Eichstaedt, author, Above the Din of War"...will appeal mostly to academics and those with an intense interest in the collapse of the Taliban."-- Kirkus Reviews"Dostum's story of never-ending battles, assassination attempts, and alliances forming and breaking in the blink of an eye is fascinating, whether he is regarded as hero or villain." - Publishers Weekly" The Last Warlord sheds essential light on the political challenges and drama that continue to grip Afghanistan. When the last regular US troops have left that country, the Uzbek fighter and politician Abdul Rashid--Dostum--as well as Tajiks, Hazaras, and Pashtun, will remain, and Williams's book is an illuminating guide to what may lie ahead." --Doug Stanton, New York Times bestselling author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers" The Last Warlord is an in-depth look at one of the most important figures of the war in Afghanistan. Dostum played a key role in the early years of the war, and Williams does a great job telling the story of a very complex man and the Americans that fought with him." --Kevin Maurer, coauthor of No Easy Day"Williams offers an intimate portrait not only of the warrior, but of the Afghan nation that so many have tried and failed to get their arms around." -- Bubblews.comTable of ContentsMaps PrefaceChronology 1 The Warlord of Mazar2 How to Meet a Warlord 3 The Approaching Storm4 Raiders5 The Last Line of Defense6 The Evil Comes to America7 The Search for a Plan8 Khoja Doko Village, 19549 The First Battles10 The Soldier11 The Traitor12 Khadija13 Conspiracies14 The Warlord15 The Coup16 Malik17 The Americans18 The Offensive Begins19 Interview with a WarlordEpilogue AcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book Synopsis“Richard Opio has neither the look of a cold-blooded killer nor the heart of one. Yet as his mother and father lay on the ground with their hands tied, Richard used the blunt end of an ax to crush their skulls. He was ordered to do this by a unit commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group that has terrorized northern Uganda for twenty years. The memory racks Richard’s slender body as he wipes away tears.” For more than twenty years, beginning in the mid-1980s, the Lord’s Resistance Army has ravaged northern Uganda. Tens of thousands have been slaughtered, and thousands more mutilated and traumatized. At least 1.5 million people have been driven from a pastoral existence into the squalor of refugee camps. The leader of the rebel army is the rarely seen Joseph Kony, a former witchdoctor and self-professed spirit medium who continues to evade justice and wield power from somewhere near the Congo~Sudan border. Kony claims he not only can predict the future but also can control the minds of his fighters. And control them he does: the Lord’s Resistance Army consists of children who are abducted from their homes under cover of night. As initiation, the boys are forced to commit atrocities—murdering their parents, friends, and relatives—and the kidnapped girls are forced into lives of sexual slavery and labor. In First Kill Your Family, veteran journalist Peter Eichstaedt goes into the war-torn villages and refugee camps, talking to former child soldiers, child “brides,” and other victims. He examines the cultlike convictions of the army; how a pervasive belief in witchcraft, the spirit world, and the supernatural gave rise to this and other deadly movements; and what the global community can do to bring peace and justice to the region. This insightful analysis delves into the war’s foundations and argues that, much like Rwanda’s genocide, international intervention is needed to stop Africa’s virulent cycle of violence.Trade Review"Heartfelt ... A close analysis of [an] underreported crisis." -- Publishers Weekly"In-depth reporting ... an intimate spin." -- Kirkus Reviews"You must read this powerful book. Peter Eichstaedt has given voice to the victims of the largely unheard-of tragedy of Uganda. This story calls out to our very humanity." -- Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu"A book filled with haunting images that leave one groping for answers." -- Mac Maharaj, South African author & activist"This book is a call to action to help our brothers and sisters in Africa that we can no longer ignore." -- John Dau, president, John Dau Sudan Foundation & co-author, God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir"This fine first-hand account should be read by anyone seeking to grapple with the challenges of war and peace in coming decades." -- Douglas Farah, author, Merchant of Death & Blood from Stones

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Book SynopsisLIFE was one of the premiere sources of news about the Vietnam War and its coverage was revolutionary; Larry Burrows was the first photographer to document a war primarily in colour, because LIFE had figured out, with the new printing methods of the 1960s, how to accommodate more colour pages. The pictures are as arresting today as they were in their time. However, LIFE not only reinvented war coverage but we travelled as America did: from pro-war to "One Week's Dead." LIFE in fact led the way. Many wars have served to protect America or America's interests. Even the Civil War was about maintaining the Union. Vietnam was the first war since the Revolution that changed America profoundly - sociologically, and in how we thought about war, aggression and the feeling that America was infallible. Journalists, college students and eventually soldiers themselves started to question such things as "America's always right" and "America has never lost a war." The war at home, which LIFE covered just as vividly as the war in Southeast Asia, was waged on the campuses and at the conventions. All of that photography will be here in this 50th anniversary commemorative. This special book will include new interviews with veterans, a special photo essay on the history of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, a pictorial report on unified Vietnam today, a revisiting of LIFE's editorial treatment of the war, an account of legendary photographers (Burrows, Robert Capa) lost during the era in Southeast Asia (including a reminiscence by Burrows' son, Russell, and daughter-in-law, LIFE's own Bobbi Baker Burrows), a report on the other photographs that made history (Eddie Adams' execution shot, Nick Ut's "Napalm Girl," including Joe McNally's revisit with the grown woman in Canada, exclusively for LIFE).

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Book SynopsisA Vietnam War veteran paints a searing portrait of his one-year tour of duty as an Army draftee, shedding light on the emotional and physical casualties of war  In this intimate memoir, Perry A. Ulander chronicles with powerful clarity the bewildering predicament he confronted and the fellowship and guidance that transformed him during the year he served as an American GI in the jungles of Vietnam. Conveying with unadorned precision the harrowing experiences that shatter his core beliefs, Ulander also captures the camaraderie and humor of his platoon, the hostility between “lifers” and draftees, the physical hardships of reconnaissance missions, and the unrelenting apprehension underlying everyday life. Ultimately, he describes the surrendering of social norms and accepted identities that allows him to glimpse a previously unimagined realm of heightened awareness.   Written after a lifetime of reflection on the nature of war and the effect of violence and domination on the minds and spirits of those forced to practice it, Walking Point offers a powerful narrative for readers with an interest in the effects of war and violence, American involvement in Vietnam, PTSD, and how trauma can be a catalyst for spiritual transformation. Giving voice to profound insights gained through extreme adversity, Ulander movingly captures the depth of trust and commitment among a group of unwitting warriors who struggle to stay alive and sane in unchartered territory.

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Book SynopsisFor a Kentucky rifleman who spent his tour trudging through Vietnam's Central Highlands, it was Nancy Sinatra's ""These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."" For a ""tunnel rat"" who blew smoke into the Viet Cong's underground tunnels, it was Jimi Hendrix's ""Purple Haze."" For a black marine distraught over the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., it was Aretha Franklin's ""Chain of Fools."" And for countless other Vietnam vets, it was ""I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die,"" ""Who'll Stop the Rain,"" or the song that gives this book its title.In We Gotta Get Out of This Place, Doug Bradley and Craig Werner place popular music at the heart of the American experience in Vietnam. They explore how and why U.S. troops turned to music as a way of connecting to each other and the World back home and of coping with the complexities of the war they had been sent to fight. They also demonstrate that music was important for every group of Vietnam veterans -- black and white, Latino and Native American, men and women, officers and ""grunts"" -- whose personal reflections drive the book's narrative. Many of the voices are those of ordinary soldiers, airmen, seamen, and marines. But there are also ""solo"" pieces by veterans whose writings have shaped our understanding of the war -- Karl Marlantes, Alfredo Vea, Yusef Komunyakaa, Bill Ehrhart, Arthur Flowers -- as well as songwriters and performers whose music influenced soldiers' lives, including Eric Burdon, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Country Joe McDonald, and John Fogerty. Together their testimony taps into memories -- individual and cultural -- that capture a central if often overlooked component of the American war in Vietnam.Trade Review"Intimate and deeply informative, with a scope that encompasses both the war itself and the way that music has helped raise awareness of veterans' issues long after its end."—Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisPraised as a “superb scholarly achievement” (Foreign Policy), The Road Not Taken confirms Max Boot’s role as a “master chronicler” (Washington Times) of American military affairs. Through dozens of interviews and never-before-seen documents, Boot rescues Edward Lansdale (1908–1987) from historical ignominy to “restore a sense of proportion” to this “political Svengali, or ‘Lawrence of Asia’ ”(The New Yorker). Boot demonstrates how Lansdale, the man said to be the fictional model for Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, pioneered a “hearts and minds” diplomacy, first in the Philippines and then in Vietnam. Bringing a tragic complexity to Lansdale and a nuanced analysis to his visionary foreign policy, Boot suggests Vietnam could have been different had we only listened. With contemporary reverberations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, The Road Not Taken is a “judicious and absorbing” (New York Times Book Review) biography of lasting historical consequence.Trade Review"The Road Not Taken is an impressive work, an epic and elegant biography based on voluminous archival sources. It belongs to a genre of books that takes a seemingly obscure hero and uses his story as a vehicle to capture a whole era... The Road Not Taken gives a vivid portrait of a remarkable man and intelligently challenges the lazy assumption that failed wars are destined to fail or that failure, if it comes, cannot be saved from the worst possible outcome." -- Robert D. Kaplan, Wall Street Journal"Judicious and absorbing.... Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, brings solid credentials to this enterprise. . . . Here he draws on a range of material, official and personal.... What emerges is a picture of a man who from an early point possessed an unusual ability to relate to other people, a stereotypically American can-do optimism, an impatience with bureaucracy and a fascination with psychological warfare." -- Fredrik Logevall, New York Times Book Review"Max Boot capably and readably tracks the fascinating but ultimately depressing trajectory of this shadowy figure, who, as a murky undercover operative and a literary and cinematic avatar, looms over or lurks behind some of the crucial moments in U.S. foreign policy in the decades following World War II, culminating in its greatest disaster." -- James G. Hershberg, Washington Post"Max Boot has now put Lansdale back where he belongs, at the center of the story of the war.... [H]is book is the product of serious scholarship, not ideology. Boot has scoured the archives and found intriguing new material.... The Road Not Taken is an admiring but also critical biography; it invites many quibbles but rewards the reader with an engrossing portrait of a unique figure who defied the bureaucratic values of the institutions in which he served." -- Robert G. Kaiser, New York Review of Books"A brilliant, extremely well-written book about a forgotten figure who was one of the most extraordinary and utterly unorthodox espionage agents in history." -- Steve Forbes, Forbes"The Road Not Taken... is expansive and detailed, it is well written, and it sheds light on a good deal about U.S. covert activities in postwar Southeast Asia.... [Boot] believes that Lansdale’s approach was the wiser one, but he is cautious in his analysis of what went wrong." -- Louis Menand, The New Yorker"Edward Lansdale is probably the greatest cold warrior that most Americans have never heard of. Max Boot has written a fascinating account of how this California college humorist, frat boy and advertising executive evolved into a counterinsurgency expert before the term was even coined. . . . This book should be read in Baghdad and Kabul, not only by Americans, but by local leaders." -- Gary Anderson, Washington Times"Deeply researched and evenhanded, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam is a superb scholarly achievement.... [Boot] comes at Lansdale having already written two major books of small wars and counterinsurgency, a solid foundation that he takes to a new level here with rigorous research and dogged investigation into little-known corners of Lansdale’s life." -- Carter Malkasian, Foreign Policy"In this fine portrait of Edward Lansdale, Max Boot adds to his well-deserved reputation as being among the most insightful and productive of contemporary historians. This is a superb book." -- Lewis Sorley, National Review"A brilliant biography of the life—and a riveting description of the times—of Edward Lansdale, one of the most significant figures in post-World War II Philippines and then in Vietnam.... The Road Not Taken not only tells Edward Lansdale’s story with novelistic verve but also situates it wonderfully in the context of his tumultuous experiences—and offers important lessons for the present day." -- General David Petraeus

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Book SynopsisVery few of the many books about the Vietnam War fully address why the fighting was conducted in such a cruel manner, why it was prolonged far past its logical end, or what, ultimately, went wrong. American literature has been reluctant to emphasize the fact that between 3.5 and 5 million Southeast Asians died—many of them peasants—that the majority of the bombs dropped from American planes landed on South Vietnam—our ally and an impoverished agricultural society—or that the use of napalm and Agent Orange was, in reality, chemical warfare. Americans have been reluctant to acknowledge the damage done, but after 17 years of another, very similar conflict in Afghanistan, many Americans are beginning to wonder why our highly financed and supported military isn't more effective. This book strongly suggests that the lessons of Vietnam are relevant and worthy of being reconsidered as today's wars are debated. From Captain Kangaroo, Roy Rogers, and Walt Disney to space travel, muscle cars, and The Beatles, the generation that would be sent to fight in Vietnam was uniquely influenced by times that were a-changin'. Like square pegs in a round hole, the post-World War II baby boomers were brought up with values that made widespread social outcry against the horrors of the war predictable and necessary. Those influences and values have long been ignored, but this book revives a spirited discussion and analysis of the first war America lost.Trade Review"A thoughtful. Timely, and beautifully written book that every American should read if we are ever to learn from the disaster of Vietnam." Ron Kovic, author of Born on the Fourth of July"Reading this book, I got angry all over again. The only thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. Ketwig has done a great job in bringing the entire era, the war, its historical setting, the culture and emotions of the times to life in a vivid and powerful way. Even those who fought in Vietnam will learn much and will be shockingly reminded of how huge that whole experience has been. Congrats to Ketwig on an interesting and important book." Bobby Muller, founder of Vietnam Veterans of America and cofounder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997"A thoughtful mosaic on the war and its times. His trauma-honed insights range from the military-industrial-intelligence complex's killing of President Kennedy, who was committed to ending the war, to the corporate profiteering that fueled 12 more years of slaughter. Ketwig's work inspires us to seek the abolition of war." James W. Douglass, author, JFK and the Unspeakable"A balanced, engaging, fascinating look at the slimy underbelly of the American power structure and the hired guns of the media who cover up for them." Michael Le Flem. Michael Le Flem is an independent researcher and a university lecturer in history and philosophy in Chicago. He holds a Master's degree in Western Intellectual History from Florida State University."This is a long-considered sequel to Ketwig's mind-blowing war memoir, and a hard rain fell. Ketwig offers savvy commentary on the swirling demons of profiteering, PTSD and suicide, patriots vs. peaceniks, sex and soldiers, the draft, and the Wall, among other topics. He presents lists of questions for students to consider and FAQs on key things such as Agent Orange. What makes this book memorable, a gift to share with others, is Ketwig's unrelenting quest to dig deeper into what the war in Southeast Asia did to so many people, civilians and soldiers, Asians and Americans, and what to do about it." Jan Barry, author of A Citizen's Guide to Grassroots Campaigns, Earth Songs, and co-editor of Winning Hearts & Minds: War Poems by Vietnam Veterans, among other works.â"This is not a war story. Ketwig explores the connections between the events at home and their effects on the war. He debunks the notion that the media, or the protesters, kept us from winning. I was surprised about the depth of corruption among our own troops. He manages to compare corruption in Vietnam to the disappearance of billions of dollars-worth of $100 bills in Iraq and the rip-off contracts given to defense contractors. Reading this book was, to me, kind of like sitting at the bar of the VFW and shooting the shit with a good friend." John Zutz, Vietnam Veterans Against the War

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Book Synopsis A half-century ago America was embroiled in a quagmire thousands of miles away from our shores that split the nation in two. Based upon extensive research and interviews, this book chronicles the history of that tempestuous timeframe. The author's succinct yet elegant writing style makes complex issues readily palatable to the knowledge thirsty reader. Relying heavily on oral history, the author offers a rich portrait of the Vietnam Era. Older readers will appreciate the book for its ability to help put a complex period of their lives into clearer perspective. Young people will be able to appreciate the deep implications of the Era and the impact that it had on our society. There are valuable lessons shared in this work that are fully applicable today including the power of organization that helped to not only end a senseless war but also served as a catalyst for significant cultural changes.Trade Review"A terrific book--what's going on tells the story of the Vietnam War, the protests, how it divided the country and some of its important lessons. By also telling the story of the people caught up in the war and the movement against it, it is personally compelling and brings the lessons home." Heather Booth" what's going on by Michael Hayes is not quite a history book, and it's not quite an oral history, but the mix, like the organization of individual notes in a piece of music, combines to create a moving, insightful, powerful and important multi-faceted portrait of the Vietnam War era. Hayes is non-judgmental, allowing his subject to voice their opinions and relate their stories. The result is as colorful and poignant as the times. A very worthwhile study." John Ketwig, Vietnam Veteran and author of ...and a hard rain fell and Vietnam Reconsidered

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Book Synopsis

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