Asia Books

This is one of the best combat depictions of the Viet Nam War that I have ever read. I highly recommend it for former military readers.

My friend Beetle was there. Lee Burns was there. Others were there. Nolan writes almost as if HE were there. It happened before I got in-country, but it was a legendary fight by legendary Marines and Nolan tells the story so very well. I am proud to have helped carry these Marines in my helicopters and supported them in every way possible. They are heroes in the truest sense of that so misused word. This book is an EXCELLENT read!

Keith Nolan has managed to capture the absolute confusion and fear associated with modern combat in Operation Buffalo. I started this book in 1997 or there abouts and was unable to finish it. As a former Marine who was in boot camp in San Diego when this operation took place I had a difficult time with the content. Lose an entire company of Marines to a sly enemy? Impossible. And then to read about the loss of additional Marines in trying to recover the dead and wounded (something that is very important by the way) that had fallen the day before....difficult. I just couldn't finish the book.

Well, I picked it up again, after ten years, and read it completely. In a very belated way I have to compliment Mr. Nolan on not only his ability to tell a difficult story, but to tell it in a way that makes sense and then manages to touch the heart. As another reviewer stated, Operation Buffalo hurts the heart of the reader and this reflects the sensitivity that the author weaved into his tale.

The doctrine at the time was that the Marines divided an area in to map grids. The Marines would sweep a grid with a company, clear it, and then move on. The NVA would wait for the Marines to leave and then move into that grid knowing that they were probably safe for a while. The battle that took place in July of 1967 is the result of the Marines out smarting themselves. They decided to sweep the same map grid twice, trying to catch the NVA off guard. It worked. But a single company was no match for what the Marines stepped into.

The American fighting man has been depicted in less than a glowing manner in Viet Nam. Brutal, drug crazed killers. I think while some of that may be deserved, the bulk of that criticism is undeserved and is served up by people who have never humped a pack or shared water out of a canteen. Nolan does a huge service for the Viet Nam vets by explaining the sheer meaness of the NVA in how our wounded were treated. Well done.

Operation Buffalo isn't a book for the weak of heart or for those who don't really want to be informed. It is a book that speaks well to the commitment of American fighting men in general and of U. S. Marines in particular.

Semper Fi.

This is as terrifying an account of the Vietnam war as I've ever read. Forget the melodrama and sensationalism that characterized much of Vietnam war literature in the early and mid-eighties: Nolan's sparse style and clear representation of what took place on the DMZ in the summer of 1967 will give you nightmares. Don't look to find refuge here in a simple war story: Nolan tenaciously presents history as it unfolds.

This is a must have book for your library. After over 30 years you forget why you hated Vietnam until you read a book that brings back all the memories. This is such a book. I served with 1/1 and 3/1 after these battles and am amazed that keith Nolan is able to bring to life what it meant to serve in a Marine Corps Infantry Bn in Vietnam. I got angry, I laughed and I cried as I read this book. At times I felt like I could reach out and touch some of the people, the writing was so vivid. Everyone should read this book and remember what the Marines paid in blood for that war. THANK YOU USMC for what you gave me and THANK YOU Marines all over the world protecting us now.

This is an exciting autobiography, which I have read and reread over the years. Of particular interest is the author's introduction into the SAS.

This book will become a permanent fixture in your library.

Pre WWII, Maclean finagled trips through parts of the USSR where no westerner had previously been, even crossing into Afghanistan from the north at one point. He spent much of WWI aiding Marshal Tito's effort to drive the Germans out of the Balkans. Fascinating stuff, this, eloquently written and he's a damn good storyteller.

This book is of great historical value. The narration is witty and elegant. I would recomant it to everybody interested in European history.

Great entertaining read, although it is said to have inspired Ian Fleming to write James Bond, this story is worth a place on the silver screen.

This is a truly unique book and comparable only with Churchill's 'My Early Life' as an adventure history. Some people write adventure books, some people have adventures but Fitzroy McLean, like Churchill, or TE Lawrence, is able to do both. A rare treat and very easy to read.

This book is phenomenal. I have been interested in military history, tradition, battles, operations, and training since I was a young kid and have read many books about this genre. I have to say that this one was the best I have read so far. Frank Miller's adventures are beyond compare. Miller often had luck on his side, but what really mattered was that he was good at gathering intelligence and killing the enemy. He didn't enjoy killing, but he understood that it was either him or them and he did what he had to do without dwelling on it.

This book puts you right on the battlefront and makes you feel part of the brotherhood and loyalty that men share when confronted with life and death. There are many humorous stories scattered in the book of more relaxing times away from battle which Miller shares.

I have to give much praise to the author, Elwood Kureth, because he was able to write about Miller's exploits in a way that really made you identify with Frank Miller. A very well written book and very entertaining.

I'm not opposed to all wars but I was very much against our involvement in Vietnam. I thought then and still think that we should have been helping the other side. I bought this book wanting to hear what combat was like there from a special forces soldier. Fortunately, the book didn't get into the politics but simply told about his life and job, which was to collect intelligence and kill the enemy. His bravery and what he went through is mind boggeling and the descripions of battles are riviting. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading it.

WOW, this is one of the most gripping and moving accounts of personal combat and experiences in Vietnam that I have ever read. I had great difficulty putting this gem down, as it is directly related in first-person and the author does a magnificent job of making you feel as if you're right there alongside the subject of the book (Franklin Miller).

Nothing is held back, and if you've ever served in the military, you'll fall right into step with the narration. Everything is presented in all its gory detail, so if you're a little squeamish, you might want to skim across a few sections. The ending is particularly heart-wrenching, especially the afterword by the author's widow.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the up-close and personal views of combat in Vietnam.

As Command Chaplain For US Special Operations Command I had the profound honor of presiding at This hero's funeral. During the months before he died, I spent some days at his home in St Petersburg to offer some spiritual care.

Even to the very end he was a man of strength and courage. He had an abiding faith in Christ that comforted him and allowed him to spend his final days encouraging and supporting his children. As we prayed he would ask me to pray for his children first becuase they were his greatest concern.

He gave me a copy of his book which I read immediately. It is an amazing story that captures the true heart of a warrior. It is a "must read."

Chaplain Lee M. Thompson
Colonel, USAF (Ret)

I have been in the Navy for 16 years now and have seen my share of adventure, especially during my flying tour while Bosnia was still raging. It was during that tour that I rescued a paperback copy of this book from our book drawer in our barracks. It was all torn, with the pages falling out. As I carefully read it, I was blown away with Miller's inspirational, charismatic example to any service member. I could not put it down.

This book was the best Vietnam story I have ever read and it must be the defining book on the Special Forces. The only book to come close to this one (with regard to Vietnam) was Rogue Warrior by Dick Marcinko--who I met many years ago during Aircrew School.

Since my paperback copy was so ripped up, I tried to buy the hard copy of it. At the time, it was out of print so it took me years to obtain one on eBay. I highly recommend this book to service members or anyone seriously interested in reading about a true American hero!

Everything is in this book. The facts of the war - and especially the horrific treatment of the Japanese against all. Also includes many little stories of the people who were there which gives a human touch. The discussion of the A-Bomb is really informative and reviews the decision to use it in the sense of the times of the war - not the later day skeptics. I was a young boy at that time and I can tell you that we celebrated the bombing of Hiroshima. They really had it coming

This book is less a "nuts & bolts" history of the end of the war in the Pacific and more of a "soft" history. What did people think? How did they feel? Why did they do what they did? It speaks more to the WHY rather than the HOW. Excellent book, hard to put down, and it explores some obscure areas of the conflict. Buy it.

This book along with Richard Frank's "Downfall" gives a good picture of the end of the Japanese war and further puts to rest the idea that the Atomic Bombs should not have been employed. The Japanese were still full of fight.

I have been a Max Hastings fan for years. This is another in a series of his excellent books. While I was born in 1939 and have always been a student of WWII history he shares views of the people and events that are not well known.

An excellent book that brings focus to the end of the war with Japan. Detailed and well researched as are all Max Hastings book. As with every Max Hastings book 5 stars.

This is a hybrid bewteen guide book and an anthology of travel stories. Quite a novel concept, except that it doesn't work so well as a guide book. There are only a couple of dozen pages on visas, weather and other practical issues towards the end of the book. This book works much better as a collection of beautifully essays - some of the best work by authors like Pico Iyer, Joe Cummings, Ian Buruma and many others.

These essays are highly varied in terms of style and theme. Some are downright romantic and introspective. Some provide a little insider's information on things that most tourists miss out. Some are incisive social commentaries which touch on subjects which may be considered taboo by the sensitive Thais. The editors have attempted to organise the articles in 4 main parts, namely:

1.Essence of Thailand
2.Some Things to Do
3.Going Your Own Way
4.In the Shadows

The 5th part only has one essay. The way these parts are named may cause some confusion. For instance, "some things to do" may contain Pico Iyer's musings on the impact on Thai tourism.

I would give it 5 stars for the great prose, highly enlightening pieces like "Who Was Anna Leonowens" by William Warren and the brutal honesty of many of the articles that are not afraid to go against everything the travel brochures tell us. It's an extremely goo read for people who wish to explore the kingdom or stay awhile. But for the somewhat misleading format and arrangement, I would minus one star.

This book arrived in great condition. It is a very helpful guide to first time visitors to Thailand

I've traveled to Thailand twice and studied Thai language for a year and a half at university. This book, for my money, is the best introduction available to the land, people, and culture of Thailand. It is not a straightforward travel guide; it is a way into the country without being explicit. As a westerner, from the essays contained in this book, I learned so much about a culture - and land - that is so different than the culture and land of the United States. Topics range from religion, agriculture, politics, and customs, to the bar scene, prostitution, and nature, etc etc etc. After reading this book you will come away with a fuller sense of who Thai people are and what Thailand is as a nation.

My favorite story is 'Mein Gott, Miss Siripan' by Susan Fulop Kepner. I love this piece so much I must have read it about twenty times now. It recalls the story of Kepner's beginning struggles learning to speak Thai while living in Bangkok on business. Her characterization of the fierce and indomitable Miss Siripan - her language teacher - is a classic; one of the most memorable characters in all of literature. Kepner, by the way, is now professor of Thai language at Berkeley. If anyone knows her or will meet her soon, please tell her that I am a HUGE fan of her writing! Khap khun!

I usually don't do much preparation for international travel because my husband and I are so busy. We end up missing out on experiences during our travels simply because we didn't prepare. We definitely didn't want to miss out on anything in Thailand. This book was an excellent and easy read. I feel like I've already been to Thailand even though we're not going for another three weeks. Through the short stories and sidebar comments, the reader is presented tons of information about food, culture, and do-and-donts. Plus, this is a much nicer way of learning about Thailand vs reading a guide book that really just consists of lists upon lists. My only concern is that some of the excerpts used as short stories were originally published decades ago. However, I enjoyed reading them anyway since it offers more background info on Thai culture. I highly recommend using this book to prepare for a trip to Thailand along with a traditional guide book. I also recommend this to anyone who leaves to read and learn about other cultures. I definitely plan on purchasing Travelers' Tales, if available, for the next country we visit.

Well..frankly i didn't finish the book but after several pages reading i know it explain how thailand is, explain thai people really well. and i know just because well i'm one of them, i'm thai

Palden Gyasto was the featured speaker at the Union Center Rally, March 20, 1999. Through an interpeter he gave his compasionate address. Just before his address he kindly signed my copy of his book and blessed my Khata that my son had brought me from Tibet. His story is a lesson is compassion which is created, I believe by his devotion to his Buddist Training. His book gives a rare first hand account of his trying experiences. This is another authentic record of the unchecked communist genocide and repression which exists today.

I recently met Palden Gyatso at a Dalai Lama teaching and bought a copy of his book there, mostly as a way to support him. Though I read all the time I rarely finish a book as I usually lose interest 2/3 of the way through and move on to something else. But this book was an exception - incredibly interesting and inspiring - I finished it very quickly.

This is a great book. I am an activist for Tibetan independence and knew much about the atrocities taking place in Tibet since 1949, but this book put a face to the facts. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in Tibet, Buddhism, or in learning about a remarkable man who went through horrible oppression and has emerged gracefully.

I've read a few books about the sufferings of Tibetans by now, but still, this book managed to affect me and make me stop and think. Again and again. First of all, how has nothing changed since this book confirmed that China is continuing to do all it can to wipe out the culture, religion and spirit of Tibet? I know I have responsibility to speak up about this (and I will) but I still can't believe that higher powers up there did not stop China by now.

Anyway, back to the book- Palden Gyatso is the image of courage, compassion and inner strength. I read passages of how he was tortured and bullied and then would flip to the inner photo of this tiny, frail man-astonishing! I see now that the determined and strong look on his face at the UK Independence rally co-exists with the gentle, loving portrait on the cover and it's a wonderful combination. This book reminded me that it takes deep courage to stand up for who you are and what you believe in but there is no greater purpose for each of us than to aim for that goal with all that we have.

Read this book to better understand why Tibet needs our support but also to re-instill your own will to be a decent,kind and courageous human being.

This book is a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit, able to overcome the most nefarious system perhaps the world has ever known. The fact that Palden Gyatso is able to relay his story to you and me is nothing short of a miracle after what he had to endure for years inside China's prison system undergoing "reformation." The stories of torture, starvation and freezing nights will stay with you forever and make you question how strong your own beliefs are and whether you could do what Palden Gyatso did. I do not wish to reveal too much, but will say that calling the story compelling is a vast understatement.

This book is as important now as ever. China has the 2008 Olympic games and yet these brutalities continue to occur. Not to mention the fact that China is now relocating Chinese into the Tibetan region, threatening forever one of the world's great cultures through dilution of the society and culture.

Buy this book and see both the horrors of mankind and also his greatness in what he can overcome. If you like this book, I would also recommend Ama Adhe's book from a woman's perspective in the same system. We often hear the word hero, but rarely is it so appropriate as it is in describing these amazing individuals.

Another great book from William Dalrymple. Still reading it and find it very engrossing (wish the font size was a bit bigger)

Received it in perfect condition and it arrived in record time too.

This is a fine book set in the period when India came under threat from Napoleon until Nelson intervened at the battle of The Nile. When young English boys were taken out to India for education prior to their careers there it is hadly surprising that some went native. But it was one thing to take a local mistress, quite another to marry a princess. A tragic love story results. The author is clearly more in sympathy with the old policy of The East India Company which banned Christian missionary activity. He regrets the changes brought about by Wilberforce and his Clapham Sect friends which changed official policy towards religion.

This is a beautiful book. A fascinating love story, a forgotten angle on the British in India, a human and historical tragedy. It's scholarly but warm, thoroughly researched but very readable, broad but not diffuse.
And in one sense it's also very much about the early 21st Century: with respect and good humour, cultures and religions can co-exist and complement each other. So much for the "clash of civilisations" theory.
The "moral of the story" right at the end could have been better placed in an author's preface, and I trust a second edition would pick up the small number of editing mistakes.
Read it.

This book is a complex many-faceted marvel! It is carefully researched history transformed into the story of an ultimately tragic romance. With its portrayal of Europeans astride two cultures, it offers a wonderful, and probably unintentional, counterpoint to the Clash of Civilizations. It is a swarm of all-seeing flies on the walls and writing desks of Hyderabad's elite, both British and Indian, two centuries ago - with their city, dress, festivals and habits brought vividly to life. It is a fascinating description of British and Mughal political intrigue in and around the Deccan as imperial control tightened. It is a sensitive reflection on the rapacious, self-indulgent and precarious lives lived by the British in insalubrious coastal cities like Calcutta and Madras. And as result of the unbelievably painstaking process of meticulous documentation we are convinced that we are seeing events exactly as participants did. It is a mind-blowing accomplishment.

This is a wonderful book about an oft-overlooked, yet fascinating topic--the mughal period in Hyderabad (or perhaps I should say the end of the Mughal period) and the role of Europeans in the late mughal period. It is sensitively written and thoroughly researched. While so many historical works prove rather dull reading, this book is well written accessible and engaging. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Indian history, the moghul period, and/or the Deccan region.

There is nothing fictional in this book. The stories are written much as would tell our stories to each other, which is the highest rating I can give. John - Thank you for writing "Charlie Rangers" (I've already thanked Don personally).

This book is interesting enough, and a page-turner, but I thought it read more like a silly movie that glorifies war rather than a serious memoir. Although I know these men were there, and it provides some real insight into what they went through and the bond between the men there, it really did not stand out to me as a very good book.

Don Ericson and John L. Rotundo are truly American heroes. They served their country for 3 years with tenacity and courage. This book provides a realistic and heart felt story of the 75th Rangers, (LRPS) in the VIETNAM WAR. From the carnage of a jungle ambush to the love the men shared for one another, CHARLIE RANGERS is the best war book any person can read. It tells of the lives and war experiences of the authors, including their training. These men displayed acts of courage, bravery, and often pure hatred for the enemy. This book is not for the peace loving hippie I might add. The soldiers in CHARLIE RANGERS often mutilated bodies, cut off ears, and showed signs of slight insanity. One must understand that this is what happens in war, because war isn't a happy thing. "WAR IS DELIGHTFUL AND EXITING TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED IT"

I found this book to be very informative as to what it was actually like to be in the bush. I did find it very disturbing that Mr. Rotundo could put down another Ranger Unit as he did with K Co. of which I was a member of and was in An Khe the same time John was there. I can assure John that when we went out during that time the teams that I went out with were making contact. Most missions were set for 4 to 5 days and most of the time we were back within 2 days due to our teams initiating contact and getting confirmed kills, even through as John stated we were primarily 4 man teams sent out for recon purposes and not as ambush teams. John looks familiar to me from the picture in the book, I also had the utmost respect for the guys in Charlie Co. and had no problem looking them in the eye and saying hello as I walked by. I also thought they had the same respect for me as a fellow Ranger but I guess I was wrong. Outside of this portion of the book I thought it was very good and strongly recommend it.

This book is a page turner describing the experience of the two authors' tour in Vietnam as members of a Rangers company. It's full of detailed missions where they were inserted right behind enemy lines inside the Vietnamese jungle, sometimes as members and other times as leaders of small 6 persons hunter-killer teams that specialized in ambushing and killing the North Vietnamese guerrillas.

This book is almost up there with others great LRPs(long range patrol) books like "SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam", I totally recommend it if you like non-fiction special forces books.

The book Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, takes place a long time ago in a city in China. A rich man married many wives and had over one hundred children. So since he had so many children he hired a teacher. Girls never really learned how to read and write. That's why girls had to work extra hard. The girls were supposed to just learn how to cook and keep house. All girls stopped going to class accept for Ruby. Ruby wrote a poem that her teacher and her grandfather were impressed with. She wanted to go to university than get married. So when she got older her grandfather gave her a red packet. When she opened it, it was a letter from a university saying they would accept her as one of there first female students

Ruby is a fantastic student she had the best calligraphy in her class. Even when all the other girls stopped going she stayed.

Ruby really wants to learn. Shirin Yim Bridges wrote, "When the boys had finished there studies for the day, they were free to play." "But the girls had to learn how to learn about cooking and keeping house. Ruby wanted to go to university even though it was unusual for girls to do that.

Ruby is a really hard working person. She chose to go to school because if she didn't want to she didn't have to. Ruby had to work hard since she was a girl. She worked so hard she was accepted to university.

By Jesus

Our six year old daughter really likes this book. It has a great message and darling pictures.

I loved this book! Ruby is a Chinese child living in China with her very large family. As a child, she knew that she was destined to marry, like all the females in her family, but she really wanted to
go to the university. It is a childrens' book with beautiful illustrations. There is a special little twist at the end that makes the story even more endearing to the reader. We have given it as a birthday present to a few of my 5 year old daughter's classmates, as well as to her teachers for a year-end present. We highly recommend this book!

Set in turn-of-the-century China, young Ruby wants to go to school, but tradition holds that only boys get an education - hence the title, _Ruby's Wish_. The artwork is beautiful, with abundant details, but the book's strength is the story itself and the morals of the value of an education and working for what one desires. The ending is also very sweet. Particularly recommended for young girls.

My story is Ruby's Wish.It is by Shirn Yim Bridges,it was a great story.It's about a girl who loves red.Ruby is good in school.The boys had cler all she had was only the letters.She wrote a pome that said;also bad luck to be a girl,worse to born in this house were only boys are cared for. My favorite part was at the end. The book had very good illustrations. I hope you read this book.

I read the book SOG, and as with any book relating true life war stories, you try to picture in your mind the people, surroundings and the enemy as they saw it. A Photo History, brought all of this to life for me. Excellent Book !!!

Back in 1997 I picked up a copy of SOG by Major Plaster and quickly became engrossed in the tales within the book that had never before seen the light of day. Later in 2004 came another book, SECRET COMMANDOS, again behind the lines material. But in between these two books came the real blockbuster: SOG--A Photo History of the Secret Wars.

I'm an ex-vietnam era serviceman, early Vietnam being out by 1967, and could not believe the wealth of intel within these three books, much of which was totally new to me. The later SOG book has over 700 photos giving a photo or more to almost every page. The value of this book is not something that can easily be put into words, and with most of these heroic men never coming back, the years have not taken the edge off that. If not for Major Plaster these men would have never gotten much recognition at all. That in itself is not right, but they one and all did their duty to their country and not for a handful of tin medals.

I have many history books on my shelves, some on Vietnam, but I can think of none that I would not part with other than John Plaster's books. These three books burn the secret wars and its warriors into your memory, and at times it defies belief the character of these men.

To read any of these books is to be proud of these men and yet humbled at the same time by their sacrifices. As Admiral Tarrant asks at ending of James A. Michener's THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI, "Where do we get such men?"

Semper Fi.

A fantastic book for anyone interested in MACV-SOG and Special forces recon teams. This is the biggest collection of photos I have seen regarding SOG and recon teams. The book is very well done.This is where the Vietnam war was really fought, across the fence.This is a major piece of history that was never really documented and the truth needs to be available to all who have misconceptions and untruths about the Vietnam conflict. These men in special forces are legends. A tribute to those who served on recon teams and most of all those who did not make it back.

This is an incredible book, perfect companion to the other John Plaster books:
"SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam" & "Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG".
The pictures have great historical value.

This book tells the story of secret ("black") military operations run by the United States during the Vietnam War. Under the name Studies and Observations Group (SOG), the secret was kept so well that few veterans ever heard of it until long after the war.

It was composed purely of volunteers from the best of the American military, including Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs. Their missions involved going behind enemy lines in Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam, areas officially off limits to US ground troops. That's why all of their missions were classified.

The North Vietnamese went to great lengths to keep the Ho Chi Minh Trail open at all times. Special military units, stationed from one end to the other, had the task of maintaining and defending a 20-30 mile stretch. If the US bombed a particular area one day, it would be fixed and open the very next day as if nothing happened.

The task of a SOG team could be practically anything, from prisoner snatching, to confirming something seen in aerial reconaissance to placing sensors on a road to give Intelligence an idea as to the traffic level. Every mission was meticulously planned and rehearsed. From the moment they were on the ground behind enemy lines, the team members could assume that the enemy was seconds, or minutes, away. A number of teams made it out safely (the only escape route was by air), but they had to shoot their way out. Some teams were never heard from again.

Since their missions were secret, nothing the soldiers wore or carried could be traced to America. There were no dogtags, no obviously American uniforms, and, in many cases, their weapons were foreign modified weapons.

This book also profiles the people who risked their lives day after day. To most people, they wer just American soldiers who served in Vietnam, but, to those who were there, the following names are practically legend: Larry Thorne, Billy Waugh, Walter Shumate, Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver and Dick Meadows.

When SOG was disbanded in 1972, all the photo files were ordered destroyed. The interesting thing about this book is that the several hundred photos here are not the "official" photos. The photos were taken by the men who were there and kept in trunks and shoeboxes for many years. The author also knows something about SOG, having been a three-tour veteran.

For military historians and those interested in special operations, this book is a requirement. For the rest of us, this is a fascinating look at an unknown part of the Vietnam War. It is highly recommended.