Vietnam War Books

I read a lot of US military history books. It's a passion of mine. Every once in a while though I'll take a break from the history of a particular war and read a war memoir. This book was perhaps one of the best books I have read in a while - a real page turner. What A rumor of War does for me is brings me back to reality - takes away all the glory, the honor etc that military history is loaded with and shows me what it's truly like being the ordinary solider.

This book written by a marine lieutenant the beginning stages of the Vietnam war tells the reader how war changes the soldier from their glory hunting idealist soldier to a walking killing machine driven to he brink of madness. I will say the first two chapter which Caputo talks about joining the marines and basic training were a little slow but a necessary beginning. I would rank this book as almost as good as Sledge's "With The Old Breed".

I've never been a big fan of war stories, but this book won me over wholeheartedly. Caputo tells his own personal account of Vietnam, from being an innocent midwest boy hungry for adventure, to an aged, broken man torn apart by war. He goes into the military, ambitious for glory and battle. He goes through a long journey of disappointments, setbacks and helplessness. He manages to climb his way up the military ladder, but the more successful he becomes, the more the events spiral out of control. Caputo's story is honest and personal, not sparing himself anything, but taking you deep into the mind of a soldier.

Beside me, my buddy, Philip Caputo, was burning a leech from his stomach. I was focused on the tree line 100 yards east. There was a sniper in the waving palms and Caputo was next on watch so I could use my zippo on one of the slimey bastards. The air was as heavy as wet burlap and the sweat caused my vision to blur. Caputo brings us this close to what it felt like to be in 'Nam fighting a mindless battle against the little people who ruled the night. This memoir is incredibly accurate in its protrayal of the battles both within the grunts and outside.
Ron Lealos author of Don't Mean Nuthin'

I thought this book was the best book on Vietnam that I have ever read. Its a facinating look into life as a line officer in a front line Marine Infantry batallion during the early part of the war. Caputo holds nothing back when it comes to describing life on the front line and what goes through the minds of these young, too young Marines who fought on the front line. An excellent read and I highly reccomend it.

Caputo's account as a combat officer is the best book on direct experience in Nam. It ranks up there with Normen Mailer's The Naked and fhe Dead and Audie Murphy's WW2 account of his combat experience in To Hell and Back superbley written--gripping. Maurice

If you are looking for a very detailed, action packed book, this is it. The sacrifice for their own lives and lives of their fellow soliders is astounding. This books gives specific details of the covert-ops that happened throughout the war. The willingness of these men to put themselves in extremely dangerous situation for intelligence or to save pilots, POW's or overrun troops is incredible. I am very grateful to have such honorable men fight for our country. Please read.

MACV's Studies and Observations Group was once so secret that the U.S. government denied its existence.

MACV-SOG-Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Special Operations Group (later renamed Studies and Observations Group)-was the elite military unit of the Vietnam War, so secret that its existence was denied by the U.S. government. The group reported directly to the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and much of its history and exploits were concealed for years from the general public by a veil of secrecy and confidentiality. John L. Plaster served three one-year tours with MACV-SOG, and his book SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam is a true insider's account, revealing much about this top-secret commando unit and its covert missions in North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The all-volunteer MACV-SOG (most were U.S. Army Special Forces "Green Berets") carried out some of the most dangerous and challenging special operations of the Vietnam War. MACV-SOG made high-altitude, low-opening parachute jumps behind enemy lines, routinely carried out reconnaissance missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, penetrated deep into Laos and Cambodia, recovered downed pilots and attempted several POW rescues. Ranging deep in the enemy's rear, MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams forced Hanoi to divert 40,000 troops-about four divisions-to rear security missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

From his own personal knowledge of MACV-SOG operations and from interviews with more than 100 MACV-SOG veterans, along with recently declassified documents, Plaster has crafted a heavily anecdotal and riveting account. He offers tales of close, violent combat actions between MACV-SOG teams and large numbers of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops. While some infantrymen in Vietnam despaired of ever seeing the enemy, MACV-SOG teams often found themselves fighting their way out of a hornet's nest of angry NVA battalions. Plaster recounts some of the most extraordinary tales of the Vietnam War. Some stories will lie to rest old rumors; others will just raise more questions. For example, Plaster describes how two Chinese advisers were killed when reconnaissance team (RT) Maine ambushed an NVA company command element, killing the commander, his three platoon leaders and two Chinese advisers as they gathered for lunch. Plaster also tells about the "crazy Canadians" who served in the U.S. Army with MACV-SOG, including Robert Graham, who once carried a Simpsons (Sears) 55-pound hunting bow and shot broadhead-tipped arrows at the NVA during a firefight.

Plaster relates some of MACV-SOG's lighter moments as well. Mixed in with the pathos of combat is some great humor. Readers will not be disappointed; the book is worth its cover price just for one very funny story about a bicycle. In another amusing anecdote, Harvey "Hippie" Saal walks buck-naked into an NCO club after he is refused entrance for wearing a dirty uniform. There are a number of stories about the legendary Walt Shumate, and Plaster explains why there were so many Walt Shumate stories.

Indeed, MACV-SOG is the stuff of legends. Legends such as the 14 men of RT Kansas who held off an NVA regiment; the captured NVA "Earth Angels" used against their former comrades; the combat high-altitude, low-opening jumps into NVA redoubts; and the men of RT Colorado's who faced nearly 300 NVA formed in ranks in front of the team's eight Claymore mines. Another MACV-SOG legend and one of its well-known characters, Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver, received his sobriquet courtesy of Radio Hanoi. Resplendent when off duty in his derby hat and blue-velvet smoking jacket, his closest companion was Klaus, a German shepherd. Shriver, who often ended up in situations where he was in danger of being overrun, once told his air cover: "No, no. I've got `em right where I want `em - surrounded from the inside." Like many MACV-SOG recon men, Shriver's luck ran out eventually. Last seen assaulting an NVA bunker line, he was declared missing in action.

MACV-SOG had more than its share of MIAs. One of the most well-known was Larry Thorne, a Finnish veteran of the so-called Winter War against the Soviet Union during the prelude to World War II and a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross. Thorne was carrying a bolt-action .30-06 Springfield when he became MACV-SOG's first MIA in Laos. Stories abound of teams that disappeared without a trace, though sometimes circumstances and evidence (such as proof that NVA concussion grenades had been used) led MACV-SOG to believe that the men were captured. A dozen entire teams are still unaccounted for.

Of the men known to be prisoners of war, only a few returned home alive. No MACV-SOG POWs were released from Laos. Of the 58 MACV-SOG MIAs in Laos, only one returned-Charles Wilklow. Wilklow escaped captivity after being staked out by the NVA as human bait for rescuers for several days. His captors had thought he was too close to death to need a guard, but he managed to crawl off into the jungle and evade recapture until rescued.

MACV-SOG recon casualties exceeded 100 percent, the highest sustained American loss rate since the Civil War. In 1968, every MACV-SOG recon man was wounded at least once, and about half were killed. But despite such high losses, MACV-SOG boasted the highest "kill ratio" in U.S. military history, topping out at 158-to-1 in 1970.

SOG reads like "who's who" of Green Berets. There are several names that many Vietnam veterans and most Special Forces veterans will recognize: Billy Waugh, Larry Thorne, Dick Meadows, Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver, Fred Zabitosky, Walter Shumate, Jon Cavaiani, Roy Benavidez, Norm Doney and Robert Howard. Some like Benavidez, Cavaiani, Howard and Zabitosky, are remembered for the deeds that earned them the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor was awarded to nine MACV-SOG men, including Lieutenant Tom Morris, a sea-air-land forces (SEAL) officer, and Lieutenant Loren Hagen, the last U.S. Army member to be awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam.

With small reconnaissance teams numbering less than 10 men, MACV-SOG tied down thousands of NVA troops, provided invaluable intelligence information to the Pentagon, rescued downed pilots and destroyed large amounts of enemy materiel while inflicting grievous losses on the NVA. Earning their place in history with daring exploits and exemplary accomplishments, the men of MACV's Special Operations Group have been brought out of the shadows by John L. Plaster's illuminating book.

Caveat: reviewer knows the author, John Plaster

Rob Krott is the author of: Save the Last Bullet for Yourself: A Soldier of Fortune in the Balkans and Somalia

This exceptional story of US commandos and their allies the Montagnards, called the Yards, who were fiercely enemies of the North Vietnamese communists, is written by one of a three tours veterans in the SOG.

John Plaster is particularly good in the way he reveals the magnificent acts of heroism, of chivalry, of gallantry, of comradeship these commandos lived.

These true elite fighters who always fought behind the enemy lines inflicted tremendous damages to the NVA forces. As the author quotes in the book : " SOG recon men consistently killed more than one hundred NVA for each list Green Beret, a ratio that climbed as high as 150:1"
Moreover: "At one point each American Green Beret operating in Laos was tying down six hundred NVA defenders, or about one NVA battalion per SOG recon man in the field".

These soldiers are the quintessence of qualities of the USA. As a French citizen (with some family having fought in the French Para Legion in Indochina) I could not think otherwise than them being of the true nobility.

This is a book I bought based on the VERY high reviews on Amazon. To me this one lived up to the high praise. I had no idea what SOG was - now I do ...& I am very impressed. There are so many great stories in here - almost all incredible life & death situations. I have the highest respect for the men who served in SOG. Worth buying for sure.

I am a veteran of SOG having served with CCC, FOB-2, Kontum RVN. After being assigned to ST Illinois I pulled several missions and suddenly found myself One-Zero (Team Leader) after the One-Zero quit Recon and moved on to the Hatchet Force.

I have conversed with John Plaster on several occasions and have purchased all his books. In this particular book I am mentioned on pages 89-90 where he (Plaster)tells what he says is the story of the "Bright Lights" mission that recovered the body of SP5 John Kedenburg MOH. I and my assistant Team Leader, One-One,Mike Tramel have read this tale and were absolutely astounded to learn from Plaster's book what a couple of bumbling heroes we were. In short, the only truthful details is our names. The date, and details of the mission are l00% BS.

In addition to our mission Plaster makes several stupid statements in his book that defy the imagination. For example:

He states that Thunderstorms in VN (SE Asia) do not produce lightning only thunder.

He was issued a Silenced Swedish K SMG. To the best of my knowledge and belief we had a plethora of Silenced Sten Guns/.22 cal colt woodsman pistols, a conex container of Swedcish K"s but none had silencers.

He always checked his safety just prior of getting out of the Helicopter to insure, due to humid weather in VN, that it had not rusted solid. Now this would be a real trick since the receiver of the CAR-15 was aluminium alloy and did not rust.

Going to the Club and singing "Old Blue" everytime a US SF soldier was lost. This never happened while I was at the FOB ,again to the best of my knowledge and belief. However, SFC James McGlon was known as "Old Blue" because he was always singing "Old Blue" at the Club.

This is just a few of the untruths I found in his book and I don't have it in my possession so I might extract other parts of his tales that I know to be incorrect. Suffices to say, that every SF Soldier (circa1968), that I have spoken with have the same opinion of the Plaster's Books.BTW Neither Mike or myself were interviewed by Plaster prior to the publication of his book

I'm a former Navy helicopter pilot and I read Chickenhawk the first time while I was on active duty in the mid-1980s. It's a great war story for anyone, but for a helicopter pilot with some time in the Huey, I felt like I was in the cockpit with the author. I also learned some things about handling a helicopter in Robert Mason's book that I wish I'd learned in flight school -- it made me a better, safer pilot. Now twenty years later, I've reread the book, and it is just as exciting and hard to put down as it ever was. If you'd like to read a great war story, this is it. Even better if you've ever flown a helicopter or have an interest in them. Keep your turns up!

This book abruptly puts you in the cockpit of a Huey Gunship helicopter during the early days (1966) of the Vietnam WarGunbird Driver: A Marine Huey Pilot's War in Vietnam (Blue Jacket Bks) Robert Mason, in "Chickenhawk" takes you on a graphic month by month tour of helicopter duty starting in August, 1965 and concludes with Mason's disillusionment with a war that would ultimately claim more than 65,000 American lives. Laotian Highway Patrol Mason vividly elucidates his paralyzing bouts of P.T.S.D., alcoholism and ultimately, like other returning Vietnam Veterans, unemployment upon return to civilian life. Hence is the tie in to his second book, Chickenhawk: Back in the World: Life After Vietnam As the reader discovers in Mason's second installment, he descends into criminal activity and lives the life of a drug smuggler transferring his military skills to illegal gains. Needless to say, it is interesting to note Mason's gradual change from an aggressive "pro-war hawk" supporting wholeheartedly the Vietnam War to his change after his D.E.R.O.S (military slang for "Date of Estimated Return from Overseas Service, i.e. when a soldier returns from his Vietnam tour and goes back to "The World" (the U.S.).Walking Wounded: Men's Lives During and Since the Vietnam War (Frontiers in Psychotherapy) Upon Mason's early days of adjustment transitioning from flying combat missions to the boredom of civilian life, he describes paralyzing anxiety of dying, P.T.S.D., and flashbacks of the war. For his flashbacks Mason condescendingly brands himself a "chicken". That's why he named this book "Chickenhawk". Mason was a soldier in regards to his exterior. However, his "insides" (being a coward) and his "outsides" didn't match! Mason angrily asks the reader a question he has been perplexed with for years: "Why didn't the South Vietnamese fight the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese like the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army fought the South Vietnamese? Mason asserted that without the support of "our allies" (the South Vietnamese) the U.S. was going to (and ultimately did) lose the war. However, since it was blatantly obvious to everyone that the South Vietnamese for the most part were corrupt and couldn't care less about victory, why was the U.S. there in the first place and continued until 1973 to fight a war that could not be won?How We Lost the Vietnam War Mason insists in "Chickenhawk" that the people in Washington must have known this. Counsel to the President: A MemoirThe signs were too obvious.Unheralded Victory: The Defeat of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, 1961-1973 Most American plans were leaked to the V.C. and N.V.A. . The South Vietnamese Army was rife with reluctant combatants, mutinies,and corruption. Mason wrote about an incident where an A.R.V.N. detachment of soldiers at Danang in I Corps squared off in a pitched firefight with South Vietnamese Marines! There was the ubiquitous South Vietnamese sentiment that North Vietnam, with it's leader, Ho Chi Minh, would persevere to victory. Everything We Had: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Thirty-Three American Soldiers Who Fought It Regardless, all these ideas are intertwined in a personal story chock full of raging madness, frightening extractions of wounded being dusted off, fierce combat and death. Dustoff: The Memoir of an Army Aviator This is one book I will reread many times!

I picked this book up when I was a U.S. Army vehicle mechanic in Germany in the mid '80s. First off I will admit I was a HUGE helicopter fanatic. This book intrigued me so much that I literally read it in 2 or 3 sessions. And I hated reading in high school and have not completed one book cover to cover since then. Except this one. O.K. to the point. This book takes you through the initial WOC school and wonderfully describes Mr. Mason's trials and tribulations there, and to the flightline and through graduation and all. But the real draw to me was the incredible detail Mr. Mason goes into about the actual FLYING of the helicopter. He explains all the controls and how they function together and what effect each one has on the others. He really paints the picture of the dificulty it is to keep one of these things under control. Also describing certain "tricks" used in the field like running take-offs when you are overloaded or if the heat or altitude is severe. Plus his whole account of the missions he flew in Viet Nam and what the pilots lives' were like over there. To cut this off, I will just say that if you love helicopters and stop to watch them everytime you hear one coming overhead, like I do, this book will be highly enjoyed! I promise.

Chickenhawk is the author's personal account of his experiences as an army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. The book chronicles his experiences from his entry into flight school until his discharge from the army four years later. Mason gives a detailed accounting of his experiences and his feelings, relating the events and holding nothing back. His storytelling gives an impression of the war as long days of boredom and monotony, punctuated by various brief and extended periods of pure terror and brutal warfare.

Mason presents himself as a thinking, feeling soldier caught in a hellish war. He sees and feels the suffering and inhumanity the war inflicts on his fellow GIs, enemy soldiers, and on the people of Vietnam, and he relates the bravery and cruelty of both combating armies with an even hand. He also pulls back the curtain hiding the bureaucratic underpinings of the army and gives us a glimpse of how some men suffered under the inhumane indifference of army rules but other worked the system to their advantage.

Mason only touches tangentially on the political reasoning behind the war, and focuses mainly on his personal experiences. But he feels the futility of the war, the irrationality of fighting a foe that blended in and out of the jungle shadows seemingly at will, and of defending a people that didn't seem to appreciate US involvement in their affairs and actually may have been the enemy, hiding in plain sight.

All in all, a harrowing, insightful story, and a good read.

I first read this book years ago, and it is without a doubt one of the best war memoirs on my shelf and one to which I regularly return (as I just did for the third time, to read during a lengthy trip abroad).

The book recounts the training and duty tour of Robert Mason, a helicopter pilot who served in the air cav during the height of the Vietnam conflict. Many consider it the best book written by a Vietnam vet and I would be inclined to agree (the only close contender would be the sniper memoirs of Carlos Hathcock, penned by Charles Henderson). Chickenhawk is compelling from start to finish.

For one thing, Mason's book contains one of the few really interesting accounts of military training written to date--in Mason's case, of his helicopter flight training. In fact, the first section of the book is so vividly descriptive of the mechanics and procedures of military flight instruction that you finish it believing you could almost fly a helicopter yourself. (To appreciate fully Mason's accomplishment in rendering this experience so fascinating, one need only contrast it with that of Marcus Lutrell's recent "Lone Survivor," which manages to turn what should be an equally fascinating account of Navy SEAL training into one of the most annoying and sleep-inducing chronicles of push-ups and special ops ever written). And once Mason starts recounting his actual combat experiences, you simply can't put the book down.

Partly what makes Chickenhawk such a unforgettable read is that Mason makes no effort either to doctor the facts about his time in Vietnam, his love of flying (even in combat), or about his own flaws and failures. This is no boastful attempt to paint himself a hero (though among the heroes of that war, Mason is surely one), but a gut-wrenching look into a soldier's soul and the soul of a nation at war. The result is one of the most stunning books about war ever written--and I've read hundreds. And I will certainly read this one many times more.

James Webb's "Fields of Fire" describes the actions of a platoon in Viet Nam in the height of Viet Nam.

Robert Lee Hodges, Jr. comes from a southern family with a strong military background. There were many times that Hodges thought about the trunk he had with his father's WWII uniform in it. It was said that if there were no Viet Nam, he'd have to invent one.

He does well in Marine Officer training and his sent to Viet Nam.

Webb does well in introducing the men that come together and make up Hodges unit, between scenes of combat.

Snake, nicknamed for his tattoo has a bad day at the office of his low level job and he is fired. He sees the Marine motto, "Death Before Dishonor" has that tattooed and joins up. It is Snake's steadiness in battle that provides stability in the unit and saves other men's lives.

Will Goodrich is the college man. While his buddies were running off to Canada or attending grad school to escape the draft, Will feels compelled to leave Harvard and enlists. He is the sensitive member of the unit and it is through his eyes we see much of the death and destruction and come to know what that can do to a young man, barely more than a teenager.

These men and others are in a position where enemies surround them. Is the farmer in then nearby village really a farmer or is he Viet
Cong waiting to kill them when they have their defences down.

Webb also lets us see what war can do to a man. A Sgt. Austin joing the platoon. He is spit and polish and demands that rules that work stateside be implimented in the face of battle, shaving, haircuts, inspections etc. Not long after, he gets fragged where one of his men throw a grenade close enough to injure him and have him removed from their unit.

It is a dark but well done novel that lets the reader see some of the things that still have Viet Nam as one of the darkest times of our history.
Well worth reading.

This book was a little tough to get into, but it really took off once the characters got to Vietnam. I liked the way Webb inserted a little bit of background on the characters into flow of the story; it really helped me understand where they were coming from and got me to really care about each one.

Webb has written an account that lets the water run down your neck and the sweat drip into the clay as the pages are turned. His words are entirely believable and transport the reader to a 'Nam burning in its own napalm jelly. The courage of these soldiers, on both sides, is totally accurate, astounding, and amazing all at the same time. If soldiers like this exist, and I believe they do, it will be quite a challenge to defeat the US military. This book is pure truth and entertaining at the same time. Not for the faint of heart.
Ron Lealos author of Don't Mean Nuthin'

Jim Webb is at his finest describing his "fictional" account of Vietnam. This book grabs you and drags you in.

James Webb (now US Senator Webb) has written one of the best works of fiction about the Vietnam War. He deftly characterizes the people and the place. The US Marines suffered horribly in Vietnam. This book captures the horror, heroism, and comaraderie of combat better than any book in recent memory.

I have just purchased "Fighting to Leave" on Amazon.com. I found this book very interesting and very easy to read. The book covers the final two years of America's involvement in Vietnam. The book is written by a highly decorated United States Marine Corps Aviator. I have read over 600 military books (mainly U.S., mainly aviation); I have never read a book so well documented, so historically accurate and so easy to read and refer to.
I would highly, highly recommend "Fighting to Leave" for anyone interested in the Vietnam War, or American History in general.

"Fighting to Leave" written by one of the US Marine Corps' top combat pilots from the Vietnam Era is destined to become one of the greatest military books of all times. This book is well written with indepth knowledge of the Vietnam War from the inner circles of Washington Politics, to the Pentagon to the Command Staff of the Navy's Seventh Fleet.
"Fighting to Leave" is clearly the greatest military book I have ever read.

Well, it looks like Zenith Press has once again published another, destined-to-be BEST SELLER. This time Zentith Press (ZenithPress.com) has contracted with Colonel R.E. Stoffey, USMC, one of America's most decorated combat pilots from the Vietnam Era to historically recreate his memories of America's final two years in Vietnam. Stoffey, a three tour veteran of the Vietnam War, was, in 1972 - 1973, assigned to the Staff of Admiral James L. Holloway, III, then Commander of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet.
This book is well written, historically accurate and in my opinion is the most through book ever written covering the Vietnam War Era.
Get your copy today at Amazon.com

==== Excellent

==== Accurate in Every Detail

==== Written by a well known author who was one of the Marine's
Top Combat Pilots

==== Destined to be a Number One Seller

"Fighting to Leave" is well written, easy to read and provides the reader with innumerable accounts of events occuring in the final phase of the Vietnam War that have never been revealed to the general public. I found this book extremely fascinating.

Excellent book. James N Rowe's account as a prisoner of war in Vietnam is unparalleled. Rowe's writing style is exuberant and the book has an exceptional amount of detail. The story is moving, and a great inspiration to soldier and citizen alike.

The book itself came in excellent condition. "Gently used" came in the mail on time with not even a wrinkle in the cover. Not really sure where the "used" part even came into play.

Great book. This is the one book that every other book on the subject is compared. You won't stop reading until it's all over. You're in the misery, you're in the cell, you have dysentary and are suffering with him the entire time. Until......it's all over!

I read this book years ago and was amazed and horrified by its content. Amazed because of the indomitable spirit of a man like Col. Rowe. Horrified because of the torture he endured at the hands of the enemy. Years later, as I became more interested in politics, I couldn't remember the author and thought it was a story of John McCain...both stories are so similar. Of course, with a little research, I learned the error of my ways and know they are two different people. However, now that Sen. McCain is running for President, because of the harrowing account of this book, I will vote for McCain because that kind of proven character encourages me to be a better American and, as said in Saving Private Ryan, I wish to "earn this."Five Years to Freedom: The True Story of a Vietnam POW

James Rowe's story is one that makes you appreciate how good we have things in our day to day lives. I love POW tales because I am always hoping the person(s) can find a way to escape to freedom. This story was fine but I would say a little darker & more depressing than most POW tales I have read.

I read this book in 1982, staying up until 1:00am to finish it. I actually let out a cheer when he was rescued. Outstanding book.

This is a very powerful book and is very informative about the life so many Cambodians faced during the Khmer Rouge period and how if affects them even now. I was moved by this ladies experiences and how rough it was to survive. It reminded me of the bits and pieces of similar stories my friends from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have shared with me. Where as the book ON THE WINFS OF A WHITE HORSE tells alot about life in USA after coming as a refugee this book deals with the survial in Cambodia and the refugee camps confined in enroute to the USA. I would like to see a sequel that perhaps told of how life was after arriving in the USA, what difficulties her family and her faced.

In this brave book, it's as if you have this magical satellite and you're focused in on this certain place and time, observing the weak, but tough... surviving the strong, yet cowardly... in a dance of fates fickle design. Way too many heart-wrenching moments and longer periods of devastation to mention in this ultimately surreal story. The reason I felt this book deserved four stars and not five stars is overly critical, not enough reflection, slightly weak tone, and real abrupt ending. Read this book and realize how trivial and insignificant most things are that people waste life's short precious time on . Also read: First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (P.S.).

After reading this I somehow felt changed. Written so well that you feel her emotions immensely throughout the book. I didn't want to put it down.

When Boken Glass Floats tells the story of a young girl and her experiences and life as she lives in Cambodia with the Khmer Rouge. It is very emotional as she weaves the story of her family in the labor camps and then the periods spent in the refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand. I recommend it as a five star book.

A great book. A very sad account of a young girl that reflect the experiences of million Cambodian refugees. Also showed what perseverance and setting goals can achieve. If Miss Him can survive and succeed, so should everyone.
Highly recommend this book.

"Low Level Hell" is Warrant Officer Hugh Mills' story of his first tour in Vietnam as a Loach chopper pilot for the 1st Infantry Division; know to all as "The Big Red One". The initial reaction from this reviewer was that the story was too fast paced, written at a double time pace. Then, the realization struck that this was Mills' world over there. No slack flying in his unit! This reader also had a major initial problem with the rather informal, seemingly hand- drawn map of the Big Red One's territory. That may be due to the plain fact that this reviewer is a major fan of formal military maps. Then a second realization struck- this topographical outline is excellent. And what great names: the Razorbacks, the Trapezoid, the Iron Triangle, the Rocket Belt, Claymore Corners and Big Blue-better known as The Saigon River. Mills makes them all snap to life. The bottom line is that "Low Level Hell" is a first rate account of Vietnam from the vantage point of a chopper pilot. Comparisons of various RVN tales must be difficult for many reviewers (there are so many good ones) and are ultimately unfair to the various authors. Let's just state that LLH is in the tradition of the chopper pilots' gold standard, Robert Mason's "Chicken Hawk". Enough said.

Low Level Hell is an excellent book, another one that makes you feel as if you are there with the author. I found it hard to put down.
The fast-paced action and the fact that you never know what's going to happen next keeps you riveted to the story. I really enjoyed the book. Mr Mills' memory of all of the events in the book is very impressive. A must-read for fans of Vietnam stories or for helicopter crews.

Buy it. My favourite is still "Chicken Hawk" and "We were soldiers once and young". Even so I thought this was a great read. Very descriptive, at times you were in the 'Loach' with him.

The story of a LOACH pilot who is part of the hunter (LOACH) killer (Cobra) team of the 1/4 Cav (1st Infantry Div).

I bought this book because I was stationed with an Army helicopter battalion at the same Phu Loi base as Hugh, but in 1967, and was familiar with the 1/4 Cav and the TAOR they served in. In 1967, however, LOACHes and Cobra's were just arriving and our (11th Combat Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade) assault helicopter units were all built around slick platoons (flying UH-1Cs and Ds) and gun platoons (flying UH-1Bs). The slicks inserted and recovered the infantry, while the gunships prepared the LZ's and supported the infantry while they were on the ground.

Hugh's war was more like an aerial LRRP activity. The LOACHes went out scouring the AO for signs of enemy activity, and then called in the accompanying Cobras (or the aerial infantry platoons of the the 1/4 Cav) to attack them. They also used their own miniguns and crewchief's M-60 to start the job. The LOACH crews view of the war was much closer to an infantryman's.

I particularly liked that the book had a map of the TAOR with all the important bases and Infantry division TAORs shown, so that you could refer back to it to be sure you understood where the action described was taking place.

This is a well-written book about one facet of US tactics in the Vietnam war. Late in the book, the author comes to the realization that many other authors describing their experiences express( and which I came to beyond the mid-point of my tour) that, although they have some effective tactics, and take justifiable pride in their efforts, they can't see any strategic plan. Absent one, all that lies before them is an unending expenditure of men and materiel with no assurance that it will accomplish any meaningful good.

Buy this book; it won't disappoint.

I have read many books on combat in Vietnam, but not one compares to Low Level Hell. Hugh Mills writes much like he talks -- with a rare combination of wit and wisdom that makes you want to say "tell me more!" I eagerly await his next book.

My parents gave me this book for my birthday. I'm very glad that I finally got around to reading it. The author was
shot down over North Viet Nam, and spent five and a half years as a POW in several vietnamese prison camps. Dave Carey takes the reader through these experiences, the terror, disappointments, the boredom, and even the humor. I've always liked reading stories of how people get through tough times. It gives me inspiration to get through my own, lesser, tough times. In the telling of an experience more devastating than most of us will ever face, Carey provides a wonderful example for getting through the tough times. His five-point checklist will help anyone get through rough times; it is simple, concise, and eminently do-able in any situation. Thanks Mom & Dad for the gift, and thank you Dave Carey for writing it!

Thank you, David Carey, for sharing your POW experiences. The description of how you and your fellow prisoners chose to spend your time and the attitude you had toward your situation are an excellent example of how we all make choices about how to deal with what comes up in our own lives.

This book is an interesting, easy and fun read. Carey is a great storyteller who makes you feel and understand what they lived through along with how they kept their sanity and dignity.

Great insights from a guy that's been there. Dave has an uncanny knack of applying his challenging POW experiences to our everyday lives. A solid read.

Dave was my roommate aboard USS ORISKANY prior to his capture in 1967. As a Naval Academy graduate and Naval Aviator he was assigned to an attack squadron flying the A-4 Skyhawk. I met Dave the day we departed NAS Alameda for deployment to Southeast Asia, and Vietnam. He had his fiance Karen aboard for a short time in the officer's wardroom for coffee and last minute good byes. The next time he saw Karen was 5.5 years later after his release from a North Vietnam prisoner of war camp. I saw him again at his wedding!

This is terrific read along with Zalin Grants "Over the Beach" about the war, it's history, and the toll it took on countless lives.

i thought i had lived through some tough times before reading Dave's story... if life has got you down, choose this book, you'll begin to feel you too can survive and excel even in the most demanding situations. Dave ties in his Vietnam experience to create powerful insights for daily living in part 2.
My advice... READ THIS BOOK!

You forgot to mention Maj. Gen. Don Sheppard as one of the authors,the one who lived this story. Very well written. The action, the emotions and all of the anger and of the incredulity of a war being run from warm, comfortable offices in Washington, is well described. Too bad it wasn't written sooner. This book, however, will not become "mainstream" because it's the truth that no one wants to believe.

Major General Don Shepperd (retired) and renowned journalist Rick Newman co-author a superb book about the Vietnam war: "Bury us upside down." Their efforts join other grand military historical authors such as Mark Berent (Rolling Thunder), John C. Wiren (Flight of the Erawan), Reginald Hathorn (Here there are Tigers) and teams like Garry Cooper & Robert Hillier (Sock it to'em Baby). This book is an incredible fast moving account of real aviator heroes who volunteered for a secret outfit of fast FACs (Forward Air Controllers) who's mission was to troll the Ho Chi Minh trail and destroy the re-arming supplies from North Vietnam.
Senator John McCain (in his foreword) said: "The Vietnam War, America's longest and arguably most painful war was a tragedy for two countries, theirs and ours." Yes, painful and costly!
General Shepperd and Rick Newman wrote a firsthand account that is accurate, interesting and instructive all at the same time. They tell us from different perspectives the stories about men who risked their lives everyday for their country. As you read you could actually feel the "G" forces and jinking of their "huns" (F-100 fighter jets). The reader could feel the "pucker factor" when they flew into the AAA (anti aircraft guns.)
This book is a true story about real American Aviators who volunteered for a clandestine operation called "Commando Sabre (Misty) and flew in low enough to encounter damage from a bullet from a handheld gun on the ground, directing Bombers and Attack aircraft in destroying the NVA and supplies going to the south on "Uncle Ho's Path" (Ho Chi Minh Trail).
I have read many other interesting and accurate accounts of the war, but not many grab one's attention and wring your heart out like this one does. All 457 pages urge the reader not to put it down. Most books slow down and get boring from time to time, but "Bury Us upside Down" never does.
I recommend this book for those who have been to war and those who haven't. Perhaps, those who haven't experienced war, especially the war in SEA (Southeast Asia), can see how politicians in Washington can hamstring our warriors and get them killed. This book is a fine example, showing why we haven't won a war since WWII. It surely isn't the brave heroes, that fought so valiantly, who lost the war.
There were so many side wars associated with the Vietnam war these guys had to be secretive and brave and deal with outlandish timeframes, in my opinion we all owe these brave "Zoomies" (Fighter Pilots) a debt we can never pay. Heroes all, every one! (In war, what is fair anyway?)
By the way, the Ho Chi Minh trail is in Laos and Cambodia. This book goes to show you what fantastic determination, skill and courage these "Super Pilots" had. Let us always remember the ones who didn't return, they gave their all. The ultimate sacrafice...
Great emotional gut wrenching book, ya gotta read it!
JR Hafer, [...]

This is a very well written book and a great book for anyone that is interested in the true story inside the war. This book provide an insight to the lives of the people in the war and how it affected the families and loved ones at home.

I highly recommend this book!

I bought this for my fighter pilot husband. He has really enjoyed this entertaining book.

Oh man, what a book. I'll spare the big review, mainly because after reading what these guys went through, I don't think I could do it any justice, and it would be presumptuous of me anyway. These guys were real men, way beyond the definition of warriors.....and I'm sad to think that their breed has vanished with all of the PC in our society today. Read this, and get the TRUE picture of what it means to be a brave hero.