This book consists of letters written by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. It's extremely heart-breaking to read these letters as they gives "voices" instead of a mere figure. A lot of times, the figure of how many were killed, wounded, missing, etc but it does not portray any "emotions" the soldiers felt. At the end of each letter, the editor includes a few sentences on what happened to the author. It's extremely sad to read how many of those killed were just 19 year-olds, 20 year-olds, and these soldiers were just kids! It makes you think how wasteful, stupid, unnecessary wars are, and the sacrifices that has to be made.

The last chapter of this book speaks a lot. It is chronologically listed and you can see the evolving sentiments of the soldiers. At the beginning of the war, the soldiers were proud to fight against the Communists, how they think the war will be over soon. Towards the end of that chapter, most soldiers were scared, depressed and just wanted to get out of the war... alive! This shows why many Vietnam War veterans suffered from postwar depression as the horror of the war, how their friends, buddies were killed or wounded in front of their own eyes and how many could not possibly forget these horrifying images.

I highly recommend this book as this book speaks a lot. To me, the important message that it is trying to convey is the unnecessary sacrifices that these soldiers have to make, to fight a war that is not theirs, and the horror and bloodiness of the war is vividly described by these soldiers.

I have seen the movie in class last week and my teacher was in the war, but only as an engineer controller down in a ship. When my eighth grade class saw it, it was very good only some parts my teacher cut out because of nudity. I would suggest this boook or movie to anyone that has ever wondered about the Vietnam thing. This "war" that some people like to call it was not a war at all, it was just a police action and the soldiers were the police and we were just looking and were going to arrest the V.C.'s. If you have any problem with what I am saying then you can contact me at my address below. Thank You!

Sarah Quartuccio 14yrs. old

I still remember the day I walked into my college's library back in the late 1980s and saw this publication sitting on the table of new releases. I picked it up and headed for a couch. About six hours, many tears, mixed emotions, and several missed classes later I emerged from that couch and put the completed book back on the table. In those six hours my view about the Vietnam experience and those who fought it changed. The words of those soldiers in their letters are powerful evidence of the collision between innocence and experience that takes place when young men are thrust into battle.

This book should be required reading for all students of that war and required reading for every President who ever contemplates sending soldiers into battle.

I'm a new student of military history and I'm particularly interested in the Vietnam War. This book came highly recommended and I'm glad that I have read it. It is by far, one of the best Vietnam books I have ever read. I have recommended it to my fellow students. Major Norton has done a great job of telling the story of his Force Recon Marines!

I've read both '69 and '70. This is by far one of the best books about real experiences in Vietnam that I have read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. At one point I felt as if I was the one hiding in the bush just 10' feet from the NVA as they passed by! A real heart pounder!

A friend of mine turned me on to Major "Doc" Norton's books about the Marine Corps, and I must agree, this Major can tell a great story! I served in the Marine Corps for 22 years and had just one tour in Vietnam. No one else can "bring in home" like this guy can. You feel as though you are out on patrol with Doc and his recon team in 3rd Force Recon Co. The best part is that he writes a sequel about his time in 1st Force Recon Company. If Spielburg had half a brain he'd make Norton's books come alive on sreen. It would be the Vietnam version of Saving Private Ryan. If readers are interesetd in "credibility" than here is a story of heroic young men in combat. Truth is better than fiction and this book proves it. Any Marines I know would be proud to have guys like Norton and his teammates, Bishop, Silva, Keaveney and Furhman, in their team. Where do guys like these come from? The are the legends of the Corps. A GREAT Book! Go out a buy it. That's an order!

As one of the pilots of Jolly Green 67 I simply want to thank Dr. Castle for his comprehensive and historical accurate account of the events at Lima Site 85. This is a story that begged to be told; Dr. Castle pulls no punches, providing a riveting and revealing account. His work was a key factor in the eventual recognition of the heroic efforts of Sgt. Etchberger at the Enlisted Hertiage Hall, Maxwell AFB Annex (formally Gunter AFS), Montgomery AL. A great read.

Congratulations to Dr. Castle for this fine book. A meticulously researched historical work of the finest order that reads like a Tom Clancy action novel. A bombshell that exposes one of the most egregious and hitherto publicly undisclosed tragedies of the Vietnam War. In March 1968 an NVA sapper team avoided detection and attacked a top-secret radar bombing facility (code name Jolly Green) which was manned by sixteen "civilianized" Air Force technicians. The site, LS 85, was located on a mountain top in Laos less than twenty-five miles from the North Vietnam border. The attack caught the technicians off guard and resulted in the loss of the site to the communist forces. Two of those dedicated volunteers manning the site were confirmed killed, five were rescued alive (one died on the evacuation flight) and the remaining nine have never been accounted for and their status remains unknown. This incident holds the distinction of being the largest single loss of Air Force ground personnel during the entire Vietnam War. Why did the Air Force continue to operate this site in the face of considerable evidence the site would soon fall under bombardment and attack by large NVA forces gathering in the area? Was it incompetence or was the site considered so essential to the North Vietnam bombing effort that the loss of the men was an acceptable risk? Dr. Castle looks at these questions in detail. One Day Too Long chronicles the history of Site 85 from its initial concept of operations through the tragic consequence of this miscalculation. But the story does not stop there. It also relates the stoic efforts by one widow to find answers to questions about her husbands death at this site the government was unwilling to provide. This book should be mandatory reading for all future military leaders.

I have a very personal reaction to "One Day Too Long" in that Mel and Ann Holland were our military sponsors when my family and I were first assigned to an AC&W squadron in southern Spain in early 1961, and I worked with Mel until he rotated to the States. It is embarrassing and shameful to learn how both the military and civilian authorities were willing to sacrifice those men in order to cover up their own mistakes, but I suppose if ALL the truth were known about SE Asia operations, we would not be able to stand it. Dr. Castle has perfomed an invaluable service for democracy. EVERYBODY should read this book! (Ann, we'd love to hear from you!)

As a nurse of almost 25 years who graduated from high school in 1975 (just after Nixon's negotiated "peace with honor"), I have a sense that I could have done just what nurses like Winnie Smith and Lynda Devanter did. Gone to war to take care of people who would have needed me. Only time did save me...

This is a disturbing book and ultimately convincing in one of its' pleas: Let's NOT send young people to combat anymore. I'd send a copy to our war-bent president if I thought it would make a difference.

As an experienced ICU and ED nurse, I was horrified at the conditions these nurses worked (and lived) in.

At the end of the book, though you feel less worried about Winnie Smith, you never get the sense that life will be "all better" for her. This pain, this scar is deep and everlasting.

A raw and real book. I'd recommend it to anyone as I would DeVanter's book (Home Before Morning).

I thought this memoir was excellent. I was in Da Nang, Viet Nam from "69 to "70. I saw and experienced what she did; today, I feel the same way that she does. This great country of ours and the people in it have let all of us "Viet Nam Veterans" down because, I believe, of the devisiness of the war. All that we ask is that we be treated with respect as other Vets are. A wonderful book of how she coped. This is real.

Long ago, my boss gave me a copy of a thin (by my standards) book, and said it had been written by a friend of his; would I like to read it? I said yes; I love to read, and Bob Thomas was someone I admired. If he said a book was worthwhile, then I knew it was. "American Daughter Gone To War" has been with me ever since.

Winnie Smith's writing is straightforward. Her account of her childhood and adolescence is as clear as her account of her tour in Vietnam, even when the horrors start mounting up; although Smith's narrative sometimes skimps on description, the reader should keep in mind that she's writing her memoirs, not a novel. She shows a gallows humor throughout, particularly when she tells of dealing with arrogant doctors, officers, and (later) men who lie about having served in the war; she gives glimpses of the day-to-day life at the bases (tarantulas in the latrine are just one ordinary occurrence). When I finished the book, I felt as if I'd spent the time actually speaking to Smith, sharing in her memories, and was just as emotionally wrung as if I had.

If all history is relative, a patchwork of accounts from witnesses in high and low places (as well as on the giving and taking ends of orders), then the American involvement in the Vietnam War is a kaleidoscope. Of all the literary fragments worth piecing together, "American Daughter Gone To War," although small, is one to keep.

Paul Scotti presents a thoroughly researched and documented history of the Coast Guard in Vietnam. He expertly uses first-hand sources to supplement and tell his story. Real people with very human emotions and reactions. It is a historical overview but reads like a novel. You will enjoy.

I am a CG Vietnam veteran having served aboard the CG Cutter Chase, CG Squadron 3 in 1969-70. Paul Scotti's book is the definitive book about the CG operations in Vietnam. Paul gets you up front and personal to the point you can smell the smoke and hear the gunfire. His book vividly describes the everyday life of a Coastie in Vietnam be it on the water, in the air or at the base and will touch your hearts as you read not only about combat but about the many humanitarianism projects that the folks back home never new about. After reading this book you will realize just how important and diverse our Coast Guard is and have a new respect for the brave men and women of our oldest "Naval" military service. "I know, I was there". Read this book and you'll be there too!!

Paul Scotti's interesting and well-researched work deserves to be read by all Americans. The Coast Guard is the smallest of the five Armed Services yet arguably provides the public with the most value, dollar for dollar, than any of them. Many Americans are unaware of the myriad duties and responsibilities assigned by law to the Coast Guard, and too many more are incredulous upon learning of the significant Coast Guard presence in Vietnam. This book goes a long way toward telling that story; a story without which the history of American involvement in Vietnam cannot be complete.

Sir, Your accounting of the abilities of our teams brought back so many memories. The price we had to pay is still so unknown to so many. I carry the memory of my friend and teammate Sgt.A.Garcia with me every day. I am proud that I had the honor to serve under you and with men like him. For those who fought for it freedom has a taste the protected will never know.
Doc Parrish 3rd. Force Recon 1969-1970

I believe this is a very balanced work, and sets forth a compelling remembrance of the good and great men who served under unspeakable conditions, and gained little by it for themselves but silent honor.

I bought and read this book, after returning from the funeral of my friend's father, Lt. Col. Buck Coffman, this past weekend (1 Sept., '01). Col. Coffman was a fascinating, remarkable man who served his nation well. Sometimes, perhaps, better than it's people deserved. I knew him apart from his role as warrior (though ALWAYS a Marine), and he set a standard to aspire to, as a man and as Man. He was loved truly by his family and friends.

At his memorial service, I had the privelege of meeting the author, Col. Lee, as well as Maj. Norton, Col. Morris, Gen. Gray and several of the other courageous men who served with them in the Marines; men written of in this book. Each and every one of them impressed me with their intelligence, decency and honor, and for the love they so obviously share for one another.

I am now starting on Doc Norton's Force Recon Diaries. I am very grateful to the men who write these books. We should always remember that giants DO walk the earth. I'm honored to have spent a time, even but a moment, in the shadow of one.

It seems that all of these Force Recon books are concerned with the war after 1969, during the downsizing of Americas involvement. dont they realize that the worst of the war was prior to that ,in 67-68. Also, i dont care for the way col. Lee is critical of the unit prior to his arrival. This very company was the first into the DMZ in 1967, it patrolled Con Thien in the bad days and patrolled the Khe Sanh area with 4 man teams. the company had a Medal of Honor winner and a number of Navy Crosses prior to his arrival. Regardless it is still an excellent book and the views above are mine alone.

This book is an awesome collection of great photos. Larry Burrows did a fabulous job at capturing real life experiences in Vietnam. I commend him and David Halberstam for their professionalism and commitment to those soldiers who fought and died for our country. I only wish the descriptive captions were listed near the large photos in the book, not the back of the book. I'm sure the author had a reason for this. I strongly recommend this book.

The Vietnam war was defined as the first total media war, television was in the ascendancy but it was through newspapers and magazines that most people got there view of the suffering. The three greatest war photographers of all time (Robert Capa is the forth) brought the war to the breakfast tables of the world, Phillip Jones Griffiths, Donald McCullin and Larry Burrows produced pictures which showed the true horror and futility of the Vietnam conflict. McCullin through the pages of the Sunday Times Magazine, Jones Griffiths with his book "Vietnam Inc" and Burrows in the pages of "Life" magazine. Larry Burrows was given the massive task of showing the war in colour. Colour was regarded as being too pretty for the hard hitting task of showing war, also the actual technical limitations of the colour film of the time made Burrows task even more difficult. The sensitivity was very slow and getting the exposure absolutely spot on was imperitive. The steadyness and consideration needed to get the pictures are not condusive to the nerves in the midst of combat but Burrows had the metal to get the job done. This book brings together his work from 1963 till his death in 1971 in a way that shows not only his skill as a photographer but also as a journalist who could visualise the images and create the difinitive "picture story" The reproduction and layout are excellent and to see the images virtually as they would have appeared in Life are a credit to Larry's son Russell. This is a must for anyone interested in photography and photojournalism.

I couldn't pass this book up. As this country prepares for the next war we should be mindful of the lessons of the one we lost. Larry Burrows appears to have gone everywhere in Vietnam carrying his Leicas and Nikons. His images are gritty, sad, shocking, poignant, and, yes beautiful. He is at his best when he captures the mind bending reactions in the faces of the men who fought the enemy and fought to stay alive. I don't think color has ever been used so well in combat photos. An artist and historian with a camera. This book is the legacy of a man whose compassion brought him too close to his subject. He died in a helicopter crash in an incursion into Laos in 1971. His images show his feeling for nuance, composition, storytelling and empathy. Only David Duncan's photographs of the Marines retreat in Korea compare with Burrows' combat sequences. And David Duncan was with his unit for a few days. Larry Burrows spend nine years, off and on, covering the Vietnam debacle and its impact on soldiers, civilians and country.

I was given the book as a gift by one of the contributing writers It was good to hear about people that I served with in 3rd Force Recon Co. from Nov.65-Dec.68..... I think that books that are written in this style lack emotion and color, sorry but I have to be honest. Also,concerning the subject( stingray patrols) though I am not a military scholar I did participate for 20 months in both Stingray and Keyhole (4 man team) patrols. We suffered less casualties using the Keyhole approach and still inflicted many casualties on the enemy. I don't share the praise given to this concept of warfare, all it did was waste many good friends of mine. Although I don't care for this sort of effort, it is probably interesting to many other people and I am sure that it is worth the price but not 5 stars..... Sorry but that is how I feel about the book.....

As a college student, (Junior) working towards a degree in History, I found Stingray, by Major B. H. Norton, USMC, to be a well-written and informative book on one aspect of US military history. While I wasn't even born during the Vietnam War, I have now gained a better sense of history and underdstanding by reading this, and other, books written by Major Norton. Stringray describes a military concept used by reconnaissance Marines during the Vietnam War. The author begins by setting the political and military tone of the times, and then describes how the Marines had to change their "concept of operations" to match wits with the Viet Cong, and later, the North Vietnamese Army as it invaded South Vietnam. With the help of first-hand accounts and by having other Marines' explain their understanding of the Stingray Concept, Major Norton has produced a book that paints the entire picture; from those recon team members who went out on patrol, to the officers who were involved in "fine-tuning" their plans. I found this book to be enlightning and very useful in undestanding what happened during this time in our nation's history. I'm looking forward to more books by Norton. He seems to know how to put it all together. A very good book.

This is by far the weakest book I have read by Bruce. I enjoyed it, but I think anyone that has never been in Nam would have trouble understanding it. After having read the other books by Bruce I was mildly dissapointed in this one. I am not saying it wasn't a good book,but I think Bruce has put out better books.

Roadrunner 6 Out

As the war in Vietnam escalated in 1994 and 95, I was a young naïve supporter of the war simply because I believed that whatever it took to stop and fight communism was justified. My first doubts about the justification of this war came when I would hear the causality figures at the end of each week on the nightly news. I can remember these figures e.g. 946 VC killed in the fighting this week; 94 Americans died. I simply did not believe that anyone knew how many VC were killed, and questioned the figures reported including those of American causalities. As things developed, I began to reassess my thoughts about the American involvement in this war. I read McNamara's "In Retrospect," Neil Sheehan's "A Bright Shining Lie," Stanley Karnow's "Vietnam: A History," But it was Fredrik Logevall's "Choosing War," that really gave me the insight to this conflict. It's the most enlightening account of the American involvement in Vietnam I've read to date. Last year I visted Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon). This is in itself was more of education than any of the books. It's my recommendation to all who are interested in the American involvement in Vietnam, to read this detailed and comprehensive account.

Not only is Professor Logevall an excellent historian...he is an excellent teacher as well! I have taken one of his classes at UC Santa Barbara; they are the best and most popular classes on campus.

This fascinating, extremely readable, and carefully researched book by historian Frederik Logevall has an intriguing thesis closely paralleling that of several other emerging scholars regarding the origins and prosecution of the Vietnam War. Like David Kaiser's provocative indictment in "American Tragedy; Kennedy, Johnson, & The Origins Of The Vietnam War" of both the military and civilian advisors to Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, the author presents a damning and quite convincing stream of evidence proving that it was in fact a series of individuals like Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense Dean Rusk, and General William Westmoreland who arrogantly chose to pursue a war that many around them actively questioned and discouraged. The author's careful research shows a flood of documentary evidence indicating that these people and a number of like-minded others, deliberately chose to prosecute a war for which they had good reason to believe would not likely succeed.

Unlike Kaiser in his excellent book, Professor Logevall chooses to concentrate impressively on a critical eighteen-month period spanning from the summer of 1963 to the early winter of 1965, and the fateful steps taken during that period toward a policy of escalation and direct involvement of American combat units. The author contends that any one of a number of important opportunities to step aside were deliberately ignored, often based on important information provided by key insiders such as McNamara. As the record also shows, this information was anything but the disinterested and objective assessment of the political, economic, and military situation on the ground in South Vietnam it was presented as. In this sense both President Kennedy and President Johnson were victims of a quite deliberate campaign of misinformation and self-serving worst-case analysis by Rusk, McNamara, and Westmoreland.

It was in such a poisonous and duplicitous environment that Lyndon Johnson made a fateful series of decisions to escalate the war by "Americanizing" it, something Kennedy before him had quite insistently denied permission to do. The author also argues quite persuasively that both Kennedy and Johnson had stepped away from opportunities for disengaging from the involvement in Vietnam for domestic political reasons, including a concern with being seen as "soft" on communism in the period preceding the coming national elections of 1964. This is substantiated by Johnson's actions after Kennedy's assassination; while secretly initiating actions to escalate the war, Johnson self-consciously campaigned saying exactly the opposite. He understood the potential firestorm American involvement could have for both liberal and conservative criticism, and was therefore careful to mitigate his vulnerability by neutralizing it as a political factor until after the Presidential elections of 1964.

Likewise, once committed to a policy of massive American participation in the war, Johnson feared the personal consequences both domestically and internationally were he to decide to withdraw and admit defeat. Yet world leaders almost uniformly distanced themselves from American involvement, and privately counseled Johnson to "cut and run". In addition, Johnson's own lack of appreciation for the potential damage our involvement in Vietnam might have on international relations resulted in a number of lost opportunities for détente and improvement in relations with both the Soviet Union and China. Based on his own personal frailties and the bad counsel of both his military and civilian advisors, he pursued the single most disastrous course imaginable; further escalation, condemning not only his own domestic program but nearly 60,000 American soldiers to untimely (and absolutely unnecessary) death.

This is am intriguing, insightful, and important book, and the author writes both in an entertaining and accessible style. He mirrors the evidence presented in other recent books such as the aforementioned Kaiser tome, and also in Major H.R. McMaster's absorbing recent book, "Dereliction Of Duty; Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs Of Staff, And The Lies That Led to Vietnam", and handily helps to put the lie to the kind of neo-revisionist saber-rattling of armchair conservatives like Michael Lind ( one wonders if Lind was ever in the military; or if he is a "George W. Bush" kind of born-again macho clebrant of combat who has never had a shot fired at him, an armchair enthusiast who cheered from the sidelines as a passive noncombatant member of the Texas Air National Guard). Gee, let's fly planes over the vacant Texas tundra and we can call ourselves patriots! Lind would have us believe this was all God's work in his silly and wrong-headed narrative "The Necessary War". Since he was likely still in his nappies when the firestorm was raining all over the heads of the more than half million uneducated, largely blue-collar men and women we deployed at any one time to Vietnam, I wonder how he would know. Did he read about it at Yale? "Choosing War", on the other hand, is an excellent and carefully crafted work of scholarship, and one that helps to nail together a much more comprehensive understanding of how it was we were so badly and quite unnecessarily led into this most unfortunate of American wars.

I read this book with great interest. Certainly the story of Rama's tale is exciting and one that is recounted many time in the East. However, in reading the story, one thing kept getting in the way: the book keeps praising the virtues of Brahmins non-stop. After a while, this ceaseless glorification of Brahmins became extremely annoying, at least for a non-Indian like me. I am speculating here but the story of Ramayana probably had a big influence in the way the caste system in India evolve through the centuries.

Krishna Dharma's retelling of the Ramayana excels at conveying the greatness of this ancient story. The battles in the story are larger-than-life, the emotions intense.

I was put off a little by Rama's behavior from time to time, especially when you consider who he really is. The outcome of the story was utterly obvious from the moment we become aware of Rama's true identity; however, the twist in the story that occurs near the end caught me off guard.

There are other versions of the Ramayana that I've recently become aware of. One portrays the villain, Ravana, as the real hero; if this were one of Homer's poems, Ravana could definitely qualify as a great hero.

I highly recommend Krishna Dharma's retelling. He knows the story well enough, and is creative enough a writer, to fully convey all the messages and emotions the Ramayana attempts to send your way. The artwork is also very beautiful.

Rama is the most perfect of King Dasarath's sons. He is wise and kind, devout, respectful, and a fearsome warrior. In the course of his youthful exploits he has fallen in love with Sita, who he now brings back in triumph to his father's city of Ayodhya. But, on the very day he is to be named Dasarath's heir, treachery takes place. Banished from Ajodhya by the machinations of one of Dasarath's jealous wives, Rama and Sita undertake an unconceivable adventure to rid the world of evil and return to Rama what is rightfully his.

And so begins one of the oldest and most spectacular adventures in literary history. Perhaps the oldest Indian epic, 'The Ramayana' is a grand story, a cautionary tale, and a vivid picture of the Vedic culture of one of the world's larger countries. This story, like told in 'The Mahabharata,' is deeply embedded in Indian culture. The tales display many of the key beliefs that have shaped Indian thought for centuries. For a student of the area, searching for common threads, they are required reading. For many this is still a text of religious importance. As Dharma quotes, "This legend is the bestower of longevity, the enhancer of fortune, and the dispeller of sins.

Certainly, in addition to these virtues, 'The Ramayana' is a font of creative ideas. For those of us who get bogged down in Western approaches and answers it is an opportunity to see how other cultures have come to deal with questions that are common to all. As such it is a lesson in the ingeniousness of the human mind and the great commonalties of the human spirit. The difference in context and the epic scale can be a source of inspiration as well as outstanding entertainment.

This edition was created by Krishna Dharma, a Vaishnava priest and well-known translator of Sanskrit writings, is not so much a word for word translation as it is a detailed retelling. As such its style and rhythm is better adapted to Western tastes than stricter, more academic fare. On the other hand, Krishna Dharma leaves little out, and truly captures the feeling of the original. As such this is a massive accomplishment. The inclusion of various illustrations, both black and white and color enhance its value and impressiveness. Previous to buying this copy my exposure to the legend has been via excerpts, descriptions, and reenactments. These were adequate to their purpose, but reading the story in its proper sequence has added much to my experience.