It was like reliving Tuscaloosa all over again. As I was reading Johns book I could almost close my eyes and tell you what was on the next page. I was there with my face in the sand trying to servive. And I am extremely proud of the way my fellow Brother wrote our story. The reality even allowed me to see the young marines faces that I now will never forget. Thank you john Culbertson for an excellent, excellent accounting of times that should never been forgotten, nor the young Marines who laid down their lives that day. Semper Fi

The courage of the Marines have often been told. This book will take you into the battle of the Viet Nam mud marine. John puts you on the line with them and shows you the courage of the young men who fought these battles. Not only is it a true depliction of the battles,but the thoughts of the men who fought them. A must read for the young men and women who are thinking that war is all glory. I know I was there!!!!!

I have not completed the book yet. I never met my brother. All I had were letters sent to my mother to read. In this book it mentions my brother and it also answers a 35 year old question. To me, this book has brought a part of my brother to me. I have also purchased A Sniper In The Arizona. Thank you Mr. Culbertson..

As a lover of photography books, and pictures of exotic locales, I bought this volume based on the glowing recommendations of the other reviewers from Amazon.com. The buyer should know most of the images were taken in India, and so if one is expecting a good mix of images from various places in southeast Asia, he is not going to find them in this book. Nevertheless there is a good balance of pictures of people (i.e., portraits), people going on with the business of their lives (working, playing, begging), and a few stunning city landscapes (I wish there were more of these).
The book is not cheap-there are not really that many pages (one image per page)- and although the quality of the paper and the pictures is good, it is not superb. I have owned better. Overall, for those readers who love looking at beautiful pictures, or those who can relate to pictures of people and places in Asia, this book is worthwhile buying.

Not to be missed by anyone; this book has inspired travelers, myself among them, to seek out the impossibly fantastical colors, people and architecture of the southeast buried in its pages. This book has stolen the breath away from every single person who has ever picked it up off my coffee table. It was a gift that I will never forget that also changed my perception of the gift giver forever -- an incredible surprise to have enjoyed it as I have, a thoughtful present for anyone with an imagination. Give this book to someone you love and wish to inspire.

This must be the photography publication of the millennium. Until I picked up South Southeast, there was not one single photography book that evoked this deep impression in me everytime I turned a page. Not only does Steve McCurry's photography draw the reader into the world he witnessed and captured so beautifully, the massive full page pictures transports the colour and essence of life from the region before your very eyes. You really must see for yourself to appreciate this absolutely excellent work. My only criticism is why did he wait so long to share this with us.

As a good frind of the author , I am biased in his favor. But I am a HUGE fan of this book , belive me there are a lot of untold storie's waiting to be told. Hopefully he will be writing a new book. To all who are thinking about reading this book , I strongly recomend it. It is a great book . Here's to you Jerry , Long Live Apache Troop.

I can attest to the authenticity of Jerry's book because I served with him in Apache Troop. He tells it like it was. His book brought back memories that made me laugh and some that brought tears to my eyes. He reminded me of friends whose names I may have forgotten but not that they are friends. I haven't seen anyone from Apache Troop since I was there from March 1970 to May of 1971. I have seen Jerry and he is still the hell-raiser he was then.

I am honored to call him friend. He did things that would make most men soil their pants. He survived his tour in Vietnam so he could write this book to help us remember to never have another atrocity to be placed upon our military men and women.

The military did their job with one hand tied behind their back and still kicked ... and not bothering to take names. The politicians on the other hand sat on their thumbs and let the military take the brunt of the misgivings of the war.

Once again, Jerry's book is GREAT ! ....

Jerry's book reminds me of those things and more. I say to Jerry, I sure hope there is a sequel. I one of many are sure looking forward to it.

Thank you Jerry!!!

Apache Sunrise is the best personal account that I have read on Vietnam helicopter aviation. This book combines descriptions of the hard hitting and gutsy combat with the human side of Mr. Boyle's Vietnam Tour. Not only full of facts about tactics and operations, he describes the little things you do not get in most history books! I felt like I was sitting listening to him tell his story in person. His description of his buddies and fellow pilots made them your friends too. Great job Mr. Boyle.

Having read a number of books on the war in Vietnam I was eager to read 'The Tunnels of Cu Chi' when a friend recommended it. I was completely absorbed by the book and could not put it down. The author does a fantastic job presenting the reader with an unbiased account of both the American and Vietnamese experience in the tunnels of Vietnam. I learned a great deal about the life of a Viet Cong guerilla, and why they proved to be such an elusive and destructive adversary.

This book gives the best account I've read of the tenacity, ingenuity and willingness to sacrifice that typified hard-core Viet Cong cadre. It gives a clear and detailed account of the tunnels; but even more, it offers us the personal, often emotional, stories of the men and women who built, lived in and fought from the tunnels, as well as the Americans who struggled against them. The unflinching accounts of our tunnel rats -- soldiers who had the supremely dangerous job of crawling into these tunnels, alone and armed only with a flashlight and a pistol -- are the most rivetting stories about the war I have seen. As an infantry medic in '68-'69, I never liked going into that area. Now the Tunnels of Cu Chi are preserved as a Vietnamese National Park, celebrated as a monument to both engineering and the human spirit. This book explains why.

This is a great book which can compliment your viewing of Mickey Grant's 1 hour film shot in Vietnam titled, "The Cu Chi Tunnels." Tom's book also includes much about the "Tunnel Rats". The film deals much more with the Vietnamese side which has been so often not been revealed.

I found this book to be a good and handy guide to understanding the culture of the Philippines as an Canadian-American married to a lady from the Philippines and a part time resident of DAVAO CITY about half the year, the information has proven useful. It certainly was well worth the small price I paid if only for the tips on understanding my IN LAWS! Anyways, a well worth read.

Having been raised in one of the remote barangays in one of the remote provinces in Philippines, went to college in the city, and currently living in the U.S., I can relate to most of the things discussed in this book and how foreigners react to them. I still find our culture fascinating and I wouldn't hesitate to explain this to a foreigner who's interested to listen. But why the choice for the cover? Wouldn't it be nice if you put a picture of a 'bayanihan' or a child giving a 'mano po' to an elderly, instead of a man in white mask with a San Miguel Beer and a cigarette in hand? I know 'Sinulog' in Cebu, 'Dinagyang' in Iloilo, and 'Ati-ati' in Aklan, but these festivals do not reflect the 'culture shock' that's discussed in the book. It might give an impression that there's a lot of 'voo-doo' practitioners in the Phillipines. Ok..ok...let's not just the book by it's cover...Excellent reading for your 'Americanized' kid or your American in-law.

Alfredo and Grace Roces have compiled a great deal of material on the Psycho-social development of and application of "The Pilopino Culture". Rationales are given for certain behaviors, and comparisons with American Culture are made. As an American I find the information contained in this study of Pilipino Behavior, Life style, Social Interaction to be indespensible in studying the Pilopino People. I highly reccomend reading "Culture Shock" to anyone interested in comparing Cultural norms between American and Pilopino Culture. I am an American married to a Filipina. After reading Culture Shock I have developed a much better understanding of my wifes feelings about issues such as-Religion, Family, "Utang na loob", Extended vs. Nuclear Family, Sending money home to parents in the Philippines etc. There are now so many new concepts added to my knowledge of the Philippines that I lack both the time and space to discuss them with you. Get the book and enjoy a refreshing look at a new Culture! Mike McGrath-R.N./MICN/Webmaster

William Duiker researched extensively thru all available archives to compile all the information into this book about Ho Chi Minh, the myth and the patriot. If the readers enjoyed every little details about the developments of Uncle Ho, parties that he set up, meetings that he attended, negotiations that took place, etc., you would love this book. But for someone like myself who wanted to learn about Uncle Ho and Vietnam along the way, I find the book to be very time consuming to read and heavy handed to remember all those party names, Vietnamese names, small towns names. But the author did provide the readers with a heavy dose of pictures, maps of Vietnams in different periods, close ups of areas such as Dien Bien Phu which was significant for the creation of the modern Vietnam. In this book, we read about Uncle Ho's humble upbringing; his brief & tragic love life; his capture in Hong Kong which would almost cost him his life; his tireless efforts within the jungles trying to gain local support from small villages for his small but growing fast army; his extensive travel abroad; the exploitation of his own image as a simple person leading a simple life but fighting tireless for the betterment of his people; his assistance of the United States during the World War 2 campaign and along the way, he earned respects of many Americans but working relationships couldn't be carried thru due to the changes of Presidents; his pragmatism in clinging to countries that were willing to help him in attaining independence from France; and later on, his shrewdness in playing off a country with the other to obtain assistance to reunite North & South as one Vietnam entity; his last will to be cremated not adhered to but ended up embalmed in a Mausoleum. Many decisions he had made, some rite & some wrong & towards the end, the author analysed if Uncle Ho is in fact a Communist or a patriot. In the book, it said that despite Uncle Ho is not as revered by the younger Vietnamese generations these days, and that his legacy is not remembered in the South as much as in the North, his contribution towards Vietnam and that region is unmistakable, and the greatness of him doing anything for his country is to be admired and revered of. It also said that his replacements such as Le Duan simply lacked the charisma and the actions taken by him was bordering towards extremes rather than moderation, and therefore, further along, the support for his party seemed to wane, and the impacts caused by Le Duan's actions simply devastated Vietnam, and thus, the exodus of boatpeople, seeking a better life elsewhere. In this biography, readers would also understand why United States wouldn't intervene in France's colonialism of Vietnam after the World War 2 as it required its available force there to prevent the spreading of Communist power along the North, both USSR & China. But later, as the red power is gaining in force along the North, only then, the United States intervened in the South to prevent communism to be spread all around the world. But that was a marriage in hell with the Dien brothers as they supported the Catholics and therefore, they had a bad blood with the Buddhists and corruption was rampant, and that the population there was suffering. Moreover, with Khrushev in power in Russia, with his denouncement of Stalin, he wanted to keep the peace around the region & therefore, refused to endorse Vietnam engaging in war with the United States but China, on the other hand, reckoned a war was imminent and all this while, Uncle Ho, wished to keep concile both countries as inner conflict would give the Communism a bad name. Should readers simply want to learn about Vietnam, I do recommend another great book, which certain parts of the book is used as excerpts in Ho CHi Minh biography anyway: The Sacred Willow written by Duong Van Mai Elliott. It told the story of a Vietnamese family spanning 4 generations and by reading the plights of the family members who comprised of both Northerners and Southerners and the situations happening around them, you would get a feel of the developments of Vietnam towards the end. A superb effort.

This is a thoroughly researched biography of one of the most important figures of our time. It is well balanced and provides insight into Ho's political, psychological and personal life. All other English language books on Ho pale in comparison. Here we learn of Ho's days in Moscow, as a Comintern agent, his life in China, his struggle to free Vietnam from colonialism and his leadership in the wars of Vietnam. It explicitly leaves the reader to make her/his own decision on issues regarding Ho. Nationalist? Vietnamese Patriot? Democratic Socialist? Communist Puppet? You decide. But, YOU must read this book!!

At times while tracing the life of Ho Chi Minh, William Duiker must have felt like the French security service in the 1930's. Even as a biographical subject, Ho remains elusive, difficult to grasp and hard to capture. Yet, this biography goes a long and powerful way in demystifying an extraordinarily complex figure.

Duiker makes a cogent case for Ho as a genuine revolutionary bent essentially on the independence of Vietnam. His contention that Ho was not simply a nationalist pragmatically using Marxist-Leninism is persuasive. Yet, it also appears tragically clear that Ho was willing to put his enormous influence behind a rapprochment with the U.S. in the late 40's. An opportunity to avoid the subsequent catastrophe for both sides was lost.

Perhaps the strongest portions of the book deal with Duiker's explication of Ho's extraordinary ability to perceive the consequences of the global political scene; his ability to divine both the long-term and short-term consequences to Vietnam of the actions of the major powers. Additionally, Duiker's book is very insightful regarding Ho's position within his own party. He was essentially a moderate who had to negotiate with radical hard-liner's. One could see him as a victim of the success of his own party.

If the book has a failing, that failing cannot be laid at the feet of the author. In reading about Ho, one cannot help but feel that an enormous amount of information will never be available--either because it no longer exists, because it does not serve the purposes of those with the information to release it or that, in the case of China for instance, it will never allow access to significant archival material. Consequently, in reading about Ho I had the sense that I would never know his complete story. (Virtually nothing exists apparently about his personal life in this book. I am sure that is partially related to the fact that Ho's life was the movement he created, but some of it is undoubtedly because that part of his life was intentionally kept out of view). Nonetheless, the book is painstakingly annotated and detailed, and Duiker undoubtedly knows his subject.

The final quibble I have with the book is that it seemed oddly sanitized of violence. After all, Ho's actions led to conflicts over 30 years leading to millions of deaths. No doubt the book could not dwell on the destructiveness of the two Indochinese wars. Nonetheless, the book should have given more time to the consequences of the sacrifices Ho seemed to eternally preach. (Coincidentally, on the evening I finished the book, I read an article in the New Yorker regarding the longest held American POW. It was a good reminder of the horror of the conflict.)

This book deserves the highest compliment: it raises so many more fascinating questions about Ho and Vietnam, not because they were not adequately addressed, but rather because a great subject well-documented is endlessly fascinating. Its too bad Mr. Duiker is not available for Q & A.

So is Jerry Ellis in this book, which is a first person account of his thoughts and encounters as he walks the Cherokee Trail of Tears. He blends what he sees and who he meets along the trail with ancestoral stories and beliefs in a way that educates and entertains the reader. He also manages to restore a person's faith in the kindness of Americans.

I use this book as a classroom novel in my high school nonfiction course. The issues that Jerry struggles with in his book are some of the same ones that my students face as they prepare to leave school and figure out where they belong in the world. What keeps me from giving the book a five star rating is that Jerry sometimes gives the reader an up close and personal look at his love life in a way which doesn't really add to his narrative.

Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the cerebral slant of an excellent travelogue and who wants to know more about the spiritual traditions and history of the Cherokee.

I just want to say "Thank You" to Jerry Ellis and also Congratulaions to him for such a wonderful, informative book, and for walking The Trail of Tears!!! I just finished reading this book about an hour ago and I loved it. Tears came to my eyes at the end. It was such a touching book. I plan on reading all your books, Jerry. Thank you for such a great one!

This is a wonderfully-written book that helps us rethink our connection to our fellow humans and to all of Nature. Jerry Ellis has the ability to connect to people, causing them to trust him immediately and open up. Because of his encounters with so many during his walk along the Trail of Tears, I am encouraged about the state of our ability to be more tolerant of one another. Jerry also conveys a sense of calmness and patience and it has helped me to stop and take a few minutes to breathe, and look up, and look around. Also, to listen. Jerry writes with clarity and sureness, and it's as if he's telling you this story in person. I highly recommend this book.

Into the Green by Cherokee Paul McDonald is a great book. Into the Green is filled with action, suspense,and interesting clues as to what a soldiers life is like. This book is perfect for males like myself who require some action, and lude humor to keep them tied to a book. Not only does the book portray an accurate picture of what soldiers experienced during the Vietnam war,it also does so in a way that will make you feel as if you were there. McDonald's short, yet deep chapters are filled with emotions like fear, and anger, which are hard to find by simply reading a book, but he pulls it off. McDonald uses impressive imagery when describing the lush jungles of Vietnam. Cherokee Paul McDonald's struggle through the jungles of Vietnam is a rough awakening to the effect war has on a soldier. Overall this a very well written, interesting novel which will keep you hooked the whole way. I highly reccomend this book whether you are an avid war reader, or have never read a book about war.

This was one of those books that I read slowly, savoring the content and the word pictures given to me. As a former Army Aviator, who flew combat missions in Vietnam in the very same Area of Operations (AO) described, and in the very same time frame, I felt as though I was living the Vietnam experience all over again.

This time, I could reflect upon the memories, the vivid and accurate portrayals of combat and daily life of an Army combatant; without the constant cloud of fear that was always there, mostly just pushed into the background. The portrayals of the news media, political tactical decisions and the enemy were right on target.

Extremely well written, exciting, and heart rending when he received the typical Vietnam veteran homecoming reception. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see what the Vietnam War was really like.

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This is a great book because it takes a different approach from most war memoirs. Instead of giving a day-by-day recount of events, McDonald shares his experiences through short snapshots of episodes which are more easily digested than long winded narratives. He also includes simple and poignant details that allow the reader small insights into the emotional turbulence that affected everyone involved in Vietnam in a different way. If you don't think you like reading about war, try Into the Green. I think its humanity will appeal to most people, and it helped me gain a better understanding of a very misunderstood time in America's history.

The book Paradise of the Blind describes the hardships of three young Vietnamese women. Paradise of the Blind is a very interesting and truthful book that allows readers to understand what Vietnamese go through daily. Written by Dyong Thu Huong, Paradise of the Blind goes in great depths describing the Vietnamese's idealistic hope and betrayal of Communism.
This book focuses on the life of a young lady, Hang, and her relationship with both her mothers and fathers relatives. Hang is a twenty-year-old exported worker in Russia, who has a series of flashbacks. On her train ride to Moscow, Hang recalls how her uncle Chinh tore her family apart and destroyed the relationship between her and her mother. Her mother Que moved to Hanoi and became a street vendor because of the land reforms. Hang blames her uncle Chinh for her father's departing, her Aunt Tam becoming poor, and her mother becoming a street vendor. She realizes that she can only move on with her life and succeed only if she distances herself from her family and their history. "I can't squander my life tending these faded flowers, the legacy of past crimes," (Huong 57). Her Aunt Tam is convinced and determined that her hard work will benefit Hang someday. Hang is forcefully torn between her mother Que and her Aunt Tam.
Overall, Dyong Thu Huong expresses a great deal of description of both the characters and their thoughts and feelings. One fact that really shocked and surprised me was that Paradise of the Blind was one of the first books written under Vietnamese Communist Regime ever translated into English. This book is well translated and is an easy read. It makes you think and appreciate how lucky you really are. If you truly want to understand the history of Vietnam and what life is like under communism, this is a must read.

Hearing people complain about their lives and how the world treats them so unfairly will really make one think about the reality of what they are saying after they read the novel, Paradise of the Blind. Coming from a Vietnamese background, I was intrigued to read this novel because I saw a slight connection, but after just a few chapters, I realized that people from all ethnic backgrounds could appreciate this novel. Paradise of the Blind deals with the struggle of three women in Vietnam and how they try to overcome their obstacles in their communist world and make a future for themselves and their family.
Hang, the main character of the novel, is summoned in the first chapter to go attend to her sick uncle. The story takes place on the train to Russia where Hang remembers back to her life living in communist Vietnam. She reminisces about her mother, Que, who would do anything to keep her and her daughter healthy and happy. She can still remember playing the streets of Vietnam while her mother was out selling odds and ends to keep them alive. Along the way, we hear details about Hang's father and about his death that Que never wants to tell Hang about. With Hang's father, comes Aunt Tam. She is the rich aunt that won't deny Hang anything. Paradise of the Blind tells about the life of these women and how through land reforms, death, poverty, love, and hate, these women survive and make a life for themselves.

The accounts of these women left me with a sense of knowledge about the restrictive time period that they lived in. Although very profound, this novel can surely be enjoyed by all audiences. The simplicity of the language helps the reader understand the real meaning that this novel is trying to share, and a truth like this one should not be kept in the dark.

When the Vietnamese Communist Party slightly gave people freedom of speech in 1987, Duong Thu Huong cleverly borrowed many stories to analyze what had happened to ordinary people of the northern part of Vietnam under the communist regime. She challenges the communists to look at people's miserable lives that they have made and lured people into. Paradise of The Blind depicts some realities of negative aspects of communism. The story circles around the life of a young lady, Hang, in her relationship with her both mother's and father's relatives. All of them, her mother, her aunt, her uncle, her cousins and herself are all intertwined in a twist of the country without a way out. The story gives readers a mixed feeling of pity, sympathy, hatred and love for these Vietnamese people. However, Duong Thu Huong does not tell the whole truth. She does not point out some crucial details of the horrors the Land Reform Movement had created and of how poor people had been through. For example, these communists and even common people would sacrifice their parents and their siblings for their own fame and future during the Land Reform Movement. Moreover, many communists would not give their immediate families' members a way out. Paradise of The Blind was among the first books written under Vietnamese Communist Regime ever translated into English. I think you will enjoy it. If you are among those suffering and struggling by the ideal or "paradise" of the communists, you will share the same feelings of those people. If you don't know what live under the Communist Regime is like, you may have a great insight about it.