When I first went to Vietnam I used the Fodor guide and my traveling partner had this Rough Guide. On my second trip I purchased the Rough Guide, which I found much more useful than Fodor. It gives good information about hotels and restaurants and also gives a good historical/political perspective of Vietnam from a non-American point of view.

The bad things about the book: 1. I believe the authors are Australian and some of the word choices were difficult for an American like me to understand. Some sentences were difficult for me to "translate" into American English. 2. The book states that there are no gay outlets in Vietnam. This is simply not true. There are several places (nightclubs and hotels) in Saigon and Hanoi that are gay tolerant/friendly. There are even gay tours of Vietnam. While it is best to be discreet in Vietnam, one can find ways to meet other gay travelers and locals.

I was very happy to have Rough Guide Vietnam for my travels in northern Vietnam during December, 2000 - January, 2001. For one thing I felt like I wasn't getting channeled down the Lonely Planet path, as most independent travelers were carrying that book and using it like their Bible. Also, whenever anyone compared my Rough Guide to their Lonely Planet, they said they found RG to be better. Rough Guide goes into more depth than LP in describing the sights and history. LP's maps are a little more comprehensive, but RG's listings of hotels are more user-friendly than LP. I very much enjoyed the book.

Just came back from a three week trip to Vietnam with three books: the Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide, and Footprint Handbook.

The Rough Guide is the best guidebook around for the country. It is superior to the Lonely Planet guide in the breadth and depth of coverage and especially its accuracy. I liked LP for other countries but here they did a very poor job.

I have not found even one instance where Lonely Planet provided information that Rough did not have. If you are traveling to the north, you may want to consider reading Footprint before you leave -- it has some interesting information.

Also, all hotels -- even the top ones -- can be negotiated down in price. Send them an e-mail and ask for special rates, corporate rates, etc. You can stay at the Metropole in Hanoi for less than half their rack rate.

The plane is huge; sitting nose-high on it's lanky gear legs. It makes a roar you won't forget, and men flew this aluminum overcast, propelled by an engine big enough to move a truck uphill, over the steaming jungles of Vietnam. I've met these men, face-to-face, and came away in shock at their stories of battle. One pilot, a man nicknamed "Cal" Jewett, was an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School where I worked. He would regale us laymen with his exploits, as well as some little known post mission activities. Many "Thud" pilots were former tanker pilots, and they had to learn how to fly all over again; the F-105 was a totally different beast! This very interesting story is but a small sampling of the many varied missions brave pilots flew in this remarkable airplane.

I have read this book so many times. A graduate of West Point, Jack Broughton is a fighter pilot's fighter pilot. He brings you into the cockpit of the F-105 and into combat. It is a fast paced story told from the point of view of a fighter pilot and leader. If you read this book you will understand why the US lost in Vietnam. You will feel the bitterness of men who fought in Vietnam against their own bureacracy and the political leadership in Washington. To this day, it amazes me that Washington tried to fight a war, half a world away, micro managing down to the level of target selection, routes and engagement rules. Colonel Broughton is a hero. America should keep men like him close to its heart instead of ending a career like his for a bureacratic snafu. This book is about combat leadership and the warrior ethic. The lessons learned from this book very well apply today. Students at the officer schools, academies, squadron officer school, air command and staff, even higher should be required to read this book and Broughton's other one, Going Downtown.

"Serria Hotel" book about a "Tango Uniform" situation. I have read and re-read this book many times over the years. Col Broughton captured the essense of the words Duty, Honor, Country. His DUTY was to the men he led into the jaws of death, usually twice daily. His HONOR demanded that he protect them at all costs. And his COUNTRY sent him, and thousands more, "in harms way" without understanding, or caring what this meant. Col. Broughton's book tells the story of men who became dis-allusioned in their Country's leadership, but continued to fight, and die, because THEIR honor required it of them.

...on what it means to be in the heart of war "just doing your job". My father flew the A-1 in Vietnam and he has never really talked that much about it because his perspective was that "he was just doing his job". This book gave me a great appreciation for his work and efforts and made me even more proud of him than I could imagine. The Skyraiders were a remarkable group that have never gotten that much attention but played an important role. This book does a great job of highlighting their work and efforts in a very "matter of fact" manner.

As a general aviation pilot myself, my heroes are the attack, close support and fighter-bomber pilots of A-1s, A-4s, F-105s, P-47s, Typhoons, etc. These guys had to fly/dive INTO (not over or around them) their targets in the face of AAA, SAMs, and small arms fire which was not a job regular jet jocks or most other fighter pilots wanted. This a book that I could not put down, finished it in one day and wanted more! Highly recommended if you want to see through the eyes of an A-1 pilot rescuing other downed pilots. It does seem that the Jollies got more of their share of appreciation than the Sandy and Spad pilots did simply because the A-1 pilots weren't the ones to actually pick them up and bring them back to base while the A-1s flew home to a different base. That just didn't seem fair considering the A-1s made the all the difference in clearing or suppresing enemy activity in the area so the Jollies could do their job. The author does seem to be confused as to who actually made the engines in A-1s he was flying - they were not Pratt and Whitney. They were all made by Wright and called the R-3350-26 series.

For a generation of airmen--and perhaps for other warriors--writing about their time in SE Asia has proven cathartic. I've been involved in two such memoirs ("On Yankee Station" and "Wildcats to Tomcats") and in each case the experience was rewarding and fulfilling. George Marrett's memoir clearly has helped him address the demons of three decades, as he writes with honesty and clarity about his year flying A-1 "Sandys".
Ed Heinemann, the fabled designer of the Skyraider, would appreciate "Cheating Death" in a special way. He retained an affection for the "Spad" that would seem odd to those familiar with his racier designs: especially the F4D Skyray and A-4 Skyhawk. "Cheating Death" is a well deserved tribute to the men and machines who flew one of the least heralded--but most deeply appreciated--missions in the Vietnam War.

An exceptional account of our secret war in Loas, pulling no punches in detailing both the bravery of many men as well as the stupidity of others. All of this woven in with a warm picture of the author's family life. In reading the book one concludes that it is an honest and straight forward account of the way our war in Loas was fought, without trying to make heros of the men who were truely the heros, nor overly critizing those who were more of a hinderance than help. In short, a clear, concise and well written account. Highly Recommeded by this reader.

I served as Chief of Security for Air America in Thailand and Vietnam from 1967-1975. I enjoyed "Mule's" book very much. For those who shared Jim Parker's experiences you will relive old memories. For those who could not be there you will find the details fascinating. I would encourage you to read this one.

I found this jewel to be more than a diamond in the rough. Parker's carefully crafted personal diary of those men and women who served our country silently, but with incredible valor and tenacity, particularly in a time of confusing events and conflicting values in our own country, is the best evidence of the "other side of the story" about our involvement in SouthEast Asia and those who served there with honor. It brought to the front the noble cause and the selfless courage of those who gave sacrifice, some the ultimate sacrifice, in a political and military conflict that ended with our withdrawal and the fall of the governments so many had fought to save. It was a book so compelling that I could not put it down as I disembarked from my flight, reading it even as I stood at the baggage return.

For patriots, veterans, historians, and the adventuresome this jewel of a book is a must read.

For the most part I find Frommer's travel books to be very good. This one for Thailand was decent. It gave good descriptions of places including how to get there, phone numbers, prices, ect. But this book was definately not meant for the budget traveler/ backpacker. If it offered more information geared to the budget traveler; ie: lower priced places to stay, dining, places to go to (especially the non-resorty places), I would give it 5 stars.

When I went to Thailand last year, I ended up planning most of my trip according to this book. The author never steered me wrong. While this might not be the best source for the backpacker set, the rest of us are well served with a variety of options for most travel budgets. I also liked the author's sense of humor and frank honesty. She has lived in the region and knows what she is talking about. The Thais I encountered during my trip also thought highly of the book. When I return to Thailand in 2003, this updated version of the book will be right there with me. I know it is an "establishment" guide but this is one time when mainstream is not necessarily a bad thing.

Frommer's Thailand is a great guidebook. It is broken down into very helpful sections such as "The Best of Thailand", "What to See and Do" "Where to Stay and Dine" and "Getting There". Jennifer Eveland did a great job writing "Thailand: In Depth". The weight of the book is of perfect weight for carrying around Bangkok and is printed on thick, quality paper. Best of all, the prices are listed for everything! I think that is great because not only do you get only their best recomendations, but you always get the most for your money no matter what your budget. If I fould out any of my friends were going to Thailand, I would definately give them my copy of this guide.

These are the views of seven people, Americans and Vietnamese, who in the early sixties contended that the US should pursue a counterinsurgency approach instead of a full conventional war against the Viet Cong, only to be brushed aside by the Johnson/McNamara group. They suggested that once the "war for the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people" was won, the communist threat should disappear.

Although I do not believe counterinsurgency war alone is the only valid approach because of 1) the presence of 200,000 Viet Cong left behind in South Vietnam by Hanoi in 1954, 2) the determination of Hanoi to conquer Saigon, 3) the opening of the Ho Chi Minh trail , this unconvential approach should have been tried first. Had it been combined with a complete interdiction of the trail, victory would have been more likely with less deployment of US troops.

What we have to remember is that the unique, and only goal of Hanoi was to conquer Saigon, no matter the cost in human lives and the time needed to achieve this goal.

To most Americans, the war in Vietnam began in March 1965 with the arrival of the U.S. Marines across the beach at Danang...But a handful of young American civilians had entered the war five years' earlier...Thousands more followed as the entire American Governent was mobilized to "win in Vietnam"..until it became obvious only the South Vietnamese themselves could obtain a victory.. This book offers an insight into the efforts, the successes and the failures of these first Americans; and how we often were our own worst enemy...I had the privilege of serving as one of these men. PRELUDE TO TRAGEDY provides a unique insider look at how dedicated --and desperate--young Americans tried to head off the final outcome...Not a book for casual readers looking for combat stories, but a "must read" for any serious student of the Vietnam conflict.

'Prelude to Tragedy: Vietnam' looks beyond the curtain of lies concocted by Johnson & McNamara in 1964. A simple truth remains too devastating for mainstream publication. Johnson pulled the trigger on the American War in Vietnam by ordering retaliatory strikes three months prior to the election of 1964. No mere coincidence. Johnson did so to win the election. No other factor accounts for Johnson's arrogant insistance on immediate retaliation to an event which never occurred. A 24 hour delay would have revealed there was no Tonkin Gulf attack as claimed. Johnson adamantly demanded an immediate attack for he feared any delay would deny him the use of his trump card as CinC. Air strikes were used to defeat Goldwater. Johnson won the election then defeated himself by his arrogant miss use of military power. Johnson's effort to intimidate Ho Chi Minh failed miserably. Ho recognized retaliatory strikes as the superficial show of force it was. Without a commitment to win Johnson's efforts were doomed to failure from the start. Certain defeat was recognized, long before Johnson stepped aside in '68. 'Prelude' provides evidence of the impending tragedy as it unfolded. However the most damming evidence was left out. The purpose of the air strike was to win the election. Johnson's fear, greed & grasp for power must be recognized if we are to avoid future acts of arrogance leading to war by a renegade president. Our constitution did not grant dictatorial power to a ruthless tyrant. How then, did Johnson acquire sufficient power to over ride congressional restraint & military dissent? He did so by lies, deceit & intimidation for all who stood in his way including his Vice President. Humphrey was denied access to LBJ's inner circle of advisors on Vietnam. JCS members were blocked from attending crucial strategy sessions. Johnson reduced JCS members to pawns, merely carrying out miss guided 'strategies' concocted by McNamara & his 'War Room' of civilian 'experts'. Military officers were intimidated, insulted, humiliated & ignored by Johnson. Military strategies were dictated by Johnson's political agenda. Without a compelling national security threat, military logic or justification for acts of war in Vietnam, Johnson created the ruse of a Tonkin Gulf attack to over ride congressional & military reluctance to war. He then launched unprovoked acts of war to enhance his political image. Johnson's arrogance in resorting to war to win the '64 election is supported by evidence presented in 'Prelude to Tragedy'. The authors failure to state this self evident fact is understandable. Doing so would have invited disbelief, criticism and ostracism. Lies perpetrated by Johnson & McNamara have been assimilated into the very fiber of American perceptions of defeat in Vietnam. The dregs remain today. American foreign policy remains a threat to many, including our allies. Claims of justification for American efforts in Vietnam no longer hold water. 'Prelude to Tragedy' puts an end to McNamara's claim of a well intentioned humanitarian effort. It reveals false claims & deceit by LBJ then and McNamara now in their efforts to distort the reality & rewrite history. American aggression in Vietnam must be revealed & recognized if we are to restore a balance of power. Existing presidential powers enable incumbents to initiate acts of war without the advice or consent of congress. The War Powers Resolution has been ignored by presidents as unconstitutional. This breach of our constitution must first be recognized if it is to be corrected. Americans have yet to grasp this essential lesson from defeat in Vietnam. Failure to curb presidential war powers and restore the balance of power leaves the tragedy without redeeming value. The least we can do is make full use of lessons learned in Vietnam. This nation will not endure without an effective balance between congressional & presidential powers. Will Americans awaken in time to turn the ship of state around before running aground on another distant shore for the sake of political expediency? Or will McNamara & others succeed in efforts to rewrite that tragic chapter? This book contributes to an essential dialog. Recognition of "The Greater Tragedy" may follow. 'Dereliction of Duty' and 'The Wrong War' provide further insight into this American tragedy.

I recently visited the country and although I did witness the harshness and depression, that is only a small part of the image I have of the Philippines. What is portrayed in this book is mostly the depressed side of the country: prostitution, sick children, dirty streets, calamity, unhealthy locals, poverty. Like I said, although I was a witness to all of these, I was also a witness to a colorful culture, hospitality, pristine islands, wealth of natural resources, preserved native and colonial architecture, Fiestas, Filipinos who are content in their simple lives, smiling children.

The photographs brought together a variety of interesting images of the Philippines. As an amateur photographer, I have been searching for photographic books on the Philippines and I found the contrast of beauty and harsh reality very well put together. The only drawback was the poetry. I didn't feel that it captured the emotion of the images.

When most Americans think of the Philippines, they consider the wild excesses of Angeles City and the old Subic Bay era. This book goes beyond that image and gives the reader a more accurate view of the Philippines and its truly remarkable culture.

I bought this book in Jakarta, where I live, since I wanted an updated book for my business travels around Indonesia. There have been so many changes in this country during the past two years that you need the latest information. Bill Dalton ("Indonesia Handbook" etc. etc.) and Kal Muller (the "Passport Regional Guide" series, etc. etc.) have separately written some of the best guidebooks available on Indonesia. But I was disappointed with this one. Its beautiful, to be sure, with fantastic photos by Muller (many of which are found in this other books). Its a perfect bedtime companion, and a very good introduction to the complexity of cultures and sights in Indonesia. It will help you determinine where you want to go --- and don't you ever want to go after reading this book. But the book will not help you how to get there or where to stay. For instance: there are no hotels mentioned in Nusa Dua on Bali or any hotel outside of Mataram on Lombok, or outside of the major cities on Sumatra. And most hotel prices do not reflect the past two years drastic inflation. I would recommend travellers to Indonesia to wait for the next edition of Indonesia Handbook, or buy Muller's very detailed regional books (my favourites). But then again, the book is beautiful, so you might want to pick it up just to dream away about paradise.

This is the best, funniest and most consistent guide to Indonesia. I remember on my first visit to Indonesia back in 92, the Handbook was still banned under Indonesian law. One day my wife and I were visiting the great temple at Borobodur, central Java, and we noticed the local guide was carrying a strapping guidebook in his hand. I surreptitiously noted the title, and later visited a bookshop to check it out. I was in for a surprise - the 'official' guidebook was none other than the illegal Indonesia Handbook: different publisher, title and a pseudonymous author, but the same book alright. If you like that kind of approach to a small problem of censorship, then you'll love this book.

A Canadian friend got me to abandon my English teaching business in Madrid for the promise of an "oil patch" job in Indonesia in 1980. I can still hear him today "The first thing to get when you go through London, is get Dalton's Indonesian Handbook. Don't wait until Singapore or Jakarta - it's banned out there.

So this young man did indeed go east. The job my friend assured would be waiting was nationalized in the few months the intervened between our vinos in Madrid. "I hope you didn't come all this way just to work for..." read his letter I picked up Post Restante in Penang. Undeterred I managed to find another and better oil patch job. I spent the next three years working out of Jakarta and Balikpapan - Kalimantan's Jewel in the Jungle.

And I used the Indonesian Handbook extensively. Across Java, the lakes of Sumatra, Bali and Lombok and my favorite Indonesian destination: Tanta Toraja in central Sulawasi. (If you see just one thing on the archipelago, see Torajaland.) This backpacker, now a newly minted expatriate executive, always took the old black cover edition on his business trips.

So why do I like Dalton's book - and the Handbook travel series in general? I really appreciate the concise yet detailed "briefs" of key subjects. One small example . During a visit to Yogakakarta, I became interested in batik. A quick read of Dalton's brief two page "primer" I learned the history, fabric and style types. And I leaned a half a dozen key Indonesian terms. When I hit the market I was amazed at how well I could get the vendors' attention. Novice bargaining by Westerners is typically based on price. Savvy Asian peddlers know this. They usually display or direct a foreigner's attention to inferior goods. Experienced market hunters will talk quality first. The Handbook's brief's quickly got me up to speed fast - and got me some great batik pieces at great prices.

I often contrast the Moon Handbooks with more popular Lonely Planet series. Marketed as a "travel survival guide" that's exactly what LP guides are. But surviving is only the first phase in traveling. Perhaps that why the LP books have become the "backpackers bible." But if you are looking to do more than eat and sleep in Indonesia, give Dalton's Indonesian Handbook a try.

I would recommend this book to people who want to speak Thai but don't know how to read and write it. This is because once you know the Thai alphabet, you can usually pronounce words the correct way by just looking at them. This is from my own personal experience. I wouldn't bother with this book because when I compared the written Thai word to the English phonetic or how my Thai teacher said the word, they were sometimes not the same pronunciation, but similar. And similar doesn't cut it when trying to speak this language because you could be saying something else ;) But honestly, it's pretty good for speakers and even the tone-deaf.

one of the best 'pocket' dictionaries around. It has the best transliteration system around, and offers translations in 3 different ways. only 4 out of 5 stars because some common words arent present, but an alternate is easy to find.

B.P. Becker also writes the learning texts for Thai that are used almost exclusively by thai schools. So if youre learning Thai this is an excellent accompaniment.

This is by far the most useful dictionary I have used while traveling in Thailand. Even if you know the Thai alphabet, the phonetic transliterations of Thai can be very helpful in real-time communication. The three sections (English-phonetic-Thai, phonetic-Thai-English, and Thai-phonetic-English) work well together to get you what you need. There are some handy extras: a section on the Thai writing system, a list of common classifiers, and a sampling of Thai fonts. Good study material for long bus rides!

Austrian student Inge Sargent married a Shan prince from Hsipaw. (She claims she wasn't even aware of his high status until she saw the welcoming throngs as they debarked on the shore in Burma. Imagine that little surprise if you were a new bride!) Eventually, the prince raises her to official consort-princess status. They raise two daughters and are deeply revered by the Shan people.

Inge's husband, Sao Kya Seng disappeared after the 1962 coup which brought the military dictator Ne Win to power. They keep her cynically in the dark about his fate for a long time.

My only objection to this book is that the author's portrait of herself and her prince husband is quite a bit idealized. Truly great autobiographies are a bit more self-critical and introspective. This book is too "fairy-tale" and good to be true to life. That is why I give the book three stars and not more.

If you are interested in more about Myanmar (Burma) and how the current regime came to power, this is good reading, nonetheless. It will give you some historical background about why there is a huge conflict between the military regime in Yangon (Rangoon) and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the dissent leader under house arrest.

The Shan state is one of many sub-nationalities that make up the very mixed Burmese nation. I was privileged to make a short visit to the Shan state a few years ago before it became difficult to do so. Burma was often called the Land of Regrets because it haunts people who visit and they long to return. It truly is the Land of Regrets. I hope things will change someday soon for the better, as it is a uniquely wonderful land.

Like another reviewer, I must confess that I was a student at the Boulder, CO school where Inge taught German classes. While I was not her student, my friends were. Never once did they let on about Inge's previous life.

18 years old, I set out around the world. By 19, I was in Burma, a country I fell in love with, and visited so many times over the next decade. I also came to understand Burmese politics.

At age 35, after most of my adult life spent in SE Asia, I moved back to Boulder. Late one night, I saw Inge on a PBS station, describing her book. Wow!

I immediately bought the book.

Let me say this: Some people talk, others have no need to do so, because they have lived. Inge has lived, and continues to do so. This book is the story of just one portion of her life. Absolutely incredible, abolutely unbelievable, absolutely true.

Forget the naysayers here. This is the real deal. A wonderful book, simultaneously terrific and bittersweet.

I must begin by admitting some bias as Mrs. Sargent was also my German teacher in Colorado in the late 70's. She never gave any indication of her previous life in Burma, nor of the tragic events that ended that life she knew. It is a powerful story of courage and perseverence. I would highly recommend this book and am anxious to read it again!