Nicholl's story is at turns entertaining and informative, and he tells it well. (This reads more like fiction than a travelogue.) It's a light, quick read. My only criticism is sometimes it feels Nicholl is trying a little to hard to be a novelist rather than a travel writer when he circles back to the title, which feels contrived.

But that doesn't detract from the story, and paired with Lily Tuck's "Siam", and a couple "Rough Guides", you'll be itching to buy your ticket to Chiang Mai.

I was in Sidney enroute to Bangkok maddly looking for SOMETHING to orient me when I landed, when I stumbled across this gem. It was the cover that attracted me at first - crimson red earth, lush green foliage, searing blue sky, white clouds. Beautiful - but at odds with the title - Borderlines, which seemed to imply a vaguely psychotic, marginal subsistance kind of place that didn't square with what I was expecting from the beach holiday image I had been assured of.

What was "Borderline" about Thailand?

As I found out - everything.

A remarkably insightful "traveler's classic" which explores the country, its people and ones state of mind as you travel through it being seduced. Prose that remind one of a cross between Somerset Maugham in "The Comedians" and gonzo journalist R.H.Thompson. Where did he learn to write!

Then a couple of years ago I was mentioning this trip to a buddy who teaches Elizabethian Drama - he knew Charles Nicholl for his remarkable sleuthing done in "The Reckoning" which showed some hitherto undiscovered facts that support his contention that Christopher Marlowe may have been eliminated for his spying activity rather than in a chance brawl in an obscure tavern on the outskirts of London in 1594.

This is a talented man.

A lyrical, vivid, picaresque account of one adventurous man's oddyssey through Thailand and Burma. Nicholl is able to evoke the beauty and mystery of South East Asia without succumbing to the usual, "exotic" cliches and mushy prosody. His is a rational, discerning eye dazzled by the grandeur of an alien land.

Almost every detail of his account is fascinating, every character vital, astonishing, yet believable. Reading it was a huge inspiration in the days before I made my own, reckless trek through Asia. One of the most down-to-earth, poetic and enthralling travel books ever.

Please, Amazon, urge the reprinting of this book, or find an alternate source so that others can enjoy it as I did.

Facinating!!!! I was honored to be the commander of Company C, 2nd of the 5th Cav about a year after COL Estep commanded it. I found the book by pure accident, and was drawn to it by the title because I too had been "Commanche Six." For those who did not serve in a line unit in RVN and would be curious to know the reality of it, this book is superb. COL Estep will not be remembered as a great writer, and I had the feeling this book was edited to appeal to young "war book" readers, but the experience is authentic. During the year's time between his command and mine, the 2/5 Cav had moved from the highlands to the Tay Ninh Province area. All the radio call signs remained the same, and much of the terminology. The only thing of significance that had changed was the name we called oursleves. I'd never heard the term "snuffy" until I read the book. We (including the officers) referred to ourselves as grunts. Avail yourself of the opportunity to read of authentic war experiences, as uncomfortable as they may be.

This book brought back a flood of memories for me as I was one of the radio operators mentioned in the book. After learning that Capt. Estep had written a book about Vietnam I was anxious to read it to find out what happened to him after he was wounded and put on a medivac. It's great to know that he is well and has been able to write a book about the experiences that so many of us spent as grunt's in Vietnam. I have read several books about Vietnam but none so realistic as "Company Commander". This book is as near to a real life experience as you'll ever come.

This is a Vietnam War far from the demoralized army of popular imagination.
Coordinated air assaults, aggressive patrolling and ambushing and skilled defensive systems characterize this other war of highly motivated and effective soldiers, taking the war to the enemy and honorably upholding the American military tradition in conditions as rugged as any in our history
Estep, a four-tour mustang who retired as Colonel, is a skilled memoirist who brings the reader into the action and paints a vivid picture of the fighting- and winning-American soldier in Vietnam.
(The numrical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

I enjoyed reading this book. Vietnam never interested me before as a vacation destination, until now. The author made it sound interesting and fun and exotic. His historic comments and quotes added to the learning experience. The author's sense of humor made it a fun read.

Reading "A Country, Not a War: Vietnam Impressions" is like listening to Jazz; Truman uses language like a musician uses his instrument. The words riff across each page evoking the sights, sounds and smell of Vietnam as the book weaves back and forth between modern day Vietnam and the war-torn Vietnam of 30 years ago. Truman effectively juxtapositions the country's current courtship with capitalism with its horrific, centuries old history of war and turmoil. Truman is at his best when he describes the Chu Chi Tunnel complex, the intricate underground system represents everything the U.S. didn't know about Vietnam at the time, and when he describes it's current tourist attraction, you can literally sense the difference in perception Vietnamese and Westerners have about the conflict that tore both countries asunder. This is must reading for anyone affected by the war, and for those who would like to understand how Vietnam overcame its past to become the beautiful land it was before the many wars the country has been involved. Truman, a true Texan attempting to avoid the "Ugly American" label and married to a lovely Vietnamese woman, also intersperses generous dabs of humor throughout the book as he describes his attempts to transcend cultural and historical barriers as he travels across the country.

Vietnam! For most Americans, Vietnam dredges up images of jungle fighting, tiger cages, 53,000 dead U.S. soldiers, and political turmoil. American political leaders thrust this country into a civil war without knowing anything about Vietnam's history, its people and its culture. For more than a decade, the people of the United States knew only that their brothers, husbands and fathers were fighting and dying in a tiny land 10,000 miles away. In the two decades that have passed since the last GIs left, Americans still do not know Vietnam and its people. Our images of Vietnam are shaped by the books and movies, most of which focus on the war and the political events surrounding U.S. involvement. However, the books and movies do not provide insight into the history, the culture and the lives of the Vietnamese. Even the few post-war books about Vietnam since the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 examine the political environment, with little attention paid to the Vietnamese people. "A Country, Not a War" is a journal that offers an insightful commentary regarding the people and their lives in post-war Vietnam. Author Harold Truman traveled from Ho Chi Minh City, which most Americans remember as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon, to Hanoi, the former North Vietnamese capital that now serves as capital city of the unified Vietnam. Along the way, he visited some of the places that are familiar to many Americans: My Lai, Da Nang, Phu Bai. Although he doesn't speak Vietnamese, he was accompanied by his wife, Petite, a Vietnamese lady who moved to the United States in the 1960s. With Petite acting as interpreter, the author was able to engage in conversation with the Vietnamese, including men who fought on both sides during the war. He seems surprised at the lack of antagonism toward Americans in Vietnam; he also is stunned by the level of corruption still prevalent in the country, which despite the economic reforms still is a Third World nation. The concise commentary by Mr. Truman spares no one. He makes an honest appraisal of modern Vietnam, its successes and failures, and the stupidity of the American military bureaucracy, which understood neither its enemy nor its ally in the war. But he doesn't spare himself either, using dry humor to relate his unintentional breaches of local etiquette, offending an artist, as well as Petite's elderly cousin. It is obvious in the book that as he traveled throughout Vietnam, the author developed a genuine affection for the people, knowledge of their history, and a respect for their culture. "A Country, Not a War: Vietnam Impressions" is not ambitious; it isn't intended to be THE book about Vietnam. Still, it is unique. It achieves the author's goal superbly: It relates the impressions of one American about a small country that has become part of our collective psyche. For Mr. Truman, as well as for most Americans, the word "Vietnam" does produce a strong emotional reaction. Thanks to this book, we can begin to shed our long-held misperceptions of that land and its gentle people.

Having just returned from a 10 day trip to this beautiful, exotic country, I found the Odyssey guide book which I brought along helpful but it is likely an insufficient source of information for most travellers. The book provides detailed background on the history, politics, culture of the people of Burma. There are also boxes containing interesting snippets of people like Aung Sang, the drug lord Kung Sa, as well as other interesting topics like the making of lacquerware. Unlike most guide books I have used in the past, this one is filled with beautiful, colourful snapshots of the places and people of Burma.

The major shortcoming is the lack of detailed information about the attractions, i.e., details regarding times of operation, location, costs of admission, as well as details about the sites
themselves. Also I believe many of the lesser known attractions in each destination were not covered by the author. Overall I think the target audience for this book is the traveller who has signed up with a packaged tour. Such an individual is likely to visit only the major destinations covered by the text, namely Yangon, Bagan, Manderlay and Isle Lake. This individual also is unlikely to require the details mentioned above.

In summary if I had to buy a guide book again for a visit to Burma, I would choose the Lonely Planet book which I believe remains the gold standard of guide books to relatively obscure destinations of the world.

Excellent background sections covering basic history, the religious lives of the Burmese, festivals, theater and music. Guide emphasizes Yangon (Rangoon), Mandalay and Bagan (Pagan), and their immediate environs -- if you are traveling more off the beaten path, you need the Insight Guide, which also has more and better pictures. Strong on the "flavor" of the country, particularly the last Burmese empire and the colonial years.

Having recently returned from my third visit to Burma in three years, I looked forward to the publication of this new guide. Information for the traveler is current and accurate. The historical and literary references greatly add to ones appreciation and perception of the country. The photographs are wonderful and plentiful. This book is a pleasure to read and more importantly it has added to my knowledge of that country which is Burma.

I met Martin Smith at Marnalplaw, KNU headquater near the Thai Burma border. He interviewed rebel leaders and obtained the information he wanted. I am an ethnic Karen people of Burma, so I understand his hard work. It is a very good book for historians, students and politicians to understand morer about Burma.

This would be one of the few truly objective accounts of politics and ethnic insurgence in Myanmar/Burma. So many books on this country are biased by emotion and ambulance vehicles for the strong marketing of the democratic movement. This one stands out above all the latter. Having spent considerable time in Myanmar/Burma researching its modern history, I would have to say that Smith gives the most in depth, accurate and objective account. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the political modern history of Burma/Myanmar.

No book about Burma's civil war quite rivals this for its detail and scope, nor has the author an equal for the depth of his research and his grasp of the war's ethnic complexities. It is an astonishing achievement.

This collection of essays about the Pol Pot Regime is an invaluable resource for a student of that period. It is not a very good historical overview (read Chandler's book for that), but it provides several excellent sources for analyses of specific sides of the DK regime. Particularly interesting (for me, anyway) were the chapters on the intellectual origins of the Khmer Rouge, a topic that is often mentioned but rarely explored with the depth found here.

Kenneth Quinn, one of the contributors, finished an appointment as US ambassador to Cambodia in July 1999.

The nine essays which comprise Jackson's book offer a chillingly descriptive account of the Khmer Rouge and the destruction they brought to Cambodian society. Even if you are a Cambodia "novice" (as I am) you will still find this book easy to understand and chock-full of valuable information. The 250 pages of actual text in this book were so well written and "user-friendly" that I was able to read it all in one sitting.

A balanced, objective account of the Cambodian revolution that provides a global picture of the extraordinary and horrifying events that took place in this small country between 1975 and 1978. Fascinating essays are included on topics as diverse as the Khmer Rouge economy, ideology, and power structure, as well as the social and psychological makeup of Cambodia, the intellectual origins of the Khmer Rouge, and the pattern and scope of the almost unbelievable violence perpetrated by the revolutionary army and government. This book is refreshingly thorough and unemotional. The authors allow the facts to speak for themselves. The only drawback is the often leaden writing of Timothy Carney, a contributor of two essays. A selection of photographs is also included.

Everyone knows about the war Vietnam, but few remember that the United States battled the Viet Cong and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia as well. And even fewer remember that in just six short months in 1970, over two dozen journalists were killed while reporting on this forgotten corner of the Vietnam War, many of whom were captured and tortured to death by enemy forces.

T. Jeff Williams provides an illuminating, ground-level view of Cambodia during the war and what it was like to be a correspondent when so many of your colleagues would go out to report the story and just simply never come back. But it is Kurt Volkert's section of the book that really shines.

Volkert gives a factual and detailed, yet intensely personal look at efforts by him and others to investigate and locate the graves of five newsmen who were killed chasing the scoop south of Phnom Penh. He chronicles the ups and downs, the sadness, the frustrations, the detective work, and the ultimate sense of closure that comes from helping scour the Cambodian countryside for five journalists and friends buried in shallow graves twenty years earlier.

All in all, this is an excellent book on a topic that has received almost no attention over the years. Well recommended for anyone interested in journalism, Cambodia, or the Vietnam War.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I found it fascinating. The first part, written by AP/CBS News correspondent Jeff Williams details the intricate history of Cambodia as it struggles against forces from within and without during the turbulant 60's and 70's. Part of the book is a fascinating portrait of what it's like to cover a war in Asia, specifically Cambodia. At times the country was terrifying, at other times comedic and at others beautiful, graceful and exotic. Under the pressure of competition, journalists jump in cars and race off down dangerous roads looking for action so they can scoop the other networks. During a 2 month span in 1970, 25 of those journalists who drove down those lonely roads didn't come back.

The second part of the book is a description by Kurt Volkert of his feelings loss and deep sadness for his murdered comrads and his persistant and amazing detective work in locating their bodies in the countryside TWENTY YEARS LATER. How he did it, what he thought of the system that forced journalists to risk their lives for a story is gripping stuff.

This is a great read!

During the Vietnam war, Cambodia seemed to be a forgotten country. But this book shows what it was like to be a journalist on the front lines in what must have been terrifying times. The book recounts how the war in Vietnam spread to Cambodia in 1970 and how 25 foreign journalists reporting the war there were killed by the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnamese.

The book is in two sections. In the first one, T. Jeff Williams describes the historical events that led Cambodia into a bloody conflict with Vietnam, its ancient enemy, and describes the 1970 coup that overthrew Prince Sihanouk, the country's leader. He then describes how it was to cover the war, and how so many journalists were captured and killed in just a few months.

In the second section, Kurt Volkert describes how a CBS and a NBC television team were captured and killed. And then how in 1992, 22 years later, a U.S. Army special team arrived to look for the missing newsmen. Mr. Volkert raises the question of why the TV journalists were in danger so often, and whether executives in New York were pushing them too much.

I highly recommend this book for the inside story it provides on how newsmen cover war and how dangerous it can be.

This book is chock full of pictures and descriptions of the neighborhood known as the Southeast Side of Chicago. A must for anyone who grew up in this area. What memories! A definite coffee table addition to any home. And a wonderful gift.

Anyone from the southeast side of Chicago will love this book. It's full of great pictures of the places we grew up with. It makes a great gift for someone who's hard to buy for. I bought one for my older brother and he is enjoying all the memories it brings to mind.

This is a great book for everyone to read. Its all pictures with captions below. Anybody who grew up on the Southeast side (like me)need to buy this book. It has a history of this side dating back to before the turn of the century. I think it desearves more than a 5 star rating.

Indonesian culture? A bit like saying Western culture... a rather broad term. But this book acknowledges that right away and does an admirable job of isolating the most important manners for visitors to know and use.

The book's practical tips are especially useful, and these are organized with finger-tip simplicity (Do's and Don't's appendix is great), making this book easy to consult at a moment's notice. Business section and home help section ("Translating Needs into Action") are especially helpful.

There are also meaty and interesting sections about Indonesian values, social structure, and food. It's a good read, will serve well the traveler or expat.

Cultural quiz at the end, a test so silly no one could fail it, is the only negative to this guide.

Indeed a very helpful and informative book for understanding Indonesian people and culture. Haveing spent almost two years living and working in Indonesia I found myself referring to this book often. I found myself explaining to my fellow expatriates why certain things happened the way they do in this country often referring to things I read. From conducting business to accomplishing everyday tasks, this book offers excellent example and explantions. Definately a book for expatraites living in Indonesia, business travellers, but also beneficial to the traveller wanting to ascertain a deeper, more sincere understanding of Indonesian people and culture.

This was one of the first books I purchased when I discovered we were going to be posted to Jakarta, Indonesia. Now almost 3 years later, I find that I still enjoy reading this book and have found its examples of every day life to be accurate. The book is very informative and many of its stories are humerous which enables an easy read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning a move to Indonesia and even to those who are just planning a trip.

A very interesting book. I enjoyed it. It is for all people who like Navy SEAL's

Gary Smith tells about his five tours of duty as a Navy Seal in Vietnam through three different books: Death in the Jungle, Death in the Delta and Master Chief. All of these well written books are exceptional in that they not only tell the story of terror filled seconds during battle, but Smith also talks about the sheer boredom and mundane tasked that must be done. His stories about killing VC - VC ants that is, while waiting on ambushes are funny in otherwise near death incounters. Smith is able to talk about the inhumane acts that occur in war just as he is able to talk about the fun times. I was brought to tears while reading about the mother and baby killed during an ambush of a Junk and equally shed tears of laughter when he cooked "Venison" that barked!

Smith does an exceptional job interspersing Vietnamese words and phrases in all three books which gives the read a sense that Smith was a professional that took the time to increase his advantage by learning their language. The one criticism I can point out is that he listed too many of the overnight ambushes. It became hard to distinguish one from another after awhile. I also get the feeling that there is much more to tell about his tour with the PRU but that it might bring up too many unpleasant memories.

Finally, Smith makes a one sentence statement that Captain Gormly was one of the best COs he ever served under which speaks volumes about both warriors. A Very good set of books and I recommend these to anyone interested in getting a birds eye view of war from a Seal's perspective.

It is a very well written book that takes a good look at the SEALs in Vietnam. It is very detailed and makes you think you were really in these situations.