Great Book, read it in one sitting. Extremly accurate. Anyone who has attended college in the Southeast or is planning to. This is a must have!

Hayes captures the essence of youth in this book in a similiar fashion as, say, Richard Halliburtons "Royal Road to Romance". Anyone who is entering their University years would learn from this guidebook. I went to University in the Deep South as well as the Northwestern US and can say that, although the examples trail Hayes movements throughout the Deep South and Europe, the practicality within can be applied anywhere. Now I am the father of a seven year old and a five year old. You can be sure I'll suggest to my older son this book, as well as to my daughter so as to "be prepared" for the sharks like Hayes and his pals! Not only is it timeless, but it presents the realities of what one simply WILL encounter in their college years in a fashion so few authors have the courage to express. Hayes shares his insights into making the grades and learning from those boring classes, while also dealing with topics such as drug use and casual sex and nightlife head-on. Coincidentally I was fortunate to have a brief encounter with Hayes while he was living in the Carribean about a year and a half ago, and this is how I learned of the book. His stories in-person are even more amazing, almost like Jimmy Buffett, and I can only hope their are more books and tales to come in the future.

I went to Sewanee and had the opportunity to meet the author when he passed through taking pictures. It was really cool to see the book in print. It read like a diary, i finished it in one reading. great job Tommy Hayes.

This is a detailed account of the U.S. consul's last months in Can Tho, South Vietnam and his risky escape by boat on the Mekong River in April 1975. As the collapse of Saigon was nearing and as the airlift of Americans and third country nationals from Can Tho never materialized, McNamara himself took charge of guiding more than 300 people to safety on military barges along the Mekong River. He was recognized for his bravery and given a medal in 1977.

The book was also a tribute to General Nguyen Khoa Nam, the IV Corps South Vietnamese commander who refused to be evacuated and remained at his post until the last minute. McNamara had known him for over a year as a brave and dedicated officer and a man of honor. General Nam and his deputy General Hung killed themselves instead of surrendering to the enemy a few days later.

This is an interesting perspective of an American's last weeks in South Vietnam, his dealings with the Americans, the Vietnamese, and the CIA.

During every great event there occurs little-known tales of heroism and sacrifice; Ambasador McNamara's book tells the story on one of them. The evacuation of the handful of American civilians and Marines of the U.S. Consulate General in Can Tho, along with their South Vietnamese employees and families,reads like a movie, and is all the more exciting for being true. Their story of sacrifice, heroism, betrayal, and tragedy was lost in the greater story of the simultaneous evacuation of Saigon, but one with a historical bent will see in McNamara's tale a reflection of Xenephon's Persian expedition. Don't start reading this one before bedtime, or you'll be up all night to finish it!

In a time of uncertainty, danger and demoralization, this is a story that shows that even in the midst of the end of the Vietnam war our few remaining Americans cared deeply about the people that they had supported. A story of heroism generally not recognized and long overdue in the telling.

Colorful guidebook has marvelous images that create an immediate illustration of Bali and Lombok.

While the practical references are a bit truncated (foreign embassies listed are only Australia and USA; hotel & restaurant listings are scanty), the cultural & special interest tips are excellent.

The guide works its magic by tying photos to text. The reader can zero in on an image and immediately see the relevant text. This is a highly practical format, leaving no mystery as to whether some place or item may be of real interest to the individual reader. Therefore, reader can figure out what he/she wants to see & do without slogging through chapter upon chapter of text.

I spend a lot of time in Bali and I think this is probably the most useful guide for the average traveler to Bali & Lombok. It has quite a few entries....

If you have a limited amount of time in Bali, and an even more limited amount of time to prepare for it, this guide will suit you very well indeed!

Bali and Lombok are just two islands in the Indonesian archipelago... and one of the most popular tourst destination. This book is crammed with wonderful information as well as photographs by well known photographers, maps, drawing etc... of Bali and Lombok. I found it very wonderful that it covered both aspects of Bali and Lombok's culture regarding religion, music, dance etc... The book is much different from Lonely Planet with maps in colour with icons regarding the village and what the villages are well known for. For example the village of Taro in central Bali in Gianyar Regency is famous for it's white breed of Cattle and there is a little bit of information talking about that village. The book covers all of Bali as well as Lombok.

Denpasar Bali's capital contains many sections like the Museum... the market and so many places of interest. For Kuta its beaches which are popular with many Australians and well known for the surfs... Gianyar regency in central Bali was well known for it's cultural and artistic creation. The famous village of Sebatu and Peliatan are famous for their Legong Kraton dancers... wonderful and graceful like butterflies or heavenly nymphs... Klungkung regency in east Bali was home to the powerful rulers with the title of "Agung Dewa" and most revered... Klungkung was a historical city and site where the golen age of Balinese history began the mass exodus of many Hindu-Javanese fleeing Islam came to the royal court bringing their traditions and tansplanting it in Bali while the ancient art form disappeared from the island of Java as a whole...

Lombok hasn't been developed to tourism yet but it is slowly starting to. The island is very lovely with it's lush green rice fields and wonderful people who are of Balinese race and Sasak origin... They produce wonderful crafts like clay jars, pots, weaving etc... If you want to know more you will need to read or grab hold of the book yourself...

There is even a section on food and the types of food eaten with lovely photographs of food and things to buy in Bali... This is great and I guess it is too good to be true too... Excellent work and research I must say went into making this book...

I grew up in California, and continue to love the scenary and the people there. I thought it was the best place on earth, until I made it to Hawaii. Wow! Do I love Hawaii! I was convinced it, too, was the greatest, until I arrived in Tahiti. Now there's a really awesome place!! When I got back, I spoke with my cousin, the world traveler. She said, "You'll really love Bali, it's much more beautiful than Tahiti." So far, I haven't been able to test her views, but this book certainly helped me to see the many beauties of Bali and the neighboring island of Lombok (which she didn't tell me about).

The scenery, animals, arts, temples, crafts, costumes, and dance are vivid, colorful, intricate, and involved. This guide to the two islands features over 700 color photographs that give you a sense of this beauty in very many ways. Even the smallest images are crisp and distinct.

The book is also a good size to slip into a pocket while traveling, so that you don't have to be burdened with excess weight or bulk. That will help, because this guide has many details of streets, restaurants, and the insides of temples that you will wish to refer to when you are in Bali or Lombok.

This guide has the details of all of the festivals on the two islands, which are reportedly a high point of any visit there. You also get lots of detail on local history and traditions (which will be unfamiliar to many in the United States).

The book breaks the two islands into regions so you can get a flavor of how being in one area compares to another. For example, you can go as an eco-tourist, as a cultural tourist, a scuba tourist, or a plain old beach tourist (but there is good surf for those who like surfing and wind surfing). Bali offers lots of variety for those with different tastes and preferences, and the guide makes it clear how to plan for each. Golf has even made its way to Bali.

I was also glad to see that the book contained many website addresses to obtain additional information.

I cannot report on the accuracy of what is here, because I have not been to Bali. On the other hand, the information made sense in terms of what I know about other islands, and Hindu and Moslem countries.

This guide is so rich in photographs and detail that I can have quite a few "trips" just by reviewing the material here. So even if I don't make it to Bali for a few more years, I will have enjoyed some of the wonders of this wonderful island. I hope you will have the same opportunity.

After you finish enjoying this delightful guide, I suggest that you think about where else you know little about and might like to see. If your time and budget do not permit much travel, you could perhaps use these DK Eyewitness Travel Guides to provide pleasant diversions in the meantime. Then, when you are ready to go to a new place, you'll have an informed view of which one to pick.

Grasp the potential all around you, with all of your senses!

The real story of Sukarno's reign in Indonesia has been largely forgotten in the West, but I for one continue to be interested in the 1965 military coup, as I don't think any book I've yet read has got to the bottom of that tangled plot. "Feet to the Fire" covers the CIA's efforts in 1957-58 to exert pressure on Sukarno by supporting rebels in Sumatra -- "supporting" seems too mild a word when virtually the only casualties inflicted came as a result of American air-power, which was, under Allen Dulles, meant to be deniable but was not. An American pilot was shot down, kept prisoner until 1962. The history recounted here starts slowly, as perhaps a few too many Indonesian names are thrown at the reader early on, but things clear up fairly soon, and the story really does become quite gripping. And this is history that has never before been revealed! Some of the notes are worth pursuing in the back, also, by the way.

It's true, the US is always up to something both at home and abroad. Sometimes misadventures...sometimes adventures...but always interesting. Other books that are very interesting, if in different ways, are "Black Hawk Down," by Mark Bowden, and "Danger Close," by Mike Yon.

"Feet to the Fire" is a well documented, unbiased account of CIA shenanigans in Indonesia during a brief period in the 1950's. (At least it seems to me to be well documented and unbiased but I have no first-hand knowledge of any of the events described.) To me, the story is fantastic and so is the cast: scheming Indonesian politicians, indecisive Indonesian colonels, CIA employees cast from the Felix Leiter mold, CIA contractors playing cowboys and Indians with very dangerous toys, a prevaricating ambassador, and gray-haired old men in Washington pulling the strings.

Of special interest to me were the detailed, almost day-by-day descriptions of events put together by the authors from as many sources as they could access. They begin to give a picture of a "day in the life" of at least some people involved in covert action, with secret supply missions by the Navy, flights to clandestine air strips, a sub popping up off the coast of Sumatra to rescue five CIA men, and a C-46 flying another bunch to safety at Clark AFB. As an American who has lived overseas for many years and met such people, I have long been curious about just what they do. (You can't ask them.)

No individual is portrayed in great depth and it is just as well since most are rather unappealing, coming off as either connivers or flakes, or both. One character that did catch my attention was Fravel "Jim" Brown, a CIA careerist who was present when rebels he was supporting were captured by government paratroopers taking an airfield. He walked up to the paratroopers' commander, introduced himself as "Brown from Caltex," made some small talk, then slipped away. A few days and hundreds of kilometers away Brown was in a rebel-held port as it too was captured, by the same paratroopers. Once again he slipped away. Is there a name for that personality trait, extremely valuable for people in certain professions, that combines chutzpah with blarney?

As an American living in Indonesia, I found the book interesting and very readable. However, I suspect that readers with no knowledge of Indonesian political history or geography will find the narrative a bit tedious unless they are fervent espionage afficionados.

Many newer guides have been published about birds of this region, but this book still deserves its place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in birds of South-east Asia. Illustrations are good, and descriptions are detailed and mostly accurate. A bit bulky to carry in the field, but not a problem if you bring it in a backpack. The situation with forest fires in South-east Asia (especially Indonesia) is growing worse each year, so get out there and see some of these extraordinary birds while you still can!

Any serious birder to the listed regions of this book would buy this book.

It is the best guide of the region so far with excellent plates and useful details. What I find especially useful, particularly for the raptors, is that they show illustrations of the birds in flight.

The drawings appear consistent and the bird's information at the back of the book is easy to access.

The birds are categorised according to their family which definately makes for faster checks and identification, which I find important when in the field.

The spine of the book though is a little week and you might want to have it rebound before it falls apart - especially with all the browsing that is to be.

This was the book that everyone who seemed to be serious used in Borneo, but if you are going to be out in the bush for more than a few days and make frequent use of field guides, consider having it re-bound before you leave -- many people I passed along the way were finding that the plate pages were starting to fall out.

In the style of the Footprint Series the Thailand Handbook is an exhaustive source for even the most ambitious of travellers. It is the best source for practical information on hotels, transportation etc. It is not, however, as easy to use or as visually pleasing as many others. For those who want to have all the information with them on their trip, this will be the book that makes it into the luggage. Not for those who have trouble with fine print.

When I left for Thailand, I was uncertain that this book would provide the information I needed to navigate Thailand. I quickly discovered this book had a wealth of information. The book led me to many relatively undiscovered towns, hotels, and restaurants, all of which provided a truly rich traveling experience. As for its practicality, the book is lightwieght, durable, using small fonts to pack data in. When in the company of those carrying Lonely Planet, I found others consistently closing their books in favor of the recommendations in my Footprint guide.

Forget Insight, Travel Bug and even Lonely Planet. They are all too heavy to carry on your destination. Leave them behind next to the armchair. Real travellers will want any book from this series: They are small, written on thin tissue paper, and print tightly spaced. The Thail book, which I am updating every two years has so much practical information, from hotels and fax numbers, to suggested itineraries, and maps. Indispensible to the travelling traveller.

Stanton's book traces the evolution of US Army Special Forces in Southeast Asia from 1956-1975. He addresses the varied programs and missions that were conducted under Special Forces auspices during the period of American military involvement in Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam. His use of official records coupled with interviews with many of the participants provides an insight that all serious students of Speicial Forces will appreciate. The book includes maps of operational areas and provides a listing of Special Forces personnel classified as missing in action as well as Special Forces recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I made the decision to join Special Forces in 1987 after reading this book. It is by far the most detailed and comprehensive account of Special Forces units and missions in Southeast Asia. There are plenty of "There I was ....." books written by SF men who fought there, and these are great reads and definitely of great historical importance, but this one puts all of it into chronological order. The book begins with the activation of 1st Special Forces Group in 1957 and ends with the final missions of the early 70s. All major operations and facets of SF participation are covered, to include MACV-SOG, CIDG, LLDB, and the Mike Force units. I give this book 5 stars in spite of the fact that the author has failed to respond to allegations in the book "Stolen Valor," which maintains that the author lied about participating in combat missions as well as being wounded in Laos, and used thousands of stolen unit records to write this and other historical works. These accusations do not detract from the book's quality, but if they are true I give the author zero stars for integrity.

Mr. Santon presents an excellent and authorative review of Special Forces (Green Berets) overt, covert and clandestine special warfare operations in Southeast Asia from 1956 through 1975. I was especially pleased to see some of the photos that I took while serving in B36, Third Mobile Strike Force, from 1969-1970 in War Zone D. Good Job! The text is a must for every Green Beret's library. I sincerely want to locate a copy for my Special Forces / Special Operations library.

This is the personal memoir of an American diplomat who was posted to French Indo-China before, during and after the catastrophic defeat of the French Expeditionary Corps at Dien Bien Phu. It is not the scholarly review of the daily travails of the battle that can be found in the late Bernard B. Fall's HELL IN A VERY SMALL PLACE, but, it is a valuable addition to the literature of that pivotal battle. Simpson knew all of the key players on the French side. He knew "Bruno" Bigeard, commander of the famous 6eme "Batallion de Parachutistes Coloniaux; the aristocratic cavalry officer de Castries, who commanded the French garrison at DBP. He knew the rest of the "paratroop mafia" including Langlais, Botella, Brechignac and Giraud who eventually took command of the French pockets of resistance and held the Viet Minh at bay for 57 days. Simpson tells of the mistakes that the French made and compares them to some of the later ones made by America in our war there. But, it is also obvious that he was a man of his times and his leanings were toward the French. Simpson admired the elan and bravery of the soldiers of the French Expeditionary Corps. The Frenchmen and Legionnaires who fought a thankless war at the end of the supply line were professionals and he respected them for their dedication and their desire to prevent the Associated States of Indo-China from falling into the Communist orbit. This book is a personal history, filled with personal anecdotes and of course because it is history, we already know the ending. The French lost at Dien Bien Phu and were eventually forced to leave the "crown jewel" of their overseas empire. Eventuallly, the problem would become America's as the decision-making shifted from Paris to Washington. I recommend this book to readers of Fall's fine history of the battle AND to people who haven't read it because they don't want to get into the technical details of the battle. Students of the French conflict in Indo-China should also read this book so that they can fill in any gaps concerning the personalities of the senior French leadership. All in all, this book needs to be in the library of any serious student of the lengthy war that bled the finest of both the French and American armies.

Simpson's profile of the legendary "Para" Bigeard is welcome, as their are not too many of this Homeric figure. I'd have given it a five star, but Fall's "Hell In A Very Small Place" and Jules Roy's "Siege of DIen Bien Phu" were more griping and comprehensive (Simpson had flown out of DBP by the the time of the siege.)

Well written depiction of one hell of a battle. Hats off to the brave French warriors who risked it all.

Frommer's info is well-written and clear but 228 out of 299 pages deal only with Singapore and this book has no information at all about Sarawak and Sabah, the best places in Malaysia in my opinion.The info on Taman Negara Park and it's activities, such as rafting were scanty and there was no info on the islands of the eastern peninsula.

I just spent a month on business in Singapore and couldn't have made it without this book. Everything was right on, from restaurant reviews to prices for hotels. Jennifer has a great sense of humor and is right on with her recommendations and insights. I travel a lot and will buy Frommers from now on.

You would never expect that a travel book would actually be interesting. But suprise suprise! Jennifer Eveland's writing style tells not only fun things to do, but gets into socio-economic descriptions of the areas she visits, as well as bringing history and religious input about the areas as well. Whether you're going to Singapore or Malasia, or just facying the idea, this book will proove great reading, and create interesting dinner conversation.

very diappionted in the book.

I can honestly say "it's like being there" because I was.As a member of 1st Force Recon '70-'71 I filed opperations reports after each mission and to see them printed as a book has blown me away. It was an honor to serve with these men and in our unit, now it's part of USMC history. Cpl. M.A.Hobbs (I'm in the book) 1st. Force Recon, DaNang '70-'71

This book is very accurte. It tells the storys of the Recon Marines. I was a rifleman in the Marines and alaways wondered what the recon was like, this told me. This is a very good book and I would read it if I hadn't already.