Few American battles have been so extended, savage, and personal. A handful of Americans volunteered to live among six thousand Vietnamese, training farmers to defend their village. Such "Combined Action Platoons" (CAPs) are not a lost footnote about how the war could have been fought; only the villagers remain to bear witness. This is the story of fifteen resolute young Americans matched against two hundred Viet Cong; how a CAP lived, fought, and died; and why the villagers remember them to this day.
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"A masterpiece of war reportage and storytelling. Tells in deeply moving and human terms the story of one Marine squad's fight alongside Vietnamese troops to protect one village from the Viet Cong. In so doing it offers a history of the Vietnam War in microcosm." — Stephen (5 out of 5 stars)
"A masterpiece of war reportage and storytelling. Tells in deeply moving and human terms the story of one Marine squad's fight alongside Vietnamese troops to protect one village from the Viet Cong. In so doing it offers a history of the Vietnam War in microcosm."
A minor classic about war.
“A vivid and unbiased portrait of one Vietnamese hamlet in the grip of war…Exceptional insight…West has told this story with honesty and without embroidery, while bringing out its inherent human drama.”
“This is the way Vietnam should have been fought—by tough volunteers who lived alongside the Vietnamese…It will take the sternest ideologue to remain unmoved by West’s perceptive and human treatment of the men who fought it…It’s an account of brave men at war in a far country, honestly told.”
“Pure Hemingway in the best sense of that characterization…West brilliantly portrays the drama of a war few Americans have known.”
“A superbly honest, readable work that goes beyond journalism to become good literature.”
“Peter Berkrot’s strong baritone reads this work with great confidence. He is steady and projects effortlessness in relating the tales of the deadly cat-and-mouse game the marines and the villagers played with the VC.”
" It's on the CMC's reading list for Corporals and Sergeants for a reason "
" As I expected, this was a good read about a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War, the part that was won by the US & GVN by the early '70s. "
" Bing West writes in a style that details the events in a small town in Vietnam as if it were a novel. He goes into a very personal account of the actions and activities of the Marines and Vietnamese forces there. It's an entertaining and informative read. "
" Really good, one of the best books on the Vietnam War. Quite fascinating about the bravery and leadership shown by these enlisted men. "
" Very interesting true story of a group of marines putting it all out there to help a small village surrounder by Viet Cong. "
" This is one of two books I purchased to put onto my eBook reader to take to Australia. I've not read a full book on it yet, so it will be a new experience. "
" No fault of this book that I couldn't finish it. Sometimes there is just too much war. "
Bing West, a Marine combat infantryman, is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former assistant secretary of defense. His bestselling books have won many awards.
Peter Berkrot, winner of Audie and Earphones Awards for narration, is a stage, screen, and television actor and acting coach. He has narrated over 450 works that span a range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, thriller, and children’s titles. His audiobook credits include works of Alan Glynn, Eric Van Lustbader, Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. In film and television, he appeared in Caddyshack, America’s Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries. He performs in regional and New York theaters and directs the New Voices acting school.
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