Product Description

The defining moment of the Vietnam war when the American dream of a quick victory died - hard.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13621 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-01
• Binding: Paperback
• 529 pages

Neil Sheehan, author of A Bright Shining Lie
'If you want to know what it was like to go to Vietnam, then you must read this book.'

New York Times Book Review
'There are stories here that freeze the blood... The men who fought at Ia Drang could have no finer memorial'

Wall Street Journal
'Between experiencing combat and reading about it lies a vast chasm. This book makes you almost smell it'

Customer Reviews

A truly great read!
This is simply one of the best military books I have ever read. In summation in November 1965, 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry (made famous by Custer at the battle of the Big Horn), under the command of Lt.Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. How these men persevered - sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up - makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating.

General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us man's most heroic and horrendous endeavour.

In this history of one of the most violent periods of the 20th century, the author relates the personal experiences of men on the brink of death for a cause they didn't understand.The book has been adapted for film, starring, amongst others, Mel Gibson. A must read for anybody who wants to know how the heat of battle forges a bond between men in the folly of war!

Heavy going, but rewarding
The book starts with the formation and training of the US Army airbourne assault units (what were the cavalry units).
The story is told from the commanders perspective and is truly enlightening.
They move onto the assault landing at Xray and then the ambush at Albany from both the American and Vietnamese perspectives. (Both claimed a victory at Albany)
The personal stories of the soldier families will break your heart.

moving
At times i felt like i was there with the men . This book is emotional and gripping and really brings the vietnam war to you .This is one of the best books i've read including those outwith the war.