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The Battle of Long Tan by Lex McAulay
It was the late afternoon of August 18th, 1966. For three hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Thuy Province, South Vietnam, a dispersed company of 100 Australians had been fighting for their lives, holding off a force of some 2500 Vietnamese.
In the gathering dusk, with ammunition running out and a Vietnamese battalion massing for the final assault, the Diggers' situation seemed hopeless. Then, at last, the relief force finally broke through...
THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN
This is their true, detailed, fully researched account.
Illustrated with photographs and maps.
In the gathering dusk, with ammunition running out and a Vietnamese battalion massing for the final assault, the Diggers' situation seemed hopeless. Then, at last, the relief force finally broke through...
THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN
This is their true, detailed, fully researched account.
Illustrated with photographs and maps.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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62 people want to read
About the author
Lex McAulay
88 books4 followersAlexander "Lex" Hugh David McAulay was an Australian Army serviceman and veteran of the Vietnam War. He authored a dozen books, including six on World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 27, 2022
An excellent, even balanced account of a battle where approximately 100 Australian soldiers, “Diggers”, while outnumbered 250-1, fought off their VC attackers.
September 12, 2019
McAulay's book was the first major study of the most important battle fought by Australian (and NZ) forces in the early years of the war in Vietnam, and it has several positive attributes and some limitations. The former are the result of how McAulay wrote his book and what he accomplishes through that process. The latter are due to in the most part to the book's original aims and, on reflection, the age of the book.
'The Battle of Long Tan' is a well constructed account of the actions of those who fought the battle with a focus on the troops on the ground and their immediate experiences. The use of oral testimony from many of the key players (including the likes of Harry Smith, Dave Sabben and Bob Buick) ensure that the account of the battle is immediate and engaging, with the associated historical authority of personal involvement. This approach is supported by the inclusion of many relevant documents or secondary materials that provide background, context or additional information that goes beyond what the soldiers experienced on the battlefield.
McAulay's military experience also ensures that his writing is appropriate to the subject. He writes with an eye to what it was like for those who were engaged in the battle from the Australian perspective, no matter their rank or position during the events he writes of. He also understands the disparity of perspectives between the front line soldier and those further behind the lines and discusses how these interact, forming differing understandings of what was the history of the battle.
It must be said however that 'The Battle of Long Tan' is not the most definitive analysis of its subject, due in part to what it sets out to do, in part to how it examines the role of the VC/NVA, and in part due to the age of the book. Because this is a rather narrowly focused history, concentrating on the experiences and achievements of the Australian (and some NZ) troops, it has no place for larger political or other considerations as to what constituted the wider narrative. Not enough is said re the differences between the regular and national servicemen who fought the battle, their motivations, training, backgrounds etc. There is also some gaps re the higher level strategic or political implications of the battle in Vietnam and at home.
The role of the opposing forces is given prominence within the limitations of the author not being able to really know what happened 'on the other side of the hill'. This leads to several interpolations of speculative paragraphs describing what McAulay thinks happened with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers as they battled the Australians. They read well enough and may be historically valid, however because they are not given the authenticity of supporting oral or other evidence they are liable to criticism.
This issue is also linked to the age of the book. McAulay's text is now over 30 years old and it is to be expected there will be other books published since then that build on his work, adding the details he missed out on. Events have moved the history onward, so that (for example) discussions in the book on how the troops who fought at Long Tan were insufficiently recognised by the Australian government now require review.
In summary. McAulay wrote the acme text for the history of the Battle of Long Tan. Upon its release it was considered the definitive account, and it still retains much of its value. It is also a good read. However there must be other, later titles that build upon this book's achievements and are more comprehensive for those interested in the subject.
'The Battle of Long Tan' is a well constructed account of the actions of those who fought the battle with a focus on the troops on the ground and their immediate experiences. The use of oral testimony from many of the key players (including the likes of Harry Smith, Dave Sabben and Bob Buick) ensure that the account of the battle is immediate and engaging, with the associated historical authority of personal involvement. This approach is supported by the inclusion of many relevant documents or secondary materials that provide background, context or additional information that goes beyond what the soldiers experienced on the battlefield.
McAulay's military experience also ensures that his writing is appropriate to the subject. He writes with an eye to what it was like for those who were engaged in the battle from the Australian perspective, no matter their rank or position during the events he writes of. He also understands the disparity of perspectives between the front line soldier and those further behind the lines and discusses how these interact, forming differing understandings of what was the history of the battle.
It must be said however that 'The Battle of Long Tan' is not the most definitive analysis of its subject, due in part to what it sets out to do, in part to how it examines the role of the VC/NVA, and in part due to the age of the book. Because this is a rather narrowly focused history, concentrating on the experiences and achievements of the Australian (and some NZ) troops, it has no place for larger political or other considerations as to what constituted the wider narrative. Not enough is said re the differences between the regular and national servicemen who fought the battle, their motivations, training, backgrounds etc. There is also some gaps re the higher level strategic or political implications of the battle in Vietnam and at home.
The role of the opposing forces is given prominence within the limitations of the author not being able to really know what happened 'on the other side of the hill'. This leads to several interpolations of speculative paragraphs describing what McAulay thinks happened with the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army soldiers as they battled the Australians. They read well enough and may be historically valid, however because they are not given the authenticity of supporting oral or other evidence they are liable to criticism.
This issue is also linked to the age of the book. McAulay's text is now over 30 years old and it is to be expected there will be other books published since then that build on his work, adding the details he missed out on. Events have moved the history onward, so that (for example) discussions in the book on how the troops who fought at Long Tan were insufficiently recognised by the Australian government now require review.
In summary. McAulay wrote the acme text for the history of the Battle of Long Tan. Upon its release it was considered the definitive account, and it still retains much of its value. It is also a good read. However there must be other, later titles that build upon this book's achievements and are more comprehensive for those interested in the subject.
August 8, 2019
Great stuff!
June 14, 2018
This is a book I read every few years and it holds its' own special place on the shelf with the few books I have left dealing with military history. At one time I had over three hundred volumes dealing just with the Vietnam War. Why this one and only a few others have remained, I cannot really say except for the fact that it stays in my memory as one of the milestones of that conflict.
It tells the story of a few groups of ANZAC soldiers out on a routine patrol in the area of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province in South Vietnam. What should have been a walk in the jungle with little expectation of meeting the enemy turned into a meeting of Main Force North Vietnamese Army regulars and an intense battle for their very lives. One hundred Australian soldiers, many who had never been in combat, stumbled into a force 250 times their size and fought for hours with most of their compliment surviving. It is a story of training, dedication to fellow soldiers, camaraderie and the will to survive. It is also the story of their fellow ANZACs back at base who led the fire support missions for the big guns and the pilots who flew resupply into a very hot area of operations.
Mr. McAulay does a very good work of personalizing the very human soldiers involved and turns this book into something special. This was not the first incident of Main Force NVA meeting with Allied Forces but it was also very early into the war and seems all the more poignant with the lesser amount of back up and reinforcement that the Australians had at their disposal. Well worth the read and then to be read again.
It tells the story of a few groups of ANZAC soldiers out on a routine patrol in the area of the Long Tan rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province in South Vietnam. What should have been a walk in the jungle with little expectation of meeting the enemy turned into a meeting of Main Force North Vietnamese Army regulars and an intense battle for their very lives. One hundred Australian soldiers, many who had never been in combat, stumbled into a force 250 times their size and fought for hours with most of their compliment surviving. It is a story of training, dedication to fellow soldiers, camaraderie and the will to survive. It is also the story of their fellow ANZACs back at base who led the fire support missions for the big guns and the pilots who flew resupply into a very hot area of operations.
Mr. McAulay does a very good work of personalizing the very human soldiers involved and turns this book into something special. This was not the first incident of Main Force NVA meeting with Allied Forces but it was also very early into the war and seems all the more poignant with the lesser amount of back up and reinforcement that the Australians had at their disposal. Well worth the read and then to be read again.
June 26, 2022
A great insight into a truly remarkable military action. Well worth a read
January 16, 2022
This is a book that every Australian should read. I will list some details of the event that this book details to show the enormity of the situation these soldiers found themselves in.
The following is taken from the Battle of Long Tan Wikipedia page;
"The Battle of Long Tan (18 August 1966) took place near the village of Long Tan, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between Australian forces and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units after the 108-man D Company, 6 RAR clashed with a force of between 1,500 to 2,500 men from the Viet Cong 275th Regiment, reinforced by at least one North Vietnamese battalion and elements of D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion."
"Viet Cong and North Vietnamese casualties included 245 dead left on the battlefield and three captured, while many more were thought to have been removed as they withdrew. Others had been so badly mutilated their remains were unidentifiable.[235] Approximately half the dead were estimated to have been caused by artillery and the remainder by small arms.[217] In addition to those found on the battlefield, the Australians estimated the Viet Cong had evacuated up to a further 350 casualties, including an unknown number of dead which had been buried along the withdrawal route."
"Australian losses were also heavy and amounted to 17 killed, one died of wounds and 24 wounded."
The following is taken from the Battle of Long Tan Wikipedia page;
"The Battle of Long Tan (18 August 1966) took place near the village of Long Tan, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between Australian forces and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units after the 108-man D Company, 6 RAR clashed with a force of between 1,500 to 2,500 men from the Viet Cong 275th Regiment, reinforced by at least one North Vietnamese battalion and elements of D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion."
"Viet Cong and North Vietnamese casualties included 245 dead left on the battlefield and three captured, while many more were thought to have been removed as they withdrew. Others had been so badly mutilated their remains were unidentifiable.[235] Approximately half the dead were estimated to have been caused by artillery and the remainder by small arms.[217] In addition to those found on the battlefield, the Australians estimated the Viet Cong had evacuated up to a further 350 casualties, including an unknown number of dead which had been buried along the withdrawal route."
"Australian losses were also heavy and amounted to 17 killed, one died of wounds and 24 wounded."
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December 18, 2015Excellent balanced account.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews