Honor Bound: The History of American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973

by Stuart I. Rochester, Frederick Kiley

“A monumental achievement, not only in its depth and breadth of treatment but in its honesty and accuracy.” —Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize

Honor Bound, a collaborative effort researched and written over the course of more than a decade by historian Stuart Rochester and Air Force Academy professor and POW specialist Frederick Kiley, combines rigorous scholarly analysis with a moving narrative to record in unprecedented detail the triumphs and tragedies of the several hundred servicemen (and civilians) who fought their own special war in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between 1961 and 1973.

The authors address a gamut of subjects from the physical ordeal of torture and deprivation that required clarification of the Code of Conduct to the sometimes more onerous psychological challenges of indoctrination, adjustments to new routines and relationships, and mere coping and passing time under the most monotonous, inhospitable conditions. The volume weaves a winding trail through scores of prison camps, from large concrete compounds in the North to isolated jungle stockades in the South to mountain caves in Laos, while tracing political developments in Hanoi and Washington and the evolution of the “psywar” that placed the prisoners at the center of the conflict even as they were removed from the battlefield.

From courageous resistance and ingenious methods of organization and communication to failed escapes and questionable conduct —“warts and all”— Honor Bound examines in depth the longest and perhaps most remarkable prisoner-of-war captivity in U.S. history.

Genres: Military History, History, Nonfiction

958 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Stuart I. Rochester was the chief historian for the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense and author and co-author of several books, including a notable account on American prisoners of war in Southeast Asia. Rochester was also an authority on the comparative national defense policies of post-World War II presidential administrations.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book tells the story of the Vietnam War from the point of view of the men (and women) captured and held prisoner during the conflict. It traces the backstory of French occupation into and through American involvement.
Some things, descriptions of torture and maltreatment will leave you horrified, even tearful. The bias is obviously American and reflects the values of our culture.
It is an account of this time in recent history which will stay w/the reader for a long time.

[Joe Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book and should be required reading for anyone interested in the Vietnam war.

[Eion Hewson · Rating 4 out of 5]

very comprehensive

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a powerful read. Heart-breaking and detailed what Vietnam POWs went through.

[a.t.m. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic history of American POW's during the Vietnam war

For the veteran, for the student, and for the scholar, this epic book gets it right. The stories of torture, taking the prisoners from inhumane to inhuman, is without parallel. Many times, I had to put this book down because it depressed me because of the repeated stories of cruelty our POW's had to face, after their capture. The little food they received, many times with maggots and other critters in their food, their intestinal problems, with little relief from their capturers. Many POW's died, while in captivity, several high ranking officer's refused to follow the 90 percent of all other POW's and resist and were given preferential treatment by the NVA, many compelling stories in this book. I highly recommend this book to all Americans because this is a book about courage, about sacrifice, and about having the willingness to live another day, despite many obstacles. I am willing to believe that after reading this book, the reader will not take for granted clean sheets, a warm bed, a hot shower, clean clothes, food, and most of all the freedom to move about unimpeded. To those that fought the good fight, I say you all made us proud. To those that chose to collaborate with our enemies, I hope you never find any peace.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a gut wrenching book to read. All the torture, starvation and unbelievable tactics the Vietnamese tried to break our soldiers--physically, spiritually and psychologically by using every means possible for our soldiers to turn their backs on a country they loved so dearly--The United States despite the fact they knew their captors would do anything to extract information.

The personal stories all the prisoners that were held for years each one of them I hold dear to me despite the fact first of all I am a woman and I wasn't old enough to know about the war except by what I read. This book is raw and powerful and full of perserverence, strength and unbelievable courage. The prisoners helped one another endure the painful situation they were in and kept the faith that one day they would go home. They did indeed come home as shattered men and many had spent years at the hands of the most cruelest men I have ever read about. Be prepared when you read it. This book speaks volumes of truth and like I said its gut wrenching and hard to digest. But it really reveals what is meant by prisoner of war--that can mean physically and psychologically but the spirits of these men was unbelievable!

[Donald Paulsrud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely outstanding book! If you want the entire story of the POW experience in Vietnam in one book this is definitely the one. It is long and a bit tedious at times, but it is worth fighting thru those parts. This book is well researched and is based on facts, not emotions. (If you want the individual stories of a certain POW you will need to read their biography.) Don't let the size of this book discourage you from reading it, it will take you some time, but it is well worth that time. I have found myself going back to this book for research purposes or just to refresh my memory of certain POW's or events. This book covers the jungle camps and the POW's held in Laos or Cambodia as well as those held in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton". I consider this a must read for anyone interested in the Vietnam War.

[Ixris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is GIGANTIC. It is comprehensive, drawing on private interviews, post-Homecoming files, and about every published piece of literature on the POWs of the Vietnam War.

It delves into the lives in both North and South Vietnam, and it doesn't shy away from the heartache, nor does it go out of its way to overly-glorify the POWs. It attempts to present the facts in as fair a light as possible. I quite frankly loved it (Even though a third of this book is notes and appendices, holy cow).

I spent months reading this book. I regret nothing.

[James Mcneill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the USGPO edition. I have two different editions, each is outstanding.

[Russell Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will break your heart. It was well done, but the facts it presented made me want to throw up.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive