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In This Valley There Are Tigers
In 1964, Charles A. McDonald was at Camp Khe Sanh before the first wholesale introduction of North Vietnamese Army troops onto the battlefield against U.S. forces. For twenty-four years in war and peace, McDonald served his country in its elite units as an Airborne Infantryman and Special Forces soldier. He trained and armed Bru tribesmen, Chinese mercenaries, Vietmamese Airborne and Special Forces troops. Stories as seen through his eyes "In This Valley There Are Tigers", McDonald tells a narrative of the personal violence and desperate suicide attacks in combat with vivid detail as it was from his own perspective during his three year experience in the Second Indochina War. He was there!
580 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 20, 2024
Charles McDonald writes like few others do - and that is both a good and a bad thing!
Let's get the negative out of the way, this book is an absolute SLOG to get through that a good editor should have been able to tighten up and clean up. But at the same time, doing so would have removed one of the things that makes this book so unique!
McDonald tells the story of his three tours in Vietnam, starting with his last one as an advisor to the ARVN 7th Airborne battalion, followed up by his first tour with team A-322 in 1964 at Khe Sanh, and finally his middle tour split between Project Delta B-52 and the 1/327th 101st Airborne.
He flows back and forth between his own experiences, the experiences of others, and as a 3rd person historical narrator of events. When he is telling the stories of others, you often get much more detail of who / what / when, whereas when he is telling his own stories, you get stream of consciousness writing explicit with minutiae and details... what things smelled like, what he heard, what he was feeling. You get a lot of stories about bugs and birds and animals, about dew and the weather, you rarely ever hear a name or explanation of who he is serving with, and so many story elements are lost in all of the commentary about the cicadas and the mosquitos and the noises and the smells.
It's a slog to get through but at the same time, it's powerful to to experience these events through his eyes and thoughts in a way few authors bother to do.
Most authors tell you what is going on ... we went here, we did this, we ended up there, we then went back to camp and slept. McDonald shows you footfall by football, kneel down by kneel down, almost every breath he took and every though and emotion he experienced.
It's an insight into such a wide ranging experience with 4 different units doing 4 very different things, and you are really along for the ride ... even when he's telling the history or the stories of others.
Definitely not for the timid, but if you can handle it... go for it!
Let's get the negative out of the way, this book is an absolute SLOG to get through that a good editor should have been able to tighten up and clean up. But at the same time, doing so would have removed one of the things that makes this book so unique!
McDonald tells the story of his three tours in Vietnam, starting with his last one as an advisor to the ARVN 7th Airborne battalion, followed up by his first tour with team A-322 in 1964 at Khe Sanh, and finally his middle tour split between Project Delta B-52 and the 1/327th 101st Airborne.
He flows back and forth between his own experiences, the experiences of others, and as a 3rd person historical narrator of events. When he is telling the stories of others, you often get much more detail of who / what / when, whereas when he is telling his own stories, you get stream of consciousness writing explicit with minutiae and details... what things smelled like, what he heard, what he was feeling. You get a lot of stories about bugs and birds and animals, about dew and the weather, you rarely ever hear a name or explanation of who he is serving with, and so many story elements are lost in all of the commentary about the cicadas and the mosquitos and the noises and the smells.
It's a slog to get through but at the same time, it's powerful to to experience these events through his eyes and thoughts in a way few authors bother to do.
Most authors tell you what is going on ... we went here, we did this, we ended up there, we then went back to camp and slept. McDonald shows you footfall by football, kneel down by kneel down, almost every breath he took and every though and emotion he experienced.
It's an insight into such a wide ranging experience with 4 different units doing 4 very different things, and you are really along for the ride ... even when he's telling the history or the stories of others.
Definitely not for the timid, but if you can handle it... go for it!
August 1, 2022
Great book ! If you want the details of Vietnam War on the ground, this is it. Yes, it's about the war, but the plants, the animals, the bugs, the danger of nature in general - all there. Waiting in the dark for whatever the war had coming to you - man or beast. This is some of the best writing to come out of that conflict. The planning of a patrol and what happens when it all comes apart. This is the one to read if you want the real feel for the war on the ground.
Thank you for your service, Charles McDonald. And thanks for this book.
Thank you for your service, Charles McDonald. And thanks for this book.
December 28, 2019
Super good book. Told it like it was. Very detailed in what it was like being there. Glad to hear he is enjoying life now. Hope the VA will take care of his medical problems. Thanks for writing this. Pete.
April 3, 2020
This book was intense, had you on the edge of your seat!! Wow, the stuff of nightmares
April 7, 2020
I found Charles McDonald to be an extremely gifted writer with a wealth of personal history to share. Prepare to have your heart stopped on numerous occassions
April 5, 2015
An incredible read
McDonald has written a well researched book of an incredible experience in Viet Nam. His depth of knowledge of the war and his military professionalism from every angle is riveting. This is a great read for anyone interested in the war. I particularly enjoyed the insight to the operation involving Sergeant Major Wiley Gray. Thanks for your service McDonald. Well done....
McDonald has written a well researched book of an incredible experience in Viet Nam. His depth of knowledge of the war and his military professionalism from every angle is riveting. This is a great read for anyone interested in the war. I particularly enjoyed the insight to the operation involving Sergeant Major Wiley Gray. Thanks for your service McDonald. Well done....
February 10, 2015
Interesting read
Author is very descriptive in detailing the nature surrounding him during his military
Service in vietnam. His depictions of suffering is very vivid and sad. I felt like I was
Actually along with him and salute him for his service.
Author is very descriptive in detailing the nature surrounding him during his military
Service in vietnam. His depictions of suffering is very vivid and sad. I felt like I was
Actually along with him and salute him for his service.
November 29, 2016
The True Story of the Vietnam War
This book is an excellent example of descriptive writing. It also tells why the Vietnam War was a total waist of American lives and resources.
This book is an excellent example of descriptive writing. It also tells why the Vietnam War was a total waist of American lives and resources.
February 3, 2016
Smell the cordite..
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews