What do you think?
Rate this book
Night Laager: A Viet Nam War Novel
January 30, 1968. Alpha Company sets up its night laager, a temporary encampment with their armored personnel carriers forming a defensive perimeter. The laager is in the middle of some dry abandoned rice paddies about forty miles northwest of Saigon. The soldiers do their standard evening preparations, deploying RPG screens and Claymore mines, building small bunkers, and settling in for the night, but they are hoping for a stand down tomorrow. The Communists have agreed to a cease-fire on the Vietnamese holiday of Tet, and the infantrymen of Alpha have been promised a day to rest and do maintenance. Late that evening, however, they lose radio communications with their headquarters, and then they spot enemy movement in the distant tree line. It’s not yet midnight, the official beginning of the truce, so they open fire, albeit with little noticeable effect. Then the enemy replies with mortars and small arms. With no radio comms, they can’t call for artillery or air support, so they’ll have to fight with what they have on hand. Then things get worse. A lot worse.Night Laager portrays one terrible night in the lives of the ordinary soldiers who fought in Viet Nam—their gallows humor, courage, fear, frustration, and tragedies. During twelve hours of action and constant danger, the men struggle to survive until dawn, because the night belongs to the enemy. It’s a few score Americans against an unknown number of North Vietnamese Army regulars who are determined to destroy their outpost. It’s the beginning of the Tet Offensive, the largest and most wide-spread enemy attack of the war. There’s no one coming to their rescue, so they are entirely on their own. They aren’t fighting for God and Country; they’re fighting for each other.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2015
103 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 21, 2016
Night laager
One of the best stories of the Vietnam conflict I've read in quite some time. The book was of a group of characters and their sharing of roughly 24 hours with the attendant series of events that shaped their lives forever. The ability to realize closure was the point of the book and it was well told.
One of the best stories of the Vietnam conflict I've read in quite some time. The book was of a group of characters and their sharing of roughly 24 hours with the attendant series of events that shaped their lives forever. The ability to realize closure was the point of the book and it was well told.
January 17, 2020
To much talking
I am not a professional writer, but in my opinion there is just to much narrative and limited action. Got to be boring.
I am not a professional writer, but in my opinion there is just to much narrative and limited action. Got to be boring.
June 23, 2018
A GOOD TRAINING MANUAL ON WHAT NOT TO DO
If you served in this company of APC 113s, you would not last long. I gave it four stars because I thought the author had done his research and succeeded in telling a harrowing story. Not one of the men would want the same thing to happen again, but I think that it would because they were not well-trained or well led - except for their First Sergeant who did his best to save a massacre. No spoilers from me as to why I made the above comments. I would be interested to read other reviews to see if anyone with Armour experience (in tanks or APCs etc.,) agreed with me. I'll sum the story up by saying it would be a good book to use as a Lesson Learnt example for armoured crews to study.
Clarry Rule
ex-Armour, ex-Vietnam
If you served in this company of APC 113s, you would not last long. I gave it four stars because I thought the author had done his research and succeeded in telling a harrowing story. Not one of the men would want the same thing to happen again, but I think that it would because they were not well-trained or well led - except for their First Sergeant who did his best to save a massacre. No spoilers from me as to why I made the above comments. I would be interested to read other reviews to see if anyone with Armour experience (in tanks or APCs etc.,) agreed with me. I'll sum the story up by saying it would be a good book to use as a Lesson Learnt example for armoured crews to study.
Clarry Rule
ex-Armour, ex-Vietnam
June 18, 2020
WOW! Powerful and moving story by an excellent storyteller!
I really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of placing the reader into the lives of soldiers fighting in Vietnam. He focuses essentially on a single 24 hour period of time and the events that unfold during that single day. He switches perspectives from one character to another, which takes a bit of getting used to, but at the end, really helps the reader build an understanding of the feelings that those fighting in this purposeless war must have felt. I found the conclusion to be particularly moving. Weaving the story to include how the survivors fared and dealt with the aftermath of their experiences was both unique and extremely moving. Thanks for a great read!
I really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job of placing the reader into the lives of soldiers fighting in Vietnam. He focuses essentially on a single 24 hour period of time and the events that unfold during that single day. He switches perspectives from one character to another, which takes a bit of getting used to, but at the end, really helps the reader build an understanding of the feelings that those fighting in this purposeless war must have felt. I found the conclusion to be particularly moving. Weaving the story to include how the survivors fared and dealt with the aftermath of their experiences was both unique and extremely moving. Thanks for a great read!
September 7, 2024
I had an unexpected reaction when reading this book.
I missed Tet of 68 by a few weeks, but was there for the aftermath. Since I served in an armored cavalry unit, I felt a kinship with the story of a mechanized infantry unit, mounted on M113 APC's. The descriptions of the action on the night that Tet started were reminiscent of my own experiences. What was surprising was the deep dive into the psychological effects on the survivors.
I missed Tet of 68 by a few weeks, but was there for the aftermath. Since I served in an armored cavalry unit, I felt a kinship with the story of a mechanized infantry unit, mounted on M113 APC's. The descriptions of the action on the night that Tet started were reminiscent of my own experiences. What was surprising was the deep dive into the psychological effects on the survivors.
June 3, 2019
A tough night to be remembered!
This is a very good well written book about the daily
Iife experienced by members of an apc company in vietnam. It highlighted the brutal battle they went through the very night the tet offensive was started and how it was to forever affect and end the young lives of others.
This is a very good well written book about the daily
Iife experienced by members of an apc company in vietnam. It highlighted the brutal battle they went through the very night the tet offensive was started and how it was to forever affect and end the young lives of others.
October 21, 2022
very unexpected ending to this saga
I am not so sure that I care for the ending Allin gave this book. While he developed many of the characters and helped us, the readers, to become entwined with them his ending left many of the characters out. Did the living all make it home? Not so enamored with this book.
I am not so sure that I care for the ending Allin gave this book. While he developed many of the characters and helped us, the readers, to become entwined with them his ending left many of the characters out. Did the living all make it home? Not so enamored with this book.
March 10, 2018
A well blended story of the Viet Nam war.
A prefect mix of action and personal introspection. Not too much of either. A well thought out ending to a very, very, good book. Thank you.
A prefect mix of action and personal introspection. Not too much of either. A well thought out ending to a very, very, good book. Thank you.
August 8, 2018
Great book
The b9ok centers àround the Tet offensive . It covers one day of combat by a mounted platoon against an unknown number of VC and NVA. The write does a great job of digging into the personalities and fears of many of the troops. Well done David
The b9ok centers àround the Tet offensive . It covers one day of combat by a mounted platoon against an unknown number of VC and NVA. The write does a great job of digging into the personalities and fears of many of the troops. Well done David
December 18, 2018
I enjoyed this novel very much. The one day in time was very well done and allot of information about the unit and the men in it. I liked how it follow a few after the night and all the bull they had to put up with in Nam.
October 30, 2018
Interesting read.
Good character development and a believable story line. Well written descriptions of leaders that had various styles and effects on their men.
Good character development and a believable story line. Well written descriptions of leaders that had various styles and effects on their men.
January 22, 2025
moving
Lots of action. The most moving part was the final chapter.a great example of what those guys experienced. Good read.
Lots of action. The most moving part was the final chapter.a great example of what those guys experienced. Good read.
April 19, 2016
Details, details, and more details
This could have been a great book; however, the writer tried to cover every last detail. For me that was a significant distraction from a potentially great book.
This could have been a great book; however, the writer tried to cover every last detail. For me that was a significant distraction from a potentially great book.
August 18, 2021
Authentic feel to it
Excellent storyline by someone who has experienced the war. No romance, just a story of one small unit for one night.
Excellent storyline by someone who has experienced the war. No romance, just a story of one small unit for one night.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews