Vietnam - the Australian War

by Paul Ham

"War takes a blender to standards and values ... Men come back and spend the rest of their lives trying to find out who they are ..." - Harry Whiteside, who served with the SAS and the Royal Australian Regiment in Vietnam.

"Surely God weeps," an Australian soldier wrote in despair of the conflict in Vietnam.

But no God intervened to shorten the years of carnage and devastation in this most controversial of wars.

Seen as the last "hot" frontline of the Cold War, the ten-year struggle in the rice paddies and jungles of South Vietnam unleashed the most devastating firepower on the Vietnamese nation and visited terrible harm on civilians and soldiers.

Yet the Australian forces applied tactics that were very different from those of the Americans. Guided by their commanders" experience of jungle combat, Australian troops operated with stealth, deception and restraint in pursuing a "better war".

Drawing on hundreds of accounts by soldiers, politicians, aid workers, entertainers and the Vietnamese people, Paul Ham reconstructs for the first time the full history of our longest military campaign.

From the commitment to engage, through the fight over conscription and the rise of the anti-war movement, to the tactics and horror of the battlefield, Ham exhumes the truth about this politicians" war - which sealed the fate of 50,000 Australian servicemen and women.

More than 500 soldiers were killed and thousands wounded. Those who made it home returned to a hostile and ignorant country and a reception that scarred them forever.This is their story.

Paul Ham′s Vietnam: The Australian War was awarded the Australian History Prize at the 2008 NSW Premier′s Awards. The judges praised Ham for his comprehensive approach to Australia′s involvement in the Vietnam War and his ability to communicate with both specialist and general readers. They said:

′A significant number of books have appeared over the past decade or so focusing on Australia′s involvement in World War I, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars ... What distinguishes Paul Ham′s book is the comprehensive nature of its approach, which encompasses the political and military history of Australia′s involvement in Vietnam as well as the domestic social and cultural context. It is also a book that tells the human side of the war ... It is a beautifully told story of human frailty, of the shortcomings and lack of vision of those political leaders who committed Australian troops to Vietnam; and of the narrow-minded ideologies that drove some of those who opposed the war. It is a wonderful narrative, reflecting an extraordinary knowledge of the subject, which convincingly demonstrates the important role the Vietnam War played in shaping Australia′s history.′

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Australia, Military History, War, Audiobook, Military Fiction

748 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2008

About the author

PAUL HAM is a historian specialising in 20th century conflict, war and politics. Born and raised in Sydney, Paul has spent his working life in London, Sydney and Paris. He teaches narrative non-fiction at SciencesPo in Reims and English at l'École de guerre in Paris. His books have been published to critical acclaim in Australia, Britain and the United States, and include: 'Hiroshima Nagasaki', a controversial new history of the atomic bombings (HarperCollins Australia 2010, Penguin Random House UK 2011, & Pan Macmillan USA 2014-15); '1914: The Year The World Ended' (Penguin Random House 2013); 'Sandakan' (Penguin Random House 2011); 'Vietnam: The Australian War' and 'Kokoda' (both published by HarperCollins, 2007 and 2004). Paul has co-written two ABC documentaries based on his work: 'Kokoda' (2010), a 2-part series on the defeat of the Japanese army in Papua in 1942 (shortlisted for the New York Documentary prize); and 'All the Way' (2012), about Australia's difficult alliance with America during the Vietnam War, which he also narrated and presented (it won the UN's Media Peace prize). Paul is the founding director of Hampress, an independent ebook publisher, and a regular contributor to Kindle Single, Amazon's new 'short book' publishing platform, for which he has written '1913: The Eve of War' and 'Young Hitler', co-written 'Honey, We Forgot the Kids', and published several titles by other authors. Hampress welcomes your ideas! A former Australia correspondent for The Sunday Times (1998-2012), Paul has a Masters degree in Economic History from London School of Economics. He lives in Sydney and Paris, and takes time off now and then to organise the Big Fat Poetry Pig-Out, an annual poetry recital, for charity.

Some relevant links:

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Ham/e/B001...

https://www.hampress.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ham

http://us.macmillan.com/hiroshimanaga...

http://lareviewofbooks.org/review/hir...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...

http://www.amazon.com/Sandakan-Paul-H...

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42...

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/authors...

http://www.harpercollins.com.au/97807...

Reviews

[zed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my style of history. I would have preferred this to be a touch more academic than the Popular/Populist delivery that this book is. Author Paul Ham has let his disgust and anger at just about everybody involved, other than the Australian soldiers, get in the way of the narrative to the point that it made the book far too long.

An example of this was the ridiculous populist overkill such as the first two pages of Chapter 34 “Australian Viet Cong” when he listed a plethora of persons and cultural events over 2 very long pages and then wrote that this was a “Tumble of people, pop and paraphernalia providing the stuffing of the social revolution in Australia in the 1960’s; these were some of the voices, sounds and influences that heralded the over throw of the established order”. He then writes “In retrospect, the decade seems rather to have left a faint indent on time’s shifting sands, blown on the wind like other youthful fads and ideals, the pale faced prelude to a long, adult hangover of dazed disillusionment.”

The actual narrative of events was constantly scattered with strange thought bubbles such as the above, use of slang and vernacular, historical inaccuracies, and intermittent use of endnotes. One thought bubble that caught my attention was that the author was not keen on elections being held after the French left and glad that they were not as the wrong side might have won. The occasional use of slang such as “daft” “Sheila” “yanks” to name a few. The constant analogies and vernacular used in the body of the narrative seemed out of place for me for what was a serious subject. A couple of noteworthy mistakes also come to mind. Gough Whitlam is quoted a few times and endnoted in Hansard but one controversial comment Ham has cited has no date against the Hansard extract. All other Hansard extracts do. Black American soldiers refused entry to Australia during World War II due to the White Australia Policy he states at one point. I can find no reference to the truth of this anywhere. The author writes that Nixon was impeached. Was he? I thought he resigned before impeachment could occur.

As usual there is a lot to learn from books such as this so I do recommend it to anyone that has an interest in the subject. I am just not keen on populist history.

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great account from Paul Ham covering the Australian involvement in Vietnam. A detailed and well-written book covering all aspects of Australia's role in Vietnam from the home front to the grimy close contacts and fire-fights in the South Vietnamese jungles. From major battles like Long Tan to the SAS patrols moving stealthily through the harsh and dangerous enemy held rear areas gathering vital intelligence. The author doesn’t pull any punches and is at time critical of some of the commanders and their tactics as well as the politicians that put these soldiers in harms way. This is a great book and I am certain anyone who enjoys reading a well balanced and research history book written in an easy to read style will love this book.

[Liam || Books 'n Beards · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who knows almost nothing about the Vietnam War other than popular media's portrayals of it, and absolutely nothing about Australia's involvement, I loved this book. It provides an excellent overview of the war, but contained to the Australian commitment – so whilst you get the broad strokes, you avoid the minutiae of every single skirmish, which can often be overwhelming when reading about a conflict or war for the first time.

As an Australian, I've grown up hearing about Long Tan and Coral/Balmoral, often as the lesser brother of Lone Pine and the Nek, but never really understanding their significance - Australia's Vietnam War was vastly different to the United States experience. Stealth, diplomacy and civilian assistance ruled, and the single province assigned to Australian forces was one of the most stable and secure throughout the war – but when forced into a pitched battle, Australian and New Zealand soldiers showed the same courage and selfless dedication to their comrades that they are rightfully renowned for – so while 18 ANZACs perished at Long Tan, compared to the over two thousand casualties at Lone Pine, it is not made a lesser event as a result.

Possibly the most interesting part of the book for me was the last third dedicated to the treatment of our veterans when they came back home – I was aware that the US veterans were treated with contempt and disgust, but for some reason I believed that Australian people would be above that. Not so unfortunately, and returning Anzacs were as despised and mistreated as any others – great steps have been made since to right this injustice, but it is something that, as an Australian, I'm ashamed to learn about. If I'm honest, I got a bit teary during some of this stuff.

So, onto other things - I've got a lot more to learn about the war from an American perspective, so I'm interested to see how that goes. But I'd highly recommend Vietnam: The Australian War to any fellow Aussies who know as little as me about the seven years and tens of thousands of men that the Australian people and government committed, and then rejected as cowards and monsters when they came home.

[Garry Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Ham's "Vietnam - the Australian War" is an excellent read. The book has been painstakingly researched, and attempts to present a balanced view of the war from the points of view of the soldiers, officers, politicians, and families of those involved on both sides, as well as those in Australia who grew to detest everything the Vietnam War stood for, and in the process condemned the warriors we sent there to a post-war lifetime of ostracism.

More than anything, it is the individual stories of the soldiers who did the hard work on the ground which shines through. It is hard not to feel shame for the way they were treated in Australia after their return from Vietnam. They returned to almost universal ignorance of who they were and what they had really been through, as opposed to the often inaccurate accounts by journalists of what they were supposed to have been doing. The accounts of the Battles of Long Tan (1966), Coral, and Balmoral (both 1968), of which I was completely ignorant beforehand, are compelling. Their bravery in battle was inspiring. So was their innocent faith in the wisdom of entering the war in the first place - a faith which quickly turned to rancid cynicism when the futility of their task became painfully evident.

Few others come out of this episode with much to be proud of, except perhaps the families of those who fought. There was no glory in this war - even the NLF and the Viet Cong, as ruthless and brutal as they were to anyone (especially Vietnamese peasants) who got in the way of their political and military ambitions, are portrayed as the unwitting puppets and dupes of the faceless men in Hanoi who controlled this war with unbelievable singularity of purpose. The real villain in this story is the capacity for human beings to see anything as justifiable if it is done in the name of a political ideology. The heroes of this story are those who survived by keeping faith with the simple things - the love of family, and the comradeship of fellow soldiers.

Highly recommended.

[Geoff Wooldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get through, but it was definitely worth it. This is the second Australian war history book by Paul Ham that I have read - a few years ago, I read his excellent work, 'Kokoda', about the Australian military involvement in that famous WWII campaign against the Japanese.

'Vietnam: the Australian War' is, if anything, even better.

Meticulously researched, detailed without ever being dry or mundane in the telling, this is an important record of Australia's involvement, as controversial and divisive as it became, in a war that, when it ended, no-one was really sure why we had been involved and what, if anything, we achieved.

I have read quite a bit on WWI and WWII, but they were before my time. They affected my grandparents and parents respectively.

The Vietnam War, fought mostly in the 1960s (although with origins earlier than that) and into the 1970s, was in my lifetime, within my memory, and very nearly may have affected me directly.

Australia introduced compulsory conscription for 20 year old men in the 1960s to ensure the Australian army had sufficient troops to meet its commitments to the war effort in support of Uncle Sam. These were referred to as National Service men or "Nashos". It wasn't popular and draft dodgers achieved a degree of notoriety - both good and bad.

When Gough Whitlam led Labor to victory at the polls in 1972, a year before I would have had to register for the Draft, conscription was immediately abolished and steps taken to withdraw all troops from Vietnam.

The situation was pretty hopeless by then in any case. The guerrilla jungle warfare tactics of the North Vietnamese, the Viet Cong, had overcome the vast military might of the USA and its allies.

Nobody really won the Vietnam War, but it is clear that America lost, both militarily and reputationally.

Ham has done a brilliant job in setting out the background to the war (which was, in effect, a politician's war, both in the US and Australia), the conduct of the war, including its major battles such as Long Tan and the Tet Offensive, the changing fortunes of the protagonists in the war, and the gradual decline in public and media support for the war, after an enthusiastic beginning, as the public bought into the Domino Theory and the need to suppress the perceived Communist threat to Asia, the Yellow Peril.

Ham is prepared to be forthright about the military and political decisions that were taken which impacted the troops on the ground, but he is also prepared to be fair-minded and balanced in his presentation of the facts. This is not a biased anti-war record.

I think the saddest thing about the war from an Australian perspective (which may seem trivial compared to the devastation suffered by the Vietnamese population) is the harsh reception that our returning troops received from some quarters. The war was extremely unpopular by its end, but that should have been worn by the politicians. The disdain, disrespect and outright hatred shown to soldiers, who, in serving their country with distinction in appalling conditions and exposed to many horrific situations, was completely unfair and unwarranted (even by the RSL!), and it has taken quite some time, most of the past half century, for Vietnam Veterans to be offered the respect and honour they truly deserved.

Highly recommended.

[Kong Kong · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good to read about the diggers' experience in the Vietnam war. I'm pleased to have read that the Aussies were regarded mostly as the "good guys" by the Vietnamese on both sides of the conflict. The author did some decent research, interviewing diggers and officers, Vietnamese on both side, civilians, etc. filling in pieces to the picture from many points of view. I'm not so sure it'll qualify as history, but a respectable collection of anecdotes. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, no stories are as captivating as blood & flesh stories with real emotions and pains. however, i find it a bit tiresome that Ham kept bringing his clearly conservative, right-leaning, anti-communist, anti-labour-party sentiments into the book. I think Ham successfully conveyed the fully-justified disappointments and annoyance of the soldiers for being sent to such a shitty war. However, i'm also very disappointed with the lack of wisdom, as one would expect such a profound event in history, paid for with such a high price, should inspire. at the end, the sad truth is that the Aussies have learned nothing from Vietnam, as it followed its ally in the invasion of iraq, killing more babies while not making the world a safer place. what a pity.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A view of the Vietnam War by a "True Blue Aussie Bloke". Despite Ham's opposition to Democracy in Viet Nam (because they would vote for the wrong people, and therefore his reluctant support for a corrupt millitary dictatorship), he does research aspects of the administration of the war by the USA and Australia governments, with some scathing commentary as a result. He tries to balance this harsh critique by being equally scathing of the Viet Cong, though his criticisms there are based on the frequently concocted information of the South Vietnamese dictatorship. One part of his research is well grounded, the other is unchecked, undocumented heresay by one party to the conflict.
Not really a history, but a tribute to the Aussie soldiers who he thinks were betrayed by all. He is scathing of the war which he nonetheless continues to justify (Because the communists had - in his words - overwhelming support among the people, and that would have been worse outcome in his view). If only the millitary invasion to defeat democracy could have been done in an honourable way, and if only they had installed a nicer puppet regime in the South!

[Hugh Griffiths]

Interesting, and I learned a lot about the conflict. His approach is very much to focus on individual acts of bravery, so there's a huge amount of reports of specific combat actions rather than the bigger picture.
It also contains the quite spectacular argument that it's actually racist to criticise western atrocities, and anyway why does no-one talk about all the Australian soldiers who *didn't* commit war crimes? Honestly, he says that quite explicitly.
Also - I had the audiobook version of this, and I understand voice acting is part of being a good narrator and he knows the region well, but the way he voices Vietnamese characters gets really uncomfortable.

[Bon Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really makes you realise how brutal, horrific and absent of morals or standards war is. They should be avoided at all costs.

[Dulcie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two halves to this book. The first is a very solid historical work. Objective and factual. The second half is highly subjective and not a factual history, coloured by emotion and political bent. In the end a unsatisfying work. Shame on you Paul Ham.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like a balanced look at the Vietnam War from the Australian perspective, told with a mix of overall narrative and personal stories. I quite enjoyed reading it. I had not heard much about Australian participation in or attitudes towards the Vietnam War, and I was almost mildly disappointed by the fact that it pretty much mirrored the American experiences in most ways, but still the book was very interesting.

In the first few chapters, Ham shows himself to be quite fair-minded, in that he rips into pretty much everyone involved in the Vietnam war. From Ham's description (which I would tend to agree with, to the extent that I know about the war), everyone involved sucks. The Americans are shady and callous and badly misjudging their latitude to do what they want in SE Asia, the South Vietnamese leaders are horrible despots and dictators, and the only people worse are Ho Chi Min and the North Vietnamese communists. Despite being physically located much closer to Vietnam, Australia clearly also had no business getting involved in the Vietnam war, either, and seemingly did it just because America did. Basically, the powers that be were playing chess in a way that wreaked havoc on their pawns (the fighting forces) and destroyed the board (Vietnam and the Vietnamese people).

Out of everyone portrayed in the book, the soldiers get the most praise. In Ham's narrative, they are mostly conscripts heroically fighting a pointless war and mostly doing as well as they can do. He tends to downplay or give less credence to the reports of war crimes like Mỹ Lai — though acknowledging that they happened, I think he considers their frequency and intensity to have been exaggerated by a press looking for a specific kind of story. Again I am sympathetic to the view that the media would exaggerate these sorts of things and that it loves to play up sensationalist stories of this nature, though I think Ham's reverence for the soldiery may be overshooting the mark a bit.

All in all, I think this was a great and thorough coverage of the war and its aftermath, both in general and in Australia in particular. Definitely worth a read, particularly if you are interested in soldiers' personal stories during wartime.

[Ian Tweeddale · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Best Military History's I have ever read. And I have read quite a few....

This well written, comprehensive, researched and accessible tome was a reading joy. Paul Ham writing in a broadly linear manner but periodically addressing themes of the war, brings a focus of logic and compassion to all the participants in this ghastly saga. All of them, Australians, Americans, the Viet Cong, the North Vietnamese, the South Vietnamese. While he keeps the focus on Australian involvement he includes the various political machinations in Australia and America that effected the troops. He touches on other significant battles that Australians were either not involved with or only peripherally to colour the full picture the Australians operated in.

I came to the subject not knowing much beyond the broad strokes and how various points of view have interpreted the overall history. Popular culture taught me more about the Space Race and the landing on the Moon than I knew about this conflict which occurred at the same time and cost so much more. I learnt so much from reading this book. So Much.

The troops, the entertainers, the war protestors, the nurses, the aid workers, the politicians all are given their moments in the sun. All are given sympathy and space for their point of view to be correctly presented.

Criticism is levelled at people not because of their ideological background but more of their actions. So this is no polemic. It addresses with well researched clinical analysis the various tropes, criticisms and myths this war has engendered.

It does not try and hide the evils of warfare and is horrifyingly descriptive of the effects of the atrocities committed on all sides. All Sides. And in doing so removes the romantic imagery that has often being given to the Viet Cong.

It describes the various significant battles Australians were involved with, their tactics, the strategies, the personalities of officers and men who had an impact or who gave witness to what they endured.

Battle scenes were descriptive without being voyeuristic or war porn.

I was blown away by this book. Mesmerised by its approachable prose, by its detail, by its lack of political point of view, its fairness, its compassion. Its evidence based determinations.

This is probably the best book I have read this year. One of the best military histories I have ever read and certainly one of the best books I have ever read.

It is 650 pages of text plus notes and index. And other than it's physical weight it was not irksome.

Read It.

[Dionysi Krinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read that provided a huge amount of super interesting information about Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. The research behind this book is evidently present and the author has included all the relevant political, military and social contexts behind the war. The author includes a a very thorough history of the Vietnamese people and links this to Australia's connection to the conflict.

[Arthur McConnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread over the last month or so. A book most Australians should read so they can understand the service mens point of view of the war. Vietnam War Protesters should also read it , then assess their reasons for their protest.
I am not saying we should have bee involved in the war at the begining
, that is another question. As we were, this book gives a fair example of how the war was fought. Paul's research is I believe very accurate and describes where mistakes were made by both sides.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a book! Extremely detailed but never boring I found it hard to put it down. It was extensively researched and the author brings in little pieces that really humanise the story. The scope of the book and the research that was must have been involved is mind boggling. To me the overall sense that it was a senseless waste of human life for little if no impact. I would thoroughly recommend people reading and would also congratulate the author.

[Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for the most part. It feels like it does a very evenhanded job in treating the Australian experience *in* Vietnam, which is the core part of the book of course. However it does at times feel like it is providing an entirely one-dimensional picture about the anti-war movement in Australia. The only real flaw marring an otherwise enjoyable book.

[Garry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! Better than a Molly Hatchet T-Shirt, Better than a sneaking a corndog into Sunday school

[Michael Beashel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about this book is how it places the 2000 years of Vietnam's history into context and how in that the few years it endured the "American" war seemed small beer. China's involvement and Vietnam's own 900 plus years of independence are critical facts in understanding the peoples' beliefs in their own survival.

A great read for every Aussie.

[pierre bovington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good account of an unpopular war.
Ham correctly steers the blame away from the “ diggers” and onto the people, labor and Liberal, who sent them there.
Some very helpful bibliography of personal accounts too.

[Nathan Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional. Incredibly well researched and reasoned. A must read for Australian military history buffs.

[Mazrine Amaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive, vivid and brutal account of Australia's involvement in the VN war.

[Jamie Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most outstanding book I've ever read on The Vietnam War. I learnt many things I didn't know before. Very thorough and detailed Paul Ham shows the War from all angles.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to recommend, particularly in the audiobook format due to the cringeworthy pronunciation and poorly stereotyped impersonations of Vietnamese interviewees. That it became almost a Vietnam War primer in Australian schools is a travesty, as it blends fact with fiction in a manner that best serves the author's commercial goals. It's unfortunate that books dealing solely with Australia's involvement in the conflict are thin on the ground, so one must not read this book until one already has significant knowledge gained from a balanced collection of sources representing all involved parties.

To get a sense of how this book reads, imagine Paul Ham to be a tour guide leading a group of Australians down a complicated, dynamic city street containing all manner of interesting sights and historical buildings. On the left is fact, whilst fiction resides on the right. Paul walks this street ahead of his Aussie audience, delivering dramatic, emotion-triggering monologues while selectively pointing left and right, based on what he believes to be the expectations of his audience.

To summarise: the book should be subtitled, "Based on a true story."

[Koda Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a teacher of history I thought it imperative to fill the gaps in my knowledge regarding this pivotal moment in Australian/Asian/American history. Paul Ham ties together complex and diverse perspectives on the conflict in an enthralling story packed with detail. In telling the story Ham provides well sourced and balanced accounts without being overly burdensome.

Peter Byrne does a fantastic job in the narration which was crucial to keeping my interest.

I'm left with the thought that it is such as shame the soldiers of this war aren't treated with more depth and dignity in Australian history curriculum as they deserve.

[Peter Jochinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

very well presented

[Matthew Bushnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting read for me as someone who was born as our troops were coming home from Vietnam. This book in a thorough way, outlines the Australian involvement in Vietnam, our interaction with the US, and Vietnamese people and the political machinery involved. It was saddening to understand the fickleness of the community at large and the way this war was undertaken.

Appart from being a thorough and fairly balance reporting of the events, it is clearly a huge indictment on the political manouevering that took place in this attrocious war.

I recommend this a very good, yet sobering read of the realities of war and the character of Australian troops.

[Alison Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating account both of the lead up to Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as of the actual war. It also covers the politics and the protest movements back home. I found it an inspiration when I was researching my third novel, A Distant Land. This is set in 1971 towards the end of Australia's involvement in Vietnam. I thoroughly recommend Ham's book to anyone who is interested in this period of Australia's history.

[David Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knowing very little about the Vietnam War and Australia's involvement in it I felt that I had better educate myself. I found this a most accessible volume which covered the history, politics and military engagements thoroughly but not obsessively. As a splendid introduction to the subject I recommend this book. Occasionally Ham's personal views intruded far too much to give this a five star rating, but other than that, it's a comprehensive and vaiuable book.

[Tristan Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thoroughly researched and detailed writing of Australian involvement of the war in Vietnam. I thought I knew a bit already about the conflict and politics of the time but this opened my eyes to a far greater analysis of that historical period and identified many great and horrific incidents and anecdotes contained within. A must read for anyone interested in the era Anne those who have the wrong impression.

[Swiftsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and detailed. I quite enjoyed reading the different Australian soldier accounts of their experience in Vietnam. A few pages in it have amazing quotes. Ham's analysis of the ignorance of modern children is accurate; most of us now live in a bloodless age. Australian or international readers of this book will be touched by how close to home the Vietnam War had touched.