The Battle For Saigon: Tet 1968

by Keith William Nolan

A history of the famous Tet Offensive of 1968 is told from the perspective of Saigon's defenders and chronicles such events as the assault on the American Embassy, the ground attack on U.S. headquarters, and the Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut air base strikes. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Military History

274 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Keith William Nolan was an American military historian, focusing on the various campaigns of the Vietnam War. Nolan obtained a history degree from Webster University. Nolan pioneered and excelled at his own special brand of military history: the excellent combining of in-depth interviews with those who took part in the fighting and deep research into the official records. That, along with a fluid writing style, added up to ten (eleven, counting one he co-authored) of the best books on Vietnam War military history. Keith Nolan died of lung cancer in February 2009 at the age of forty-five.

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account from the always interesting historian, Keith W. Nolan. This book documents in detail the the infamous Tet Offensive of '68. Various battles raged in the Special Capital Zone, and in some places the Americans were caught willfully unaware. In other cases, Indicator and Warnings were observed and analyzed correctly. In all battles, both sides fought ferociously. This is not just about the fight for downtown Saigon and Cholon, but also Bien Hoa, Long Binh, and Tan Son Nhut. This is not an in-depth account of psychological of political aftershocks of Tet, but rather straight-shooting account of the combat and maneuvering. A definitive book on the '68 Tet Offensive in as experienced in Saigon.

[Jim Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading the in-depth books that give the blow-by-blow accounts of battles in the Vietnam War. As those books go, this one was OK. I've read a lot better. This one just didn't keep my attention as others have done. Still, it gave a good sense of what happened during that particular battle and I'm happy to have read it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good blow by blow of Tet in Saigon in 68

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an examination on the 1968 Tet offensive in Saigon. It is basically based on the impressions of army and air force personnel who where there telling their stories.