Land With No Sun: A Year in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne

by Ted G. Arthurs

You know it's going to be hot when your brigade is referred to as a Fireball unit. From May 1967 through May 1968, Ted Arthurs was in the thick of it, humping an eighty-pound rucksack through triple canopy jungle, chasing down the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. As sergeant major for a battalion of 800 men, it was his job to see them through this jungle hell and get them back home again.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, War, Ebooks

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[John]

A very well written, interesting account of CSM Arthur's year with the 173rd in Vietnam and life as a paratrooper before this tour. Besides being extremely informative it clearly showed as he called it in the epilogue the misfortunes of war, some guys were in the front some were REMF's, some avoided service completely. Completing it on the day the military made further access to women in combat possible, it also showed the foolishness of our government in putting women into combat for political purposes.

This book was a great tribute to the fine men to which the book was dedicated.

[Steve Whittaker]

Excellent

One of the best memoirs I've read about the Vietnam war. If you want to read about dedication to and sacrifice, this is the book to read.

[Darlene Torday]

I picked this book up because it was the 173rd Airborne in the time when my husband was in Vietnam. It was interesting and down to earth on how it was for the men who survived and came how and in many cases did not speak of what they did to survive and what they lost in that war. I do know it was not called a war but it was.

[Thomas A. Doidge]

Airborne

This book, Land with No Sun, is a worthy contribution to the Stackpole Military History Series. Written by a first hand source, Command Sergeant Major Ted Arthur’s, it conveys the situation faced by the 173rd Airborne in Vietnam.

[William Sheaffer]

One of the very best personal stories of a Batallion Sgt Major’s year in Vietnam Nam. It covered everything from bust a gut humor to the worst of hand to hand combat, in the darkest of jungles.

[Mary Smolen]

Great read highly recommend

Great account of what it was like to be a rifleman in Vietnam. Great stories and great tribute to many brave men. Thank you for sharing your story

[Steve Osborne]

Good read

I enjoyed your book, but I thought it was a bit self serving . But thank you for your service and bless every trooper who fought that useless war!!

[Donald N Cameron]

It reds like you were having a conversation over a beer or 2 with the author. Lots os compelling stories from a first hand view.

[Bill Elston]

A Very Good Recounting of a Group of Viet Nam Soldiers and Hero’s

Very interesting memories of a difficult time in US history. Recounting thes deeds of many unsung heroes of the Viet Nam War. Thanks for this book and for your many years of service.

[Kevan]

This is a good book.
The writing isn't great to be honest. The author was a Combat Sergeant Major in the 173rd Airborne not an English Lit Professor.
It is hard reading to start with because the prose does not flow as easily as much of what you probably read.
However, he was there, in the jungle of central Vietnam for a year fighting the VC
He was not at Harvard, Yale, the Whitehouse or RAND.

[Nicole C. (using StoryGraph more these days)]

Closer to a 3.5, mainly due to the writing jumping back and forth in time, and a few bits being repetitive because of that reason.

Despite that, though, this was a very interesting account of a year of the author's tour of Vietnam, in the darkest heart of the jungle. It was hard time, but they kept going, with inspiring fortitude.

[Mike Bradford]

great read

One of the best books on Vietnam that I have read ever. Very informative and detailed stories of the horrors that the Americans that our men faced over there. I had a number of friends who served and their stories relate to many of these same conflicts and struggles.
Thanks to all the Veterans who fought everyday

[Jack]

Very good accounting of the Vietnam war from the perspective of Sergeant Major Arthurs. I gained a great understanding of what these soldiers endured back in 1967. I have all the respect in the world for men like this author and his troops.

[Karen]

Ted Arthurs is an old friend of Kevin's dad, and this book gives a unique birds eye perspective to the war in Vietnam.

[Chuckie]

It was a fantastic image builder. I missed some chores because I couldn't put down the book.

[Joe]

It was a good book. The author made the stories real to the reader. Some of the stories were a bit repetative.

[Cole Swavely]

A very thoughtful and entertaining memoir by the CSM of the 173rd Airborne. The humor was a welcome relief to some of the heavier passages in this ultimately tragic story.

[Shiloh Reynolds]

Outstanding book

[Kges1901]

great account, but may be hard to read because of non-chronological narrative style.

[William Prather]

Excellent Read by a Leader

I like the dedicated parts. A great leader and fair to his charge.100% great read.
Sorry to finish the book

[Lawrence Fischer]

Airborne all the way!

I was a trooper of the 173rd . 4th bat A company in 1970. It was nowhere as bad. I did not know how bad they had it back then.

[Peter john Allen]

Told as it Was

Read this and ask yourself, would you have been able to handle the events related within these pages, these men did and may the Lord Bless them.

[Trish Bodine]

Very good.