The 1st Cav in Vietnam: Anatomy of a Division [Paperback]

Shelby L. Stanton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 1999

They were the First Team, the most innovative development in warfare since the introduction of massed tank formations in World War II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press (May 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891416862
• ISBN-13: 978-0891416869
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > History > Military > Regiments

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, solid history!, December 2, 2000

By 

Alexander Bielakowski (Leavenworth, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 1st Cav in Vietnam: Anatomy of a Division (Paperback)

Stanton, who has been under an increasing cloud of late, is no rookie when it comes to military history in general or the history of the Vietnam War in particular. He begins by laying out his purpose for writing this work in his preface. He makes it clear that this will not be the ordinary divisional history where the author merely discusses every combat action of the division in the Vietnam War. Rather, Stanton intends this book as, ". . . a critical analysis of the mechanism and composition of the airmobile cavalry division." (ix) In order to accomplish his established goals, he devotes 5 chapters of this 12 chapter book to the conceptual and divisional evolution (Chapters 1-2), a study of the divisional structure (Chapter 10), an evaluation of the division's performance in Vietnam (Chapter 11), and the division's restructuring as an armor division in the early 1970s (Chapter 12). Stanton does not neglect to provide an overview of the division's operations, as the middle chapters (Chapters 3-9) are structured as a chronological examination of the division's operations in Vietnam.

Stanton is a solid writer who manages to both hold the reader's attention and make his points clearly and succinctly. 1st Cav in Vietnam is also well illustrated with both photographs (many of which are from the author's own collection) and, perhaps more importantly, maps. In addition, the author includes two useful appendices at the end of the book. The first appendix includes a list of the units which were assigned and attached to the division during its time in Vietnam. The second appendix details the divisional structure during the formation of the division. The author also includes a short bibliography of both the primary and secondary sources (which are of both a published and an unpublished nature) which were used in the writing of the work.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Factual recounting of a proud story., January 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Anatomy of a Division: The 1st Cav in Vietnam (Hardcover)

This book captures many of the day-to-day decisions and events that lead to the creation of the 1st Cavalry as an Airmobile Division. During my 4 1/2 years in the Division I served, among other duties, as a unit historian and had the opportunity to meet many of the men in the book. The author does an excellent job of putting color to the black and white of printed pages in other books. If you or a loved one of yours served in the First Team, you will want to read and own this book. I have two copies in my home -- one for each of my children when they grow up.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who Really Knows?, May 13, 2004

By 

Jeffrey W. Prowse "wombat46" (Huddleston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 1st Cav in Vietnam: Anatomy of a Division (Paperback)

Taken at face value this is quite possibly the definitive volume on the evolution Army Airmobile doctrine, tactics and operational employment throughout the Vietnam conflict. It is well written, concise, and a pleasure to read. The problem lies in the substantiated charges against the author for misrepresenting his military service. This fundamental lack of integrity calls into question the research and conclusions of all works by Mr. Stanton. If you trust his research it's a great book, if not it might as well be fiction.