Customer Reviews

The Advisor: The Phoenix Program in Vietnam

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The Advisor is, by far, the best written, most insightful book of any type I have seen on Vietnam. It describes the heroic actions of the most respected district chief in Vietnam, Major Nguyen Minh Chau, of Di An District, Bien Hoa Province, and his team of advisors. This book also includes actions involving 1/4 Cav troopers and 1st Infantry Division during the period 1968-1970. Written in the first person by the young senior advisor to Chau, John Cook, this book is a must read for any Vietnam vet or serious student of the war. Col (Ret) William C. Haponski Quarterhorse 6, Jan-Jul 69

After reading John Cook's Rescue Under Fire: The Story of DUST OFF in Vietnam, I decided to see if The Advisor was as good. I'm here to tell you, this guy is fantastic. He doesn't talk down to the reader. Rather, he pulls the reader into the action in a way that the reader is actually there. Told in the first person, this is the very personal account of a young man who grew to hate the communist Viet Cong. However, he very clearly explains why. The Viet Cong murdered innocent villagers, blew up market places, and killed children in front of their parents. In a bold, direct style, Cook makes no apologies for the way he felt. He took on the enemy with a vengance and eliminated them from his district. This is a story you never heard on TV and that's a pity. However, this is a book that every American should read. Then, they could be proud of what the US did in Vietnam. Without John Cook, I never would have known the truth.

As a description of the Phoenix Program, very weak. Cover subtitle (ie. The Phoenix Program in Vietnam) should have been left out as it's misleading at best -- I was looking for much better info than just snippets of related experience. One of the weaker memoirs I've read on Vietnam; surprised it's still in print. "Once a Warrior King" far better both in content and style.

I have three bookcases (one big and two small) full of books on the wars in Indochina (Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia) from French colonial days through the Sino-Vietnamese conflict of 1979. I have also read many other books on the subject which I do not own. This book is, in my view, one of the three best memoirs ever written on the period of direct U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. (The other two are "War Story" by Jim Morris; and "Brennan's War" by Matthew Brennan.) If you want to gain some understanding of what it was like for those who fought that war, these three books are indispensable. Students of Military History can sometimes get a bit jaded, but when I first read "The Advisor" a few years ago, it literally brought tears to my eyes. I am very glad this is back in print, as my paperback copy is getting slightly worn (I just finished re-reading it again). I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Incidentally, the best book to help you get a sense of the background to the Viet Nam War is a work of fiction: "Le Mal Jaune [Yellow Fever]" by Jean Larteguy. It's hard to find and very expensive these days; but if you read it first, then read the abovementioned three memoirs, it will not only increase your understanding but may also cause you to discard much of what you thought you knew about the war.

Dimestore Liam

An excellent account of the author's time serving as an adviser in Vietnam. John Cook presented the Vietnamese he served with in a way that brought them alive for reader. His accounts of the activity of the Viet Cong left the reader with no doubt of his opinion of them and their later claims of being 'soldiers' He presents them as they were, terrorists and murdering thugs. I have read dozens of Vietnam memoirs and without question this is one of the best. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in the US involvement in Vietnam. Those interested in smaller unit actions and the adviser role in particular will especially enjoy it!

The Advisor: The Phoenix Program in Vietnam, was a real eye-opener for me. I have never read a more personal, compelling account of the Vietnam war than the one provided here by John Cook. He takes the reader through every aspect of living in this country as an advisor. In short, he makes the Vietnamese real and makes it very easy to choose sides. Cook very easily brushes aside all the liberal hog-wash about how the Viet Cong are really not all that bad and exposes them for what they are--a bunch of murdering thugs. When I read this book, I found myself out there on an operation or ambush and hoping to God that I would be able to kill a whole bunch of Viet Cong. This book is not objective and is not intended to be. Clearly, John Cook has an agenda and he executes it extremely well. He hates the Viet Cong and explains why, in very graphic language. This is a book you will not put down, once you pick it up. Thank you, Colonel Cook, for cutting through all the crud and giving it to us straight.