An Enormous Crime: The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Elizabeth A. Stewart (Author)
Key Phrases: underground detention facility, prison camp complex, activist congressmen, North Vietnamese, United States, White House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Controversial former North Carolina congressman Hendon and attorney Stewart make the case that the U.S. knowingly left hundreds of POWs in Vietnam and Laos in 1973, and that every presidential administration since then has covered it up. The main reason for the secrecy, say the authors, is the billions in war reparations demanded by the Vietnamese and promised by Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon at the Paris Peace talks. Hendon and Stewart provide a mountain of evidence, mainly intelligence reports of live sightings of American prisoners in Vietnam and Laos that make for less-than-scintillating reading. But riveting sections describe Hendon's crusade on this issue in the early 1980s, including two meetings with President Reagan, pleading his case that the government free the live POWs. Hendon and Stewart directly accuse a long list of government officials of the coverup. Among the most culpable: Kissinger, President George H.W. Bush, Senators John McCain and John Kerry, Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state George Schultz and former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It's a chore wading through the live-sighting reports and the massive, detailed endnotes, but the descriptions of Hendon's unsuccessful personal mission provide an intriguing story—and carry the ring of truth. 36 b&w photos not seen by PW. (June 1)
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Review

“A sprawling indictment of eight U.S. administrations. A convincing, urgent argument.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The descriptions of Hendon’s. . . personal mission provide an intriguing story—and carry the ring of truth.” —Publishers Weekly

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 587 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312371268
• ISBN-13: 978-0312371265
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #345,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Military and Political History Book, May 31, 2007

By	George B. Primbs "Book Hunter" (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A former Congressman who served on the POW MIA Committee in Congress writes An Enormous Crime. Congressman Bill Hendon was involved with POW issues and had access to top secret documents regarding American Prisoners of War. He and other congressmen want to tell the real story about Vietnam and the POWs. The author spent ten years researching and putting together the book.

A great read about how Washington D.C. really works. Should be required reading for all who are interested in Vietnam and citizens concerned about the future of America. This is a real life historical adventure.

A fascinating book that is hard to put down once you start reading. There are real life stories about secret rescue missions, presidential politics and military intelligence that involve many of today's top leaders.

The book highlights the American can do spirit, battles between good guys and bad guys and efforts to free American prisoners of war.

The author takes you right into the action, negotiating for prisoners, working with the intelligence agencies, organizing rescue missions and how major world events shaped policies regarding POW issues.

Starting with an excerpt from World War II to today, the book examines the battles and struggles between America and its enemies, especially Cuba and its relationship to Vietnam.

The author takes you inside the White House Oval Office for planning meetings to the jungles of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The book covers privately funded rescue missions funded by Hollywood heavy weights such as Clint Eastwood and William Shatner.

Billionaire Ross Perot, who successfully organized a hostage rescue mission in Iran is involved with trying to get the POWs home from Vietnam.

Once you buy it you won't be able to put it down.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of the POW Issue, May 29, 2007

By	John LeBoutillier (Old Westbury, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

AN ENORMOUS CRIME is simply the BEST book ever written about the biggest cover-up in American political history.

One of the keys to understanding the POW issue - and it is all explained in detail in this seminal work - is the context in which these 700 US POWs were abandoned. By the spring of 1973 - just when Operation Homecoming was underway and the first group of POWs was being released in Hanoi - Watergate began to dominate President Nixon's thinking, time, concentration and focus. Simply stated, he was fighting to save his presidency.

And then came word that not all the POWs we thought would be returned had been released. AN ENORMOUS CRIME proves there was a second, 'secret' system of POWs kept behind - following the example of Fidel Castro and the Bay of Pigs prisoner swap - and these 700 men were kept as an 'insurance policy' against the $4.75 billion President Nixon secretly promised to pay Vietnam on Februarly 1, 1973.

Since Watergate soon consumed the Nixon Administration, the unwitting victims became this second group of yet-to-be-released POWs. They simply fell through the cracks.

And the US Government started to do what it always does: denied a fact. Just denied it. Defense Secretary William Clements said, "There are no more POWs." Period. End of story.

Only it wasn't - and isn't - the end of the story. AN ENORMOUS CRIME details how the Defense Intelligence Agency tracked these POWs for years - and even photographed Escape and Evasion signals that these airmen placed in fields, on roof-tops and in rice paddies. The message? "I am a US airman. Please come rescue me right now!!!"

AN ENORMOUS CRIME will become one of the biggest books of 2007 once it is read and the message spreads. With 200,000 US troops in Iraq, the lessons of the abandoned POWs in Vietnam and Laos are directly relevant to our current war effort.

This book is not only a great read but - for all patriots who care about our country's future - AN ENORMOUS CRIME is also a MUST read.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars disgusting beyond belief and criminal in all aspects., June 5, 2007

By	Robert Noe (Alexandria, Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I finished the book last night, I must say that I am totally convinced that our government intentionally and routinely covered up our live POW. I was never one to believe there were live POW's left behind, I swallowed the government's spin. This book will open your eyes as it did mine. Through out the book, time and time again, you will discover how the government attacked every aspect of any information that showed there were live American POWs left behind. You will discover at no time was there ever anyone in any of the administrations who looked at the information with an objective view to use that information to validate there were prisoners. The administrations took the position of debunking everything and time and again the government is laid out as presenting a false case.

You will learn the depths of the relationship between John Kerry and John McCain; how they both derailed any hope our POWs had of ever being returned. You will learn that John Kerry intentionally lied about his trips to Hanoi. You must remember that John Kerry illegally met with the representatives of North Vietnam during the time when the Peace accords were being conducted (1973) on several occassios returning back to the US to advocate that America adapt all the North Vietnamese positions.

Our government's acts are disgusting beyond belief and criminal in all aspects.

I am sure the administration, past and present, will attacks the authors and book as a continuing process they have prefected; however, until they can stand and show me that they are taking an in-depth, objective look at each bit of evidence with someone who has not already shown themselves to be negative to the process, I'll just blow them off as liars they have shown themselves to be. I will not be blinded by someone who goes to Vietnam and demands to see prisons who already has a mindset that there are no prisoners. Do you think Kerry is stupid, he knew well in advance there would be no Americans in the prison he chose to inspect--if there had been, his career would have been shot and he has shown himself to be far to slick and sleazy to have that happen to him. Only an idiot would accept his word that he had a no warning prison inspection.

I recently received information that I can get $2,000.00 for each recruit I get to enlist in the military, how can I do that, knowing how our government will one day willing abandon them on the field of battle?

I have two sons in the Armed Forces and one Son In Law, now I must realize that their continued service may subject them to the status of POWs, with the Democrats wanting to pull out of Iraq, will our government once again walk away leaving these young men behind. I am conflicted, I love the military, but I know I must ensure they are fully aware their government "WILL NOT" stand behind them when the chips are down and suggest they may want to consider another way of life.

I just got off the phone with my Grandson who is graduating high school this week and advised him that in no way would I recommend him going the military until he has read the book and understand the risk that he may never his homeland again and forgottened by his countrymen. It's one thing to be killed in action and quite another to be an abandoned Prisoner of War.

My brother was Killed in Action in Vietnam, he was a Special Forces medic, I later volunteered to serve in Vietnam as a sole surviving son in Special Forces as an Operations and Intelligent Sergeant First Class and later receiving a Battlefield Commission.

Robert L. Noe
Captain, US Army Retired
MACVSOG, SFA, SFA, MUSTANG