The Long Patrol with Karen Guerillas in Burma [Paperback]

Mike Tucker (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Asia Books (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9748303799
• ISBN-13: 978-9748303796
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,513,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Tucker, the only author under fire with DEVGRU US NAVY SEALS (SEAL TEAM 6)after September 11th, journeyed to the mountains of the Karen, Black Lahu and Hmong hill tribes in northern Thailand in the winter of 1992-93 to research SPARTACUS DID THE RIGHT THING, his second novel and most recent book. A Visiting Lecturer at the Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the US Naval Academy, Mike Tucker has been hailed for his work as an independent counterterrorism specialist by American and British special operations; he journeyed to Kurdistan and Western Iraq for his first two books on the Iraq War, HELL IS OVER and AMONG WARRIORS IN IRAQ and returned to Western Iraq with Marine scout/snipers for a full seven month combat tour, to write the only book in American history on an entire Marine scout/sniper platoon in combat: RONIN. His third novel, 1931, a riveting Great Depression saga born of a legend he heard in his youth in Annapolis, Maryland, will be released in fall 2012. He lives in the Near East, northern Thailand and the Straits of Malacca.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Mike Tucker fell short with this book, March 6, 2008

By 

C. Foster (U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Long Patrol with Karen Guerillas in Burma (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by a friend who had served in Burma with the Karens.
It's a very thin book, only 108 pages, though there are 54 color photos.
One with Mike Tucker in his snazzy beret.
The author is no Rambo, but he did manage to keep up with the Karen guerrillas as they trekked through the jungles and mountains. That was no mean feat, considering that he admits he was out of shape.

He tried to tell their story, but in the end it was as if he was telling a story about his own trials and tribulations in the restaurants of Bangkok.

One good point the author makes is that the KNU is completely riddled with SPDC agents. They're actually all over Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, keeping an eye on Karen refugees, NGO's and the occasional western adventurer.
Like the author, I, too, heard the story about the SAS assisting the Karens, but I discount it. Instead, what I think it was were some British nationals passing themselves off as SAS in order to impress the guerrillas.
As for the French, they were strictly mercenaries and adventurers, some of them having come from the fighting in Croatia. I believe that two of them died.

I think that Mike Tucker could have written a much better book if he had put his mind to it. Towards the end of the book, I was left with the feeling that he was just rushing through it to get it finished and off to the publisher.

Note to Mike Tucker: next time, forget about the ridiculous passwords and alias'. Anyone who's been there pretty much knows who you're referring to. And Guesthouse #4 is the place to stay.