Parrot's Beak: U.S. Operations in Cambodia [Paperback]

Paul Morgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2001

By the author of K-9 Soldiers: Vietnam and After, this book divulges secret insertion techniques and information about President Nixon's secret war that the government still refuses to acknowledge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a tribute to our past, our deeds, our glories and sorrows... -- Larry Healey, USAF Combat Intelligence, Retired

About the Author

Paul Morgan enlisted in the US Army at the age of 19 and became a Green Beret with the 82nd Airborne. In 1965, he was sent to Vietnam as an advisor to Vietnamese airborne and ranger units. Although never officially assigned to a K-9 unit, he traded a pistol and a set of rosary beads to a French priest for a German Shepherd named Suzie--a dog that saved his life on more than one occasion. His love of his K-9 companion led to his first book, "K-9 Soldiers: Vietnam and After," a true story of his experiences on patrol with his dogs Suzie and Bear in the jungles of Vietnam, as well as other tales of war dogs and their hero handlers. His book and military belongings are displayed in Fort Benning's Military Museum and he has appeared on Good Morning America, Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel and others. After twenty years of running a successful K-9 security business, Paul retired and currently divides his time between New York and Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Hellgate Press (January 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555715435
• ISBN-13: 978-1555715434
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > History > Asia > Cambodia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Guts, Gore and Guilt, March 24, 2001

By 

Peter Lambesis (Chicago, Il USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parrot's Beak: U.S. Operations in Cambodia (Paperback)

No movie I have seen about the Vietnam war comes close to the action, drama and emotion contained in this book. I was on edge the entire time I was reading it to the point I was dreaming about it at night.

I soaked up every detail of the battle set-up, the day-to-day struggle in the field, and the bureaucracy, frustration and hypocrisy the soldiers had to deal with by being involved in a non-declared war. The guts and courage the soldiers (on both sides) displayed in some of the battles described in this book is almost impossible for me to comprehend. All of the action, machismo and old-fashioned fighting is dampened by the descriptions of gore, waste of life and guilt the author so eloquently shares with the reader.

I am fortunate to have never had to see or experience the events described in this book. I am also fortunate to have had the pleasure to meet the author. We are all fortunate that he has taken the time to record his experiences and share the romance and horror of U.S. Operations in Cambodia.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Parrot's Beak, December 22, 2002

By 

Edward H. Engle, Jr. (Waleska, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parrot's Beak: U.S. Operations in Cambodia (Paperback)

This account of ground and air operations in Cambodia is riveting. I flew over 300 missions in Vietnam as an A-4 attack pilot and as a forward air controller in an O-1 Bird Dog. Paul Morgan did a masterful job of portraying the relationship between ground and air operations. His grasp of the action from the pilot's viewpoint is flawless.
I've had enough "grunt" training to appreciate his vivid account of the ground action. The action seemed so real that at times I felt my heart rate increasing, seemed bone tired at 0300 or could feel the perspiration in my eyes!
Most veterans will also relate to his respect and sympathy for the enemy combatants he faced.
This book should be required reading for the Army's Ranger school and for all forward air controllers!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hidden Face of War, March 24, 2001

By 

COL Ron Bernasconi, USAF (Ret) (Peru, VT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parrot's Beak: U.S. Operations in Cambodia (Paperback)

Paul Morgan is the military story teller par excellence. In "The Parrot's Beak" he elicits the full gamut of emotions encountered by the warrior involved in the war that crossed the many borders of Vietnam. There is the feeling of duty, daring, elation and even despondency. We also see all the faces of the true warrior as the soldier on a mission, as a prisoner and as the enemy. He even gives us an insight into another type of warrior, the patrol dog. This part of the story is touching and unique. He was there and it shows in his vivid descriptions and accurate portrayal of military tactics. We get to see the irreverence bred in all wars with ill defined purposes. This is a must read book told by someone who saw the war "as it was".