Customer Reviews

Parrot's Beak: U.S. Operations in Cambodia

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
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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!

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.

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".

The seller provided extremely fast service. I ordered the book on a Friday and it was delivered the next Monday. I was serving with the 25th Infantry Division-Vietnam during the time this book covers. We were one of the first units to enter Cambodia May 1970; D Company 2Bn/14th Infantry. We entered Cambodia a little north of the Parrot's Beak and stayed approximately 8 days. This book brought up a lot of memories. Written in fictional form, the events were about as true as you can get without giving the true identity of the characters away.

If your interested in action packed war drama's based on historical fact, you will want to read The Parrot's Beak By Paul Morgan. Paul takes you into the jungles of Cambodia on a secret mission during the Viet Nam war. His storytelling is so captivating that you feel you are there experiencing all the ups and downs of the mission. You will not want to put this "nail biting" novel down. I didn't.

I was privileged to be able to read "The Parrot's Beak" while it was a work in progress. I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The book is a novelization of real people and events, presented in vivid images, and is packed solid with actionm action, and more action. It feel so real that you can smell it, feel it, and hear it - you are there! "The Parrot's Beak" is an intense and exciting novel about operations during the Vietnam War. I also recommend highly Paul's earlier non-fiction effort, "K9 Soldier. I am Robert Kollar, scout dog handler of Rebel M421, 58th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), Vietnam 1968-1969.

For someone who never was in a war, I could not put Parrot's Beak down until it was finished. The reality of what these men and dogs went through was so intense you could not help but pray everyone would come out of Parrot's Beak alive. You became a part of it right from the beginning. It also made me understand just a little bit of what my Vietnam veteran friends I have met over the past few years are all about. Paul is an outstanding writer. I read his K-9 Soldier and look forward to others. Great Job Paul! and God Bless Our Veterans

Through the kindness of the author, I was privileged to read the final draft of this non-stop combat thriller. Paul Morgan's THE PARROT'S BEAK is a rip roaring war story about Vietnam and cross border activities. I couldn't put it down, reading it cover to cover late into the night. Paul has drawn on his personal experiences, during his second tour in Nam, to spin a tail of secret missions into Cambodia. Just where reality stops and fiction begins is anyone's guess. I felt like I was there; the smells and sensations of the tropical climate and battles, seemed real enough to engulf me. This book grabs you, exhausts you, and enlightens you. Regardless of whether you consider it fact or fiction, THE PARROT'S BEAK is a must read, for anyone interested in the closing years of the Vietnam conflict. It will NOT disappoint you!

I also recommend K-9 SOLDIERS, VIETNAM AND AFTER, Paul's personal experiences with four footed soldiers; his first book.

Larry Healey, Vietnam Era Air Force Veteran