Phase Line Green [Mass Market Paperback]

Nicholas Warr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 1998

The bloody monthlong battle for the Citadel in Hue pitted U.S. Marines against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. By official accounts it was a tactical and moral victory for the Marines and the United States. But here survivor Nicholas Warr describes with urgency and outrage the Marines' savage house-to-house fighting--ordered without air, naval, or artillery support by officers with no experience in that type of combat.

Sparing few in the telling, Warr's firsthand narrative tells of desperate Marine suicide charges and of the Marines' selfless devotion to their comrades. His riveting account of the most vicious urban combat since World War II offers an unparalleled view of how a small-unit commander copes with the conflicting demands and responsibilities thrust upon him by the enemy, his men, and the chain of command.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The bloody monthlong battle for the Citadel in Hue pitted U.S. Marines against an entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. By official accounts it was a tactical and moral victory for the Marines and the United States. But here survivor Nicholas Warr describes with urgency and outrage the Marines' savage house-to-house fighting--ordered without air, naval, or artillery support by officers with no experience in that type of combat.

Sparing few in the telling, Warr's firsthand narrative tells of desperate Marine suicide charges and of the Marines' selfless devotion to their comrades. His riveting account of the most vicious urban combat since World War II offers an unparalleled view of how a small-unit commander copes with the conflicting demands and responsibilities thrust upon him by the enemy, his men, and the chain of command.

About the Author

Nicholas Warr grew up on a small farm in Oregon and attended Brigham Young University and the University of Oregon before enlisting, at the age of twenty, in the Marine Corps in June 1966. He attended OCS in Quantico, Virginia, and was commissioned in March 1967. His first assignment as a second lieutenant sent him to WestPac--the western Pacific, i.e., Vietnam--from November 1967 to December 1968.

Warr was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for participation in Operation Hue City and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in March 1970. Today he enjoys a successful career in computer-technology sales. He lives in Alpine, California, with his wife, Pamela, and continues to write.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (November 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804118698
• ISBN-13: 978-0804118699
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,914,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read regarding Vietnam, May 21, 2000

By 

P. Kelley "Jake Kelley" (Quincy, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Phase Line Green (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read more than a hundred books on the Vietnam war. I found this one to be the best. I'm astonished how any one could give less than five stars. I found his honesty refreshing. His integrity as top notch. The book is a must read for anyone who wants the dirty truth of how political correctness can be more important than mens lives. The micromanagement that lead to the the failure of the entire Vietnam war is made plain and clear by Mr Warr. I can understand how Mr Warr received a carthsis effect by writing this book. He does us all an honor by sharing the truth with us. I beleive he deserves a silver star for telling the truth. I shall read this book again and again.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PHASE LINE GREEN by Nicholas Warr, November 22, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (William L. Myers) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Phase Line Green: The Battle for Hue, 1968 (Hardcover)

I collect and have read hundreds of books about the Marine Corps and have long considered Eugene B. Sledge's WITH THE OLD BREED: at Peleliu and Okinawa as the finest book ever written about Marines in combat in any war.I consider it so because of his realistic no holds barred approach to the subject of which he is writing. The word pictures he chose to use to describe WWII certainly exposed a lot of brains, blood and bone. This realism is what makes his book a classic. PHASE LINE GREEN written by Nicholas Warr is as realistic a description of war as can be written. Warr's description of the brutal fighting in the street's of Hue during the Tet Offensive of 1968 are vivid, vicious and obscene. He recounts his experiences, mincing no words and sparing no pain. Simply and directly, this is how it was in the battle for Hue. He spares few in the telling, including himself. This book is a perfect definition for the word war. Nowhere will you find the courage, tenacity and bravery of Marines, or the unforgetable reality of combat better described. This book, in my opinion, is just as good as the one written by Sledge. Both books should be required reading for Marines or for anyone interested in military history. PHASE LINE GREEN should also be read by Robert McNamara, McGeorge Bundy and the other fools responsible for Vietnam and the rules of engagement that left men like Nicholas Warr so embittered.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I lived it. I read it. I relived it", June 19, 2000

By 

"Doc" John Loudermilk (Kentucky, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Phase Line Green (Mass Market Paperback)

The heartfelt message of this book not only conveys the historical narrative of the Battle of Hue but also allows the reader to visualize for himself the challenging emotional trauma endured by both Marine and Corpsman in the heat of fierce battle! I looked into the eyes of many a Marine as he breathed his last breath. All were heros! I looked into the newborn's eyes as she opened them for the first time! These are some of the feelings I relived as I read this book. I think the reader, whether a combat veteran or not, will be moved and enlightened by reading this narrative of "A Few Good Men". "Doc"