Customer Reviews

Stalking Vietcong: Inside Operation Phoenix: A Personal Account

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the pleasure to work with then Colonel Herrington before he left the Army. This book is an outstanding work as a personal memoir, an insight into the Vietnam War, and an example of successful counter-insurgency operations.

Stalking the Vietcong takes the reader into a relatively ignored, and perhaps the most important side, of the Phoenix program-the district level operations. Most other books on Phoenix tend to concentrate on sensationalized special forces operations or the alleged abuses of the Vietnamese populace. Read this book to get a more complete and accurate picture.

I read a lot about Military History, almost exclusively about the Vietnam conflict. It takes me about one chapter or even less to determine if a book is "good". Having read just under 50 pages, I can already tell that it is going to be an excellent book. One is quickly put in the shoes of the author and understands the challenges he has to overcome. The content has been accurate and interesting. Some authors spend a good deal of time with regard to the rigors of military training, leaving home and friends etc... which is good. But, some authors do this well, and others don't. In Herrington's case we are almost instantly put into the surroundings in Vietnam and begin to feel a sense of intrigue and a hint of ominous events about to occur. Believe me, I think the emotional issues with regard to the conflict has significant impact, "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" almost made me cry. But, I have skipped entire sections of some books just to get to the content relevent to the individual(s) tour of Vietnam.

What's so different here is the intelligence of the author, his sensitivity to and curiosity about the Vietnamese. It's too bad he wasn't a policy-maker. Intensely interesting, entertaining history. I was truly sorry when it was over. I wanted more.

It's great to see good books on special operations. Not many are written. Another couple of books that bring the reader into more contemporary special operations are "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden, and "Danger Close" but Mike Yon. Keep writing!