Valley of Decision [Mass Market Paperback]

John Prados (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 1992

The remote mountain plateau of Khe Sahn provided a base for U.S. Intelligence, but was heavily surrounded by VC tunnels and fortifications. The isolated camp could only be supplied by dangerous air missions that, over a two-year period, would cost the Army and Marines dearly. "The definitive history of Khe Sanh."--Publishers Weekly. HC: Houghton Mifflin. (Military History)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The battle for the American combat base called Khe Sanh, in the northernmost province of South Vietnam, is one of the more coherent and fathomable developments in the bewildering complications of the Vietnam War. Here is the definitive history of Khe Sanh, built on interviews, documentary research and the personal experiences of one of the authors. Early French plantations, the Viet Minh, the Bru tribespeople, geology, wildlife and many other aspects of one of Asia's most interesting regions are described. The authors explain why the American military came to Khe Sanh and remained there for six years despite North Vietnamese efforts to drive them out. Most of the narrative deals with the siege, but Stubbe, chaplain to Marines at the Khe Sanh, and Prados ( Keeper of the Keys: A History of the National Security Council from Truman to Bush ) also dramatize relevant discussions at the White House, the Pentagon and U.S. military headquarters in Saigon. The book also analyzes the deep commitment of the North Vietnamese to the siege. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Khe Sanh exemplifies many of the confusing aspects of the Vietnam War. The plateau was deemed of dubious military value but was held fiercely by U.S. forces for political purposes. It is difficult to imagine a more detailed account of Khe Sanh being written, at least until Vietnam opens its archives, and all American material on the subject is declassified. The authors have used documents (including some declassified especially for this volume), books, articles, reports, and personal interviews to provide the reader with a comprehensive and definitive analysis of the battle for Khe Sanh. While emphasis is placed on the story of the battle's direct participants, the broader military and political aspects of the subject are also examined. This book does for Khe Sanh what Gordon Prange's At Dawn We Slept ( LJ 11/1/81) did for Pearl Harbor. For scholars and military history buffs.
- Jim Cunningham, Northern Illinois Univ. Lib., DeKalb
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Dell (December 5, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440213452
• ISBN-13: 978-0440213451
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bait on the end of the hook, December 26, 1999

By 

Harold Y. Grooms (Prattville, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of Decision (Mass Market Paperback)

In Valley of Decision, The Siege of Khe Sanh, the authors chronicle the trials of both the Marines and the North Vietnamese who fought there. Both sides attempted to turn this remote outpost on the Laotian border into a decisive campaign that would ultimately determine the outcome of the war. Both sides failed in this attempt despite their best efforts.

After reading this book I find Khe Sanh to be the war in Vietnam in microcosm. The problems of differing perceptions held by Westmorland, Marine General Walt, the CIA, Special Forces, Marine Force Recon and the Bru tribesmen who occupied Khe Sanh illustrate the violations of the principles of war of objective and unity of command. Hovering above it all was the President of the United States exercising personal control of a battlefield from his office, 10,000 miles away.

In retrospect, Khe Sanh was a victory in a sense for the U.S. An isolated U.S. garrison that blew reville and raised a tattered American flag each day despite the inevitable mortar/artillery barrage it drew, told the Bru tribesmen and the North and South Vietnamese that he U.S. was still in control despite being outnumbered significantly. Almost unlimited American artillery and air support helped make the point.

Reading this book, one almost feels the fear, frustration, and misery the garrison endured there. Yet the reader senses the fierce pride that only combat soldiers doing a dirty, thankless job can feel. You can also imagine the rage felt when they were told simply that Khe Sanh was no longer important and to simply walk away.

Valley is essentially a foxhole level analysis of this campaign that shows how decisions emenating all the way from Washington and Saigon impacted the lives of the men on the ground. They were indeed the bait that lured thousands of North Vietnamese to their deaths. Like elsewhere in Vietnam, they were left with nothing to show for their heroic efforts.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive volume on this subject to date., January 19, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valley of Decision (Mass Market Paperback)

As a Marine who was in the trenches at Khe Sahn, Mr. Prados and Ray Stubbe have done all of us an immeasurable service. Ray's recollection of places, people and events is phenomenal. As a "grunt" PFC then, I certainly lacked the macro-knowledge provided by Mr. Prados. They have succeeded in helping me,(and many others, I'm sure), construct a better picture of why we were there and what we did. There are a few defects, generally due to information not then available to the authors. However, until something better comes along, this book is, in my opinion, definitive.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valley of Decision: The siege of Khe Sanh, February 27, 2008

By 

A. Spadoni - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valley of Decision: The Siege of Khe Sanh (Paperback)

This is an excellent book, well written. I learned of this book from a close friend who is mentioned and show in a photo depicting The Alamo in Vietnam.