White Christmas in April: The Collapse of South Vietnam, 1975 [Paperback]

Toby Haynsworth (Author), J. Edward Lee (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 082044538X | ISBN-13: 978-0820445380 | Publication Date: November 1999

In a fresh look at the end of America's longest war, the editors have re-created the last days of America's Vietnam experience. Using interviews, documents, photographs, maps, a glossary, and a chronology, the editors dissect "Operation Frequent Wind," the massive air and sea evacuation of South Vietnamese and Americans from Vietnam. The war's final moments comprise a snapshot of war in its entirety, complete with chaos, courage, and politics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a fitting tribute to all those Americans who did what was right, even when their government told them it was wrong. -- Vietnam Magazine, April, 2000

An oral history, "White Christmas in April: The Collapse of South Vietnam,1975" tells the story of the final days of the Republic of South Vietnam. Many Americans never will forget news footage of heliopters being pushed overboard to make room for more humanity-crammed choppers. Too often, those final days have been portrayed as a shameful debacle, while the bigger story went untold. Collectively, the interviews contained in this book accomplish the authors' goal of correcting this incomplete picture.

Two aspects of the end game of the war were new to this reviewer. One was the role of the Military Sealift Command. The number of people evacuated by sea dwarfed both helicopter and fixed-winged flights. The other was the intriguing issue raised in this work as to whether U.S. leaders had a tacit agreement with the enemy for an uncontested evacuation. The review was written Terry Plumb (The Rock Hill Herald (Rock Hill, SC), October 31, 1999) -- (The Rock Hill Herald (Rock Hill, SC),

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082044538X
• ISBN-13: 978-0820445380
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The untold story, March 11, 2000

By 

Hugh C. Haynsworth IV "Libertarian, a believe... (Rock Hill, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Christmas in April: The Collapse of South Vietnam, 1975 (Paperback)

This is an in-depth look at the days leading up to the evacuation of Vietnam, by my Father who was there on the USS Midway. Learn about the heroism and tragedy of this dark period of American history. My favorite story is about the Vietnamese Air Force pilot who flew his entire family out in a 2 man Piper Cub.

What makes this book fascinating is the different philosophies of the 2 authors. Toby was the son of a Navy admiral, who would serve his country for 20 years. Ed is an ex-Vietnam war protester with a doctorate in history. Toby has his doctorate in management science. What makes this book work is Ed's devotion to historical accuracy and Toby's extensive connections within the military community.