Mobile Guerrilla Force: With the Special Forces in War Zone D (Naval Institute Special Warfare Series) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "gate in his 1948 Chevy and wished me a Merry Christmas. The chief was drunk and handed me a freshly cooked, king-size turkey leg..." (more)
Key Phrases: napalm containers, ammunition harness, small defensive perimeter, Swamp Fox, Fox Two, Fox Four (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Donahue has captured the sight, scent, and emotions of the ultimate unconventional soldier in this highly accurate account of the guerilla fighter in Vietnam." --David Christian, Past National Commander, Legion of Valor, Author of Victor Six

"Jim Donahue tells it like it was. Mobile Guerilla Force is an outstanding book. A must read for Vietnam vets." --Allen "Gunner" Kent, Past Commander in Chief, Veterans of Foreign Wars
-- Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review

"Donahue has captured the sight, scent, and emotions of the ultimate unconventional soldier in this highly accurate account of the guerilla fighter in Vietnam." --David Christian, Past National Commander, Legion of Valor, Author of Victor Six

"Jim Donahue tells it like it was. Mobile Guerilla Force is an outstanding book. A must read for Vietnam vets." --Allen "Gunner" Kent, Past Commander in Chief, Veterans of Foreign Wars

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Hardcover: 205 pages Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1996) Language: English ISBN-10: 1557501726 ISBN-13: 978-1557501721 Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

---

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's James C. Donahue Page

Front Cover | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence:
gate in his 1948 Chevy and wished me a Merry Christmas. The chief was drunk and handed me a freshly cooked, king-size turkey leg. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
napalm containers, ammunition harness, small defensive perimeter, recon section, headquarters section, dead bamboo, parachute nylon, third herd, resupply drop, fragmentation hand grenade, radio handset, third platoon, parachute line, hundred meters west, first platoon, detonating cord, recon platoon, second platoon, punji stakes, wood line, third squad, ferry line, time pencil, green tape, firing device

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Swamp Fox, Fox Two, Fox Four, Special Forces, Fox One, Mobile Guerrilla Force, Sky Spot, Fox Three, Drop Zone, Captain Gritz, Fox Five, War Zone, Dong-Nai River, Colonel Kelly, Toe Popper, Merry Christmas, Mike Force, United States, Fort Bragg, Evacuation Hospital, Kampuchea Krom, Landing Zone, Mobile Strike Force, Victor Charlie, Air Force

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 5 books:

• Merry Christmas by Deanne Urmy on page 29
• Report on the War in Vietnam by Ulysses S. Grant Sharp in Front Matter
• Special Forces (Elite, the World's Crack Fighting Men) by Ashley Brown on page 264
• No Greater Love by Daughters of St. Paul on page 270
• The Green Berets by Robin Moore in Back Matter

 

5 books cite this book:

• Blackjack-34 by James C. Donahue on 9 pages
• Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History by Spencer C. Tucker on page 435, and Back Matter
• Blood Warriors: American Military Elites by Col. Michael Lee Lanning in Back Matter
• Hard to Forget : An American with the Mobile Guerrilla Force in Vietnam by Steven M. Yedinak on page 148
• Last Man Out: A Personal Account of the Vietnam War by Jr. James E. Parker in Back Matter

---

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Tin Soldiers by Michael Farmer

Discusses:

• recon section
• radio handset
• third platoon

Blackjack-34 by James C. Donahue

Discusses:

• napalm containers
• ammunition harness
• small defensive perimeter

Eyes Behind the Lines by Gary Linderer

Discusses:

• radio handset
• hundred meters west
• recon platoon

Baptism by Larry Gwin

Discusses:

• radio handset
• third platoon
• first platoon

A World of Hurt by David Sherman

Discusses:

• third herd
• third platoon
• first platoon

Never Without Heroes by Lawrence C. Vetter Jr.

Discusses:

• headquarters section
• third platoon
• hundred meters west

Tin Soldiers by Michael Farmer Discusses: recon section radio handset third platoon Blackjack-34 by James C. Donahue Discusses: napalm containers ammunition harness small defensive perimeter Eyes Behind the Lines by Gary Linderer Discusses: radio handset hundred meters west recon platoon Baptism by Larry Gwin Discusses: radio handset third platoon first platoon Loading...

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	64% buy the item featured on this page: Mobile Guerrilla Force: With the Special Forces in War Zone D (Naval Institute Special Warfare Series) 4.9 out of 5 stars (12) $23.07
	10% buy Blackjack-34 4.9 out of 5 stars (17) $7.99
	9% buy SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam 4.9 out of 5 stars (106) $7.99
	9% buy Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG 4.7 out of 5 stars (32) $10.88

Explore similar items

---

Suggested Tags from Similar Products  (What's this?) Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product). Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below.  special ops(15) special forces(15) vietnam war(15) vietnam(12) war(12) special operations(5) sog(5) southeast asia(5) marines(4) guerrilla warfare(3) Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews 5 star:  (11) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.9 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A stunnigly real look into the minds of our Special Forces, March 30, 2002 By A Customer I have read "Mobile Guerilla Force", "BlackJack 33", and "BlackJack 34" All three of the books are an amazing read, not the typical blood, mud and tears, hovever there is unfortunately a historically real amount of that as well. Not only do you get a sence of what life was like as a special operations operator in VietNam, but the laughs as well as the sorrows of day to day life in VietNam. The author also opened a porthole into the relationship that was built with the indiginous peoples that fought along side the Mobile Geurilla Force whose heroism is nothing short of legondary. As a reader, one can see the author settle into a comfortable writing niche' and progressively make each page seemingly more personal and real ("in the first person" if you will) to the reader. More stories like these need to be told of the triumphs of American Gi's in VietNam. POW, MIA, VFW, Thankyou, you are not forgotten! Sincerely Jc 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book about jungle combat, October 7, 2003 By  scriptmasterj "scriptmasterj" (No Cal) - See all my reviews This review is from: Mobile Guerrilla Force: With The Special Forces In War Zone D (Mass Market Paperback) Mobile Guerilla Force is a very good book about the only American unit to use guerrilla style hit and run tactics during the Vietnam war. This book chronicles a mission called Blackjack 31 that lasted nearly a month in VC territory. The light company of 13 Americans and Cambodians successfully navigate this enemy sanctuary, the infamous War Zone D. During this mission they called in 27 airstrikes, raided 15 base camps, & fought 51 engagements in some of the harshest terrain in the world. The vivid and dark jungles are brought to life with amazing clarity. The strength of this book is that you feel the danger of moving through the jungle and at any time may face a violent sudden death. I enjoyed learning about the Bodes and was impressed with how they can fight and keep up with the highly trained Americans. This book is highly reccomended to those interested about Special Forces, the war in Vietnam, or Guerrilla Warfare. It is a fast read and you will be impressed with this story. 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great honest first-hand account, April 10, 2006 By  Warren Willis Jr. "silverstatespecialties" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Mobile Guerrilla Force: With The Special Forces In War Zone D (Mass Market Paperback) Mr Donahue writes an excellent first-person account of his experiences with the MGF, and after reading all 3 of his books (MGF, Blackjack-33, Blackjack-34), he left me wanting to read much more of his accounts and experiences in Vietnam. I hope that Mr Donahue may someday write an account of the MGF's POW rescue attempt mission, as well as other MGF accounts. I like the style of his writing in all 3 books; the first-person style moves fast and leaves the reader breathless. These are very hard to put down once you start. Mr Donahue gives only sparse background information and jumps right into the action. Mr Donahue makes you feel as if you are looking at everything right through his eyes. If you have military experience (especially combat arms), you will truly enjoy this book, as well as Mr Donahue's others. The sounds, smells, stresses and fatigue will all come flooding back through his writing. If you are not familiar with military culture, terminology or methodology, you might struggle a little bit BUT there is a glossary in the back of the book. I highly recommend ALL of Mr Donahue's publications; they give a good overall perspective of what was done right and what was done wrong in this war, and are great examples of how good of a job our fighting men & women did in Vietnam (contrary to what mainstream media & film try to portray).		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Mobile Guerilla Force - Another great story from Vietnam (3rd Amazon review) From the very begining of this story you'll feel like your're right there with Donahue, George and the rest of the Bodes from the Third Herd of the Mobile Guerilla Force. Read more Published 23 months ago by Jesse Pardillo 5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Jungle This author takes the readers into a VERY REAL jungle in which the Mobile Guerrila Forces operate as a unique, "special forces" type of unit, including non-English speaking... Read more Published on September 12, 2007 by R. D. Harden 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book I read this book, although under a different title, the one that I read was called 'No Greater Love' but it is the same story. Read more Published on October 27, 2006 by Samuel L. Eaton 5.0 out of 5 stars MGF - What you would expect from Mr. Donahue I have read at least 2 dozen books on combat in Vietnam and this is one of the best. The book is very well written. Read more Published on January 28, 2002 by Ken Laine 5.0 out of 5 stars The Forbidden Zone has been penetrated. This is one of the most exciting books that I've read about the war in Vietnam. Donahue puts you right there amongst the brave and loyal Khmer soldiers and the cunning and equally... Read more Published on March 24, 2001 by James Meade 5.0 out of 5 stars War as seen through the eyes of a warrior This is the most factual, hard-hitting true stories of a man who has been there, done that. I could not put the book down until I read it completely. Read more Published on January 15, 2001 by Al Doyle 5.0 out of 5 stars [e-mail] As with his other books,I got no less then what I expected. A great book. Jim has written several other books and I believe that I have read them all. Read more Published on July 3, 2000 by roadrunner6 5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and well written first hand account! Donahue gives an outstanding first hand account of the adventures, trials and challenges he faced as a member of the MGF in War Zone D. Read more Published on November 27, 1999 by Jaret C. Hill 5.0 out of 5 stars Explosive Account of Secret Green Beret Missions Jim Donahue was a young medic who volunteered to join Task Force 957 - Mobile Guerrilla, to further the US recon effort along the Ho Chi Minh trail through War Zone D. Read more Published on April 4, 1999 by Steven M. Yedinak (hrdt4get@vi... Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

This product's forum Discussion Replies Latest Post No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   Guidelines Active discussions in related forums Discussion Replies Latest Post history History of the Palestinian Nation? 2857 9 minutes ago history Human Biodiversity, history and modernity: Murray, Sailer, Derbyshire. 665 13 minutes ago history Holocaust Denial Dissected 4252 15 minutes ago history The Atomic Bombing of Japan 1798 2 hours ago history India divided by Religion 18 4 hours ago history Who made the history; men or circunstancies 13 7 hours ago vietnam war women who married Vietnam Vets 1 3 days ago Search Customer Discussions Search all Amazon discussions

The Vietnam War community Latest activity 2 minutes ago 2,326 customers have contributed 1,735 products, 118 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Special Forces community Latest activity 1 day ago 1,211 customers have contributed 517 products, 33 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Vietnam community Latest activity 19 hours ago 1,663 customers have contributed 1,406 products, 97 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums history (802 discussions) special forces (2 discussions) vietnam (7 discussions) vietnam war (7 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Listmania!

Books On  Most Decorated Soldiers: A list by Eric Howard "veteran"   SUMMER GRASS: Special Forces books, Vietnam War era: A list by Frank 7SFG "skipidar"   Secret Wars and Special Ops: A list by J. Chang "eva05" Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

see a list of some of my favorite books and music: A guide by Kenneth Higbee "regular joe reader"   See what I have been reading, Part 1: A guide by Kenneth Higbee "regular joe reader" Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > History > Asia > Vietnam
• Books > History > Military > Vietnam War
• Books > History > World

---

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:
American history: Vietnam War
Asian history: Vietnam War
Battles & campaigns
Warfare & defence
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
Military History - Vietnam Conflict
History
History - Military / War
History: World
Military
USA
Vietnam
History / Military / Vietnam War
Military - Vietnam War
Army
Commando operations
Regimental histories
Special Forces Group, 5th
United States
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Military History


i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

› View and edit your browsing history

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Join Associates Self-publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Help

Canada | China | France | Germany | Japan | United Kingdom  And don't forget: Amazon Windowshop | AmazonWireless | Askville | Audible | DPReview | Endless | IMDb | Shopbop | SoundUnwound | Warehouse Deals by Amazon | Zappos Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557501726
• ISBN-13: 978-1557501721
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #237,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunnigly real look into the minds of our Special Forces, March 30, 2002

By A Customer

I have read "Mobile Guerilla Force", "BlackJack 33", and "BlackJack 34" All three of the books are an amazing read, not the typical blood, mud and tears, hovever there is unfortunately a historically real amount of that as well. Not only do you get a sence of what life was like as a special operations operator in VietNam, but the laughs as well as the sorrows of day to day life in VietNam. The author also opened a porthole into the relationship that was built with the indiginous peoples that fought along side the Mobile Geurilla Force whose heroism is nothing short of legondary. As a reader, one can see the author settle into a comfortable writing niche' and progressively make each page seemingly more personal and real ("in the first person" if you will) to the reader. More stories like these need to be told of the triumphs of American Gi's in VietNam.
POW, MIA, VFW, Thankyou, you are not forgotten!
Sincerely Jc

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book about jungle combat, October 7, 2003

By	scriptmasterj "scriptmasterj" (No Cal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mobile Guerrilla Force: With The Special Forces In War Zone D (Mass Market Paperback)

Mobile Guerilla Force is a very good book about the only American unit to use guerrilla style hit and run tactics during the Vietnam war. This book chronicles a mission called Blackjack 31 that lasted nearly a month in VC territory. The light company of 13 Americans and Cambodians successfully navigate this enemy sanctuary, the infamous War Zone D. During this mission they called in 27 airstrikes, raided 15 base camps, & fought 51 engagements in some of the harshest terrain in the world. The vivid and dark jungles are brought to life with amazing clarity. The strength of this book is that you feel the danger of moving through the jungle and at any time may face a violent sudden death. I enjoyed learning about the Bodes and was impressed with how they can fight and keep up with the highly trained Americans. This book is highly reccomended to those interested about Special Forces, the war in Vietnam, or Guerrilla Warfare. It is a fast read and you will be impressed with this story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great honest first-hand account, April 10, 2006

By	Warren Willis Jr. "silverstatespecialties" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mobile Guerrilla Force: With The Special Forces In War Zone D (Mass Market Paperback)

Mr Donahue writes an excellent first-person account of his experiences with the MGF, and after reading all 3 of his books (MGF, Blackjack-33, Blackjack-34), he left me wanting to read much more of his accounts and experiences in Vietnam. I hope that Mr Donahue may someday write an account of the MGF's POW rescue attempt mission, as well as other MGF accounts.

I like the style of his writing in all 3 books; the first-person style moves fast and leaves the reader breathless. These are very hard to put down once you start. Mr Donahue gives only sparse background information and jumps right into the action. Mr Donahue makes you feel as if you are looking at everything right through his eyes.

If you have military experience (especially combat arms), you will truly enjoy this book, as well as Mr Donahue's others. The sounds, smells, stresses and fatigue will all come flooding back through his writing. If you are not familiar with military culture, terminology or methodology, you might struggle a little bit BUT there is a glossary in the back of the book.

I highly recommend ALL of Mr Donahue's publications; they give a good overall perspective of what was done right and what was done wrong in this war, and are great examples of how good of a job our fighting men & women did in Vietnam (contrary to what mainstream media & film try to portray).