The Battle of An Loc (Twentieth-Century Battles)

by James H. Willbanks (Author)

19 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0253344816

ISBN-10: 0253344816

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Share <Embed>

Buy used

$12.95

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Twice_Loved_Tales, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

28 Used from $6.03

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

4 New from $13.97 28 Used from $6.03 3 Collectible from $13.75

35 used & new from $6.03

See All Buying Options

Free%20Two-Day%20Shipping%20for%20College%20Students%20with%20Amazon%20Student

"The [North Vietnamese] now held most of Binh Long province from Chon Thanh north to the Cambodian border with the exception of the town of An Loc. It was clear that An Loc would be the scene of the next major North Vietnamese effort. A lot was at stake. Not only were the lives of the South Vietnamese soldiers and their American advisers on the line, but so too was the prestige of the South Vietnamese government. The loss of a province so close to Saigon would be a disastrous loss of face for President Thieu and his administration. From the American perspective, the battle would be the supreme test of Vietnamization and President Nixon’s policies in Vietnam. More than that, however, was the fact that very little stood between the North Vietnamese and Saigon except the forces at An Loc." —from The Battle of An Loc

With the knowledge born of firsthand experience, James H. Willbanks tells the story of the 60-day siege of An Loc. In 1972, late in the Vietnam War, a small group of South Vietnamese held off three North Vietnamese divisions and helped prevent a direct attack on Saigon. The battle can be considered one of the major events during the gradual American exit from Vietnam. An advisor to the South Vietnamese during the battle, Willbanks places the battle in the context of the shifting role of the American forces and a policy decision to shift more of the burden of fighting the war onto the Vietnamese troops. He presents an overview of the 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive, a plan to press forward the attack on U.S. and ARVN positions throughout the country, including Binh Long province and Saigon. The North Vietnamese hoped to strike a decisive blow at a time when most American troops were being withdrawn. The heart of Willbanks’s account concentrates on the fighting in Binh Long province, Saigon, and the siege of An Loc. It concludes with a discussion of the Paris peace talks, the significance of the fighting at An Loc, and the eventual fall of South Vietnam.

Twentieth-Century Battles—Spencer C. Tucker, editor

The Battle of An Loc (Twentieth-Century Battles)

Available from these sellers.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Lam Quang Thi

11

Hardcover
$29.95
Thomas P. McKenna

27

Hardcover
$30.35
Mark Bowden

660

in Southeast Asia History
Hardcover
$19.49
Albert Grandolini

4

Paperback
$21.26
Dale Andrade

14

Paperback
$34.61
George J Veith

80

Hardcover
$20.22

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Hardcover

James H. Willbanks

16

$23.76
The Magnificent Bastards: The Joint Army-Marine Defense of Dong Ha, 1968 Mass Market Paperback

Keith Nolan

47

$7.99
America's Last Vietnam Battle: Halting Hanoi's 1972 Easter Offensive (Modern War Studies) Paperback

Dale Andrade

14

$34.61
Abandoning Vietnam: How America Left and South Vietnam Lost Its War (Modern War Studies) Paperback

James H. Willbanks

4

$23.47

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Battle of An Loc is a fine book with rich, vibrant descriptions of combat, weapons, and command decisions. Willbanks writes from an insider's perspective, but demonstrates the discipline of a historian who knows what questions to ask.." —Net

(Net)

About the Author

James H. Willbanks is Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), and teaches at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He lives in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Series: Twentieth-Century Battles
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Indiana University Press (March 18, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0253344816
ISBN-13: 978-0253344816
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 19 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,464,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2477 in Books > History > Military > United States > Vietnam War
- #3992 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Military
- #15782 in Books > History > Asia

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

5 star		90%
4 star		5%
3 star		5%
2 star		0%
1 star		0%

Write a customer review

See all verified purchase reviews

Top customer reviews

South Vietnam's "Stalingrad"

ByChristian Potholmon August 27, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

James H. Willbanks, The Battle of An Loc (Bloomington: Indian University Press, 2005). An excellent description of a battle which showed many people many different things by a man who experienced it during the North Vietnamese spring 1972 “Nguyen Hue” campaign with attacks in the north, central and capitol areas of South Vietnam. Shows the achievement, promise and limits of Vietnamazation with U.S. advisors, heavy, heavy air support and very substantial logistical assistance. The B-52’s played a vital role as did the close air support of the Cobras and 2500 other air support missions. NVA commitments included 3 whole divisions and 78,00 rocket and artillery rounds. Nevertheless, a resounding victory for the South Vietnamese, their “Stalingrad” whose siege lasted 70 days in “the battle that saved Saigon.” By contrast the siege of Dien Bien Phu lasted 56 days. South Vietnamese causalities were over 30,000, the NVA 100,000.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Good book about the last battles in Vietnam involving American advisors.

ByKindle Customeron March 13, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The book is intense, the action, the casualties, and told in a very straightforward manner. Without American leadership, airpower, and courage this battle would have been another footnote in south Vietnam's inability to hold the line. The war would have ended that much sooner without American intervention. The book is packed with factual information and I recommend it.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

An historical battle to save the freedom of Sout Vietnam

ByGot Book!on July 20, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The battle of An Loc is story of struggle between the will to win at all cost (the NVN and VC) vs., the will to stand against your enemy beyond human courage and insanity. The author provided an excellent timeline of the 3 months long battle. The Author covered in details how much the US air power contributed to the outcome of the battle; however, he did not give enough credits to the ARVN soldiers whom faced waves and waves of the deadly attacks from the NVA & VC with artillery bombardment and tanks. The bravery of the American advisors and air corp men during the battle are just as admirable as the direct fighting foot ARVN soldiers. The author focused quite a bit on the conflicts between ARVN leaders (corps generals, battalion colonels, etc.) vs. the American advisors and casually attributed these encounters (not acting on the advises) as competencies is somewhat one-sided. These men are proud soldiers, just because they did not listen to the American advisor due to pride or ego, do not mean they are less capable leaders. After all, these were the men who faced the NVN force direct deadly assaults every days during the battle and not giving up or surrender. Bombing can destroy ground force but it cannot win battle and hold the prize contest ground.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Thank you, James Willbanks

ByStephen Bangon October 13, 2007

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I participated as a C-130E co-pilot (374 Tactical Airlift Wing) during the Battle of An Loc. I greatly appreciate this book, helping me to understand what else was happening on the ground and in the air throughout the battle. As a participant, I vouch for the excellent accuracy and honesty of the book. The book starts out a bit slow, describing the organizational structure of the Army of the Republic Vietnam and its deployment. On page 37 it goes to high intensity with the Battle of Loc Ninh, a neighbor of An Loc. Willbanks gives you great empathy for those on the ground at Loc Ninh and An Loc, who were in a desperate struggle for their lives. It was hard to put the book down, once I got to the Battle of An Loc. The book slows down again in the last two chapters and epilogue.
I am sorry that seventeen C-130E crewmembers died in the battle. I am sorry that some of our airdrops missed the drop zone and fell into enemy hands. But the airdrops that were recovered by the ARVN were an essential part of the battle.

0Comment 6 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

The Biggest Battle

ByMike Essigon April 17, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I was there, as a flight medic. It was the most horrific battle of the Vietnam war. As usual, the wrong conclusion was drawn from the result and was used for the political benefit of Richard Nixon. This led directly to the collapse of South Vietnam. The story is told vividly, clearly and coherently, which is rare in books about battles. More Americans need to know about this momentous, forgotten event.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

An excellent account of an historical battle

ByBookLuvr39on March 9, 2010

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

An Loc was a pivotal battle in the defense of South Vietnam. This is an excellent and detailed historical account of the battle from the standpoint of the American/South Vietnamese forces and the North Vietnamese forces who were there, garnered from their personal accounts. It makes for fascinating reading for those who are interested in the history of the Vietnam War. I became interested in this facet of Vietnam as a veteran who flew throughout that country from 1966 to early 1970. One of my best friends, James Beaubien III, was a Forward Air Controller (FAC) who actively participated in the battle and won a Silver Star for his heroic efforts. I highly recommend this book for those interested in this area of our nation's history.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

The Battle of An Loc, the last victory in South Vietnam.

ByOpen Mindedon November 23, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Well-written book on America's last victory in the 1967-1973 US part of the Vietnam War. Tough US advisors and South Vietnamese soldiers fight off legions of NVAs (North Vietnamese soldiers) as Communists try to conquer South Vietnam. Although North Vietnam would win the war in 1975, this book covers the 1972 North Vietnamese offensive and its failure.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A very good account detailing the hard fought action between South Vietnamese ...

ByRobert Rychlikon May 11, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

A very good account detailing the hard fought action between South Vietnamese and U.S. forces against the communist north. This pivotal battle of 1972 has largely been forgotten, except for those who participated or were impacted. The successful defense of An Loc solidified South Vietnam's existence for a few more years until April 1975.