Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes, 1968-1972 (Modern Southeast Asia Series) Review

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Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes, 1968-1972 (Modern Southeast Asia Series) ReviewI got up at 5:30 a.m. so I could read two hours more before heading to the office. This is one of the greatest military books ever published, and certainly the most unique of its genre. While having all the elements of a thriller, this book appeals most to those who still wonder how decisions were made in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Readaers who have only a casual interest in the war will discover the prologue interesting, but probably will find too many details in the text to hold their interest. The book lifts the veil from more than one story, which is basically how General Abrams saw the war unfolding from his personal perspective. There are other stories too about how various players interpreted their responsibilities, not always in sync with the boss. Until now, I've never understood how our leadership in Saigon reacted to Harriman's negotiations in Paris. They were not impressed! Nor have I appreciated why the NVA bases in Cambodia and Laos were so pivotal to Hanoi's plans for a war of attrition. The key players were more attuned to the psychological implications than I believed earlier. And they were more sensitive to media reports than I suspected. What comes out of this book more than anything else is the genius and candor of Gen Abrams. His irreverent quips and incisive asides are truly priceless. Sorley's selections include ample evidence that our military and civilian leadership held the sacrifices of the South Vietnamese in high regard. We have yet to see evidence that our allies in Iraq are capable of similar competence, but this book, as much as anything else, makes a strong case that weak allies cannot be saved by US power alone. Gen Abrams' contribution is that he put more emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure of South Vietnam than his predeccessor who apparently believed Hanoi would withdraw from the war if punished severely. This book is more than the equivalent of having a tape recorder in Napoleon's tent, because it exposes the character of America's best leadership in its finest and most difficult hour.Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes, 1968-1972 (Modern Southeast Asia Series) Overview

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Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War Review

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Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War ReviewI've read a number of autobiographies of Vietnam POWs and "Glory Denied" is certainly the most disturbing one. Army Col. Jim Thompson's story reminded me of the biblical story of Job, except in the end, unlike Job, Thompson loses even his faith and is left simply with his stubborn sense of personal survival.
If there was ever a man who never got a break in his life, it was Jim Thompson. Raised by a domineering and abusive father, drafted into the Army he at first hates military life but then comes to love it. But even in the military things do not come easily for Thompson. Commissioned through OCS, he does not volunteer for Special Forces but is ordered into it when the Army, at JFK's directive, rapidly expands the Green Berets. Sent to Vietnam, Thompson and his team are sent to one the most remote and potentially dangerous outposts the Army has and he and his team find themselves very quickly in over their heads.
An interesting aspect of the book is that most of it is not about Thompson's actual experiences as a POW but rather deals with is pre- and post-Vietnam life. His saga as a POW for nearly 9 years is a brutal one---isolation, malnutrition, torture. It is not until he has been a prisoner over 4 yrs that he finally meets other Americans, a group of soldiers and civilian personnel captures at Hue during the Tet Offensive. By this point Thompson is reduced to about 100 lbs and looks to the other POWs to be in his 70s when he's actually in his mid 30s.
His story after his return is even more brutal---betrayal by his wife, divorce, alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, career problems, totally dysfunctional children, attempted suicide, psychiatric hospitalization, struggling with his sexual identity, his son convicted of murder, suffering a stroke which handicaps him and finally a loss of faith in God.
Unlike other POW stories, I found nothing in this book to be uplifting. The Thompson family is literally destroyed by the Vietnam War and there are almost no survivors. The book is well-presented as an oral history of the Thompsons although his wife Alyce does come across as a villainess in the story. And despite her attempts to paint herself in a better light, her own behavior is just inexcusable.Glory Denied: The Saga of Jim Thompson, America's Longest-Held Prisoner of War Overview

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