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

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Summary: Thoughtful military decisions brilliantly examined
Review: Dr. Lewis Sorley should be bronzed. Combining great labor, talent, a sure knowledge of military power based on both personal experience and study; he has produced an extradinary record of command in the final years of Vietnam. He reveals the fascinating debates and decisions of wise and thoughtful men considering choices of great consequences under the pressures of battle and politics. No student of Vietnam, military power, or the leadership of large organizations should miss this book. Hard as it may be to believe that a transcript culling of the debates and briefings at the command center if Vietman would be a book one cannot put down, that is this book.

Let me state my credentials. I was a prize winning reporter in Vietnam and the author of ten books, including the "Straw Giant" about the American Military, which was the lead non-fiction review in the Sunday NY Times


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Summary: Superb Scholarship
Review: Historians, veterans, and Vietnam buffs will love this treasure trove of insights painstakingly preserved by Lewis Sorley. Abrams is one of the most underappreciated soldiers in American military history, just as the Vietnam conflict is one of the most misunderstood. Posterity will commend the author for helping to set the record straight.

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Summary: Many great books under one cover
Review: I 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.

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Summary: An Undiscovered War
Review: Lewis Sorley has performed an extraordinary recovery on the second half of the Vietnam War, thans espically to Creighton Abrams' unique and highly entertaining verbal style. In this and his previous book, Mr. Sorley has cut through a great deal of the apochryphal underbrush that has grown up around the war, and cleared the way for us to see it with fresh eyes. Congratulations and kudos.



Rating:
Summary: A Priceless Glimpse Into Command
Review: Lewis Sorley has produced a one-of-a-kind book that gives readers a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse into the thinking of a major commander in war. A biographer of General Creighton Abrams, Sorley found and then combed a vast archive of Abrams' meetings recorded on tapes over the last years of the Vietnam War. Persevering doggedly to declassify the tapes, painstakingly sorting through them for the most salient parts, and then reducing the results into a highly readable text--all of that and more make the making of this book a rare story in itself. And it makes this book a priceless item for any serious scholar of that war or of command in general. No work on the final years of the fighting in Vietnam will ever again be written without constant reference to Sorley's inspired contribution.

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Summary: Invaluable Reference Work
Review: Vietnam Chronicles may be the best book yet done on the Vietnam War. Not only does it provide enormous insights into how key decisions were made during this critical time (1968-72), but it also lays out in clear terms all the parameters upon which they were based. Dr. Sorley has done an invaluable service to those that treasure our country's military history as well as to students of leadership.