A SHAU VALOR

◗ Thomas Yarborough ◗ Casemate (2020) ◗ £17.99 ◗ 311 pages (hardback) ◗ ISBN:9781612008912 ◗ casematepublishers.co.uk

Having read only 30-40 Vietnam books, I have no claim to expertise, but this is the best I’ve ever read.

The writing style is excellent (many Vietnam books seem very gung-ho), and coverage is superb. The A Shau valley is about 25 miles from Khe Sanh, tucked next to the border with Laos, and saw bitter and prolonged fighting by US Army, Marines, and Special Forces against experienced NVA regiments, in everything from patrol insertions, to defence of bases, to major brigade-level operations (including Hamburger Hill) and including covert missions into Laos. There were major disagreements at all levels of US command, reflecting the overall inadequate commitment needed to secure any lasting domination of the valley.

The author was a Forward Air Controller, and brings an immediacy and insight into the horrendous nature of the business. Most patrols were compromised soon after insertion – the valley was a major NVA route into Vietnam. Losses of men were bad enough, but what strikes you is the enormous loss of helicopters in insertion, resupply, and extraction: the NVA anti-aircraft defences were lethal.

Chris Jarvis