Hue 1968

A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam

De: Mark Bowden

Narrado por: Joe Barrett

Not since his New York Times best seller Black Hawk Down has Mark Bowden written a book about a battle. His most ambitious work yet, Huế 1968, is the story of the centerpiece of the Tet Offensive and a turning point in the American War in Vietnam.

By January 1968, despite an influx of half a million American troops, the fighting in Vietnam seemed to be at a stalemate. Yet General William Westmoreland, commander of American forces, announced a new phase of the war in which "the end begins to come into view". The North Vietnamese had different ideas. In mid-1967, the leadership in Hanoi had started planning an offensive intended to win the war in a single stroke. Part military action and part popular uprising, the Tet Offensive included attacks across South Vietnam, but the most dramatic and successful would be the capture of Huế, the country's cultural capital. At 2:30 a.m. on January 31, 10,000 National Liberation Front troops descended from hidden camps and surged across the city of 140,000. By morning, all of Huế was in Front hands save for two small military outposts.

The commanders in country and politicians in Washington refused to believe the size and scope of the Front's presence. Captain Chuck Meadows was ordered to lead his 160-marine Golf Company against thousands of enemy troops in the first attempt to reenter Huế later that day. After several futile and deadly days, Lieutenant Colonel Ernie Cheatham would finally come up with a strategy to retake the city, block by block and building by building, in some of the most intense urban combat since World War II.

With unprecedented access to war archives in the US and Vietnam and interviews with participants from both sides, Bowden narrates each stage of this crucial battle through multiple points of view. Played out over 24 days of terrible fighting and ultimately costing 10,000 combatant and civilian lives, the Battle of Huế was by far the bloodiest of the entire war. When it ended, the American debate was never again about winning, only about how to leave. In Huế 1968, Bowden masterfully reconstructs this pivotal moment in the American War in Vietnam.

©2017 Mark Bowden (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Narrator Joe Barrett's voice, always scratchy, careworn, and haggard, has just the sound this book needs to carry it forward. He sounds like an old boot and offers no quarter when detailing the battle's ravages, both in terms of men and American strategy." (AudioFile)

Amazing.

You know the second part of Full Metal Jacket? That was the battle of Hue. Dark humor, an NFL turned USMC infantry commander (and was interviewed for a tv report), personal accounts from both sides, DARK HUMOR that made me laugh out loud, and some true accounts of the demons that still haunt the veterans. Ever present is the famous USMC ability to be resourceful with what they have.

Legit book.

Vibrant, personal, enthralling ...

This is a vibrant, personal and enthralling narrative of the bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War.

Amazing writer! Great book!

This book gives a remarkable look at the Vietnam War. My husband is a Vietnam Veteran and says that it is very accurate. All Americans should listen to it!

Tells it all

Great and sad book on the terrible times affecting the US action and course of foreign affairs from Korea.to the present. Well done both in writing and narration. A must read to understand America in the 21 first century. I was in uniform during part of this time. The author is brilliant. The summary is worth it alone!

Excellent

Really a well researched and well presented book. I really liked the different points of view from reporters, politicians, people from Vietnam and of course Marines on the ground.

Stunning

I found this work illuminating and moving. It is also a terribly frustrating work because it's clear we do not learn from our mistakes.

The narration is also well done.

Among the best Vietnam histories

Mark Bowden does not disappoint. Unvarnished, perfectly paced, upsetting, and sometimes darkly funny. I have read quite a bit about Vietnam and I learned a lot more from this book. It was also hard to put down.

Perfect History

A moving story with so many personal insights of a battle that altered everything in the Vietnam War.
So well written and researched.
The individual personal insights were crucial to understanding the historical narrative.

Vivid portrayal

Certainly not for the faint of heart, Hue paints an incredibly vivid portrait of the battle from many perspectives. The narration is absolutely perfect, which helps lend a stoic yet poignant feel to the narrative. At times, it can feel dense with detail from the American perspective and light on detail from the Communist perspective, but the fact that there is a North Vietnamese perspective at all is a testament to his dedication to the whole story. One thing I would have liked would be more use of original recordings when possible. It would be very cool to hear Johnson's actual speech on deescalation after such a clear and complete backstory.

A Turning Point Well Told

If you are interested in the Vietnam War, this is a great one volume read that gives you enough background about the whole confice before drilling deep into the most important episode/battle during the war. The Tet Offensive most certainly was a turning point, and Hue was the centerpiece for the north in their battle plan. I was fortunate to have traveled to Hue last year, and having now seen the lay of the land in person and its surrounding towns and areas, I can attest that Mark Bowden does an excellent job describing the streets, the citadel, the imperial city, and the surrounding areas. The book is so well written, and despite the fact that you know how the battle for Hue ends, it still keeps you on the edge of your seat. I both read and listened to the book and thoroughly enjoyed both genres.