The Vietnam War story is one that has never been fully understood and probably never will be explained to the satisfaction of those who experienced it ? and it will continue to spark debate and controversy for each new generation. The Vietnam War For Dummies attempts to tell that complicated story in a way that is easily accessible to everyone. If you've never read much about the Vietnam War, this book provides a general overview that covers all the major players and significant turning points and events of the war. If you're a history buff, this book can serve as a compact reference guide to the major subjects of the war.

There have been many Marines. There have been many marksmen. But there has only been one Sergeant Carlos Hathcock. A legend in the Marine ranks, Hathcock stalked the Viet Cong behind enemy lines-on their own ground. And each time he emerged from the jungle having done his duty. His record is one of the finest in military history, with 93 confirmed kills.

This is the story of a simple man who endured incredible dangers and hardships for his country and his Corps. These are the missions that have made Carlos Hathcock a legend in the brotherhood of Marines.

In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.

How these men persevered--sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up--makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.

US Army and Allied Ground Forces in Vietnam. Order of Battle by Shelby L. Stanton -- Shelby Stanton's book "Vietnam: Order of Battle" is a recent re-issue of a classic reference text that is essential for anyone who is researching America's long, troubled war in Southeast Asia. The book does not have a narrative, or an overview of the war, it is simply a well-researched and comrehensive breakdown of facts, the engagements that the United States and its allies fought, the organization and insignia of the units that serves in Vietnam, the fixed wing aircraft, the ubiquitous helicopters, small arms, heavy weapons, armor that were used, the deployments and casualties, military terms and finally, a very useful series of maps of the conflict. Shelby Stanton is an authority on the War in Vietnam and has authored many books on the subject and this large coffee-table volume is the product of an unusually dedicated and indefatigable researcher.

US Army Uniforms of the Vietnam War by Shelby L. Stanton -- This volume is designed to accurately record the development and utilization of U.S. Army clothing and individual equipment, as well as common organizational equipment carried by soldiers, during the Vietnam conflict (Second Indochina War).

Vietnam ANZACs Australian & New Zealand Troops in Vietnam 1962-72 (Elite 103) by Kevin Lyles -- The part played by Australian and New Zealand troops in the Vietnam War is sometimes overlooked; but it is generally accepted that the 'Diggers' and 'Kiwis' were among the most effective and professional troops involved. Drawing upon the ANZACs' long experience in the jungles of South East Asia, the men of the Task Force used their expertise in patrol tactics to great effect to frustrate Viet Cong operations. Meanwhile the ANZACs? small and isolated adviser teams spent ten years passing on their skills all over South Vietnam, and in the process four were awarded the supreme decoration for valour - the Victoria Cross. This book pays tribute to their military prowess, and describes and illustrates their uniforms and equipment in unprecedented detail.