This book is really good. Having read over 15 Viet Nam books, this is up there with the best such as Chicken Hawk and some of the LRRP and SOG books.
Written from an officers perspective, you get a slightly different slant to the typical grunts experience. Gwin is still at the sharp end and gives a really good (and quite shocking) account as the XO of the 2nd Battalion/7th Cavalry in 1965/66.
This is a little piece of untold history as the book effectively follows on from the well know `We Were Soldiers` story and most will have seen the Mel Gibson film when the 1st Battalion of the 7th suffered over 40% casualties at la Drang. The 2/7 came to the `rescue` of the 1/7 and once the 1/7 had flown out (effectively when the film ends) the 2/7 had to walk to an alternate LZ "Albany". They were ambushed and suffered 70% casualties. Nearly lost 2 whole platoons. Putting that into context, that is 400 men in total - 70% is 280 men killed or wounded. It was carnage.
After Albany - Gwin experiences other battles and suffers the usual change of senior officers and sees some very good and some not so good. As usual he has nothing but praise for the gutsy soldiers and hard working NCO's.
Due to the connection with WWS you sort of feel that the scene has been set and are almost familiar with the environment that the soldiers fought in. Gwin is honest in his appraisal of himself and paints a very clear and sad story of what was a war that would only ever have one outcome. Gwin clearly recounts various radio communications and you really feel you are there. You also feel the sadness and almost hopelessness of the whole situation.
I really enjoyed it and it was one of the few books where I read the same page several times just trying to understand the shear magnitude of some of the tragic events.
There is no political rhetoric in this book - it's open, honest and a real eye opener.
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