Tale Of Three Wars: A Novel - Hardcover

Atkeson, Edward B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1889927007 ISBN 13: 9781889927008

Publisher: Stackpole Books, 1997

Synopsis

A novel that examines the Vietnam War through the eyes of officers from the U.S., South Vietnam, and Viet Cong. "Perhaps a better history . . . than nonfiction can adequately portray." --former CIA Director William E. Colby

About this title

From the Publisher:

San Francisco Examiner Review. September 9, 1997
A Tale of Three Wars. By Edward B. Atkeson. Army War College Foundation Press. $27.95. 394 Pages. I suspect that when the Army War College Foundation Press was deciding what its first publication would be, they had to think back the 1980s when Naval Institute Press put out its first book of fiction. Knowing that thriller, Tom Clancy's "The Hunt for Red October," was a bestseller, the foundation surely must hope for the same lighting to strike "A Tale of Three Wars." Atkeson's novel is certainly worthy of the best-seller list. The year is 1966.The locale is Vietnam. Maj. Paul McCandless has just been assigned to South Vietnam as an intelligence officer. His South Vietnamese counterpart is Maj. Nguyen Van Do. Their nemesis is Van Ba (a nom de guerre), a brilliant military strategist leading a cell of rebels in the counryside. Ba's group breaks into a South Vietnamese armored cavalry regiment compound and makes off with five tanks. But the Viet Cong won't let Ba's little unit keep them. Ba also must contend wiht Comrade Hua, the female political officer who doesn't think he is doctrinaire enough. She very much wants to get Ba removed from command and sent to re-education camp. As the US buildup gets under way, McCandless and his fellow officers try to get the brass to devise a plan to win the war. When a superior takes it to Washington, he is suddenly promoted to a desk job. Nevertheless, McCandless and Do's hunt for Ba accelerates. Atkeson spins a good war yarn. But h is greatest strength is his artful description of the many reasons why the United States did not win in Vietnam. McCandless and Do don't trust one another, even though they were classmates at the US Command and General Staff College. Thus, often they are not completely truthful with each other. And this happened all the time in Vietnam. The politicians would not let the troops follow the Cong into Cambodia and Laos or smash the supply and troop lines coming from there. Hence, our troops basically had their hands tied behind their backs. This is one of the best books I've read on Vietnam--fiction or non-fiction. Review written by Bobbie Hess.

From the Author:

Other reviews praise the book
Additional reviews may be found in San Francisco Examiner September 9, 1997 by Bobbie Hess ("A Tale of Three Wars is worthy of the best-seller list" and "This is one of the best books I've read on Vietnam -- fiction or nonfiction") and the August 1997 issue of Army magazine ("Gen Atkeson's thoughtful novel will evoke powerful visions of what might have been, especially for those who fought the war at the troop level.")

About this edition

• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1889927007
• ISBN 13: 9781889927008
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 392