Compelling story, sad because of the casualties, but a great book. Great narrative, well written. Great job in detailing the events and how you should never underestimate the enemy.

For decades I had been looking for a book describing these battles in the Ia Drang Valley: I finally found the book! If this narrative doesn’t satisfy any reader, nothing will!

Originally, I saw the movie, "We Were Soldiers." While certainly more dramatic, it could not come close to what the First Calvary did at the battle of the Ia Drang Valley. This book is an account of what really happened. Those who have seen the movie will noticed where things were dramatized for the screen, various incidents reordered for the needs of dramatization. The movie only covered LZ X-ray. Yet their were other landing zones, such as the one at Albany where the sister battalion of Hal Moore's first battalion was almost decimated. It shows the true courage of the men that gave all they could for their comrades. For anyone interested in military history, this book is a must.

As a Vietnam Vet it gives you a lot of the reasons we could not win this war. It certainly was not for lack of courage on our part. I am reading it for a second time and enjoy and understand even more.