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  • Vietnam

  • The Australian War
  • By: Paul Ham
  • Narrated by: Peter Byrne
  • Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (208 ratings)

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Vietnam

By: Paul Ham
Narrated by: Peter Byrne
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Publisher's Summary

The definitive account of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, by best-selling author of Kokoda.

Seen as the last 'hot' frontline of the Cold War, the 10 year struggle in the rice paddies and jungles of South Vietnam unleashed the most devastating firepower on the Vietnamese nation and visited terrible harm on civilians and soldiers. Yet the Australian forces applied tactics that were very different from those of the Americans. Guided by their commanders' experience of jungle combat, Australian troops operated with stealth, deception and restraint in pursuing a 'better war'.

Drawing on hundreds of accounts by soldiers, politicians, aid workers, entertainers and the Vietnamese people, Paul Ham reconstructs for the first time the full history of our longest military campaign. From the commitment to engage, through the fight over conscription and the rise of the anti - war movement, to the tactics and horror of the battlefi eld, Ham exhumes the truth about this politicians' war - which sealed the fate of 50,000 Australian servicemen and women.

More than 500 soldiers were killed and thousands wounded. Those who made it home returned to a hostile and ignorant country and a reception that scarred them forever. This is their story.

©2008 Paul Ham (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

"It is the comprehensiveness of Paul Ham's blockbuster on Vietnam that is both enticing and chilling to the core, in what is uncovered and laid out with precision and compelling evidence." ( The Australian)

What listeners say about Vietnam

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    5 out of 5 stars

The best audio book i have ever listen to.

Unbelievable l loved every part of this book it should be made compulsory reading for all Australians,

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Brilliant and pure account

after more than 30years reading and study I've never read a more concise explanation of facts.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Excellent by Ham, let down by this audio version

An in depth coverage of the conflict and Australian perspectives away and at home, thoroughly researched.

The audio chapters are not cut to align with content chapters? Instead just cut into 1:15 slabs. Lazy packaging Audible!

Byrne goes to far with his accents again in narration

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Highly recommended

A very well written and researched account of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam war. Appears honest, fair and thorough. The reader did a great job and was engaging and easy to listen to.

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A very comprehensive documentary of the war.

I found this to be an amazing coverage of the development of and the events of the Vietnam war, not just by Australians but also the Americans to a lesser extent. Some things will quite simply leave you breathless and in wonder of both good and the bad in people. Some may not fully understand some minor points as a military background would ensure. (I am ex military)
The way this is written and presented really makes for a worthwhile listening experience. The first hour or so may seem a little tedious, but I urge you to continue listening.

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Phenomenal

It should be mandatory reading for all young Australians, this book has been my first exposure to the Vietnam war. I feel like iv opened a new chapter in history.

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So sad but enlightening too.

Such a great unbiased account of a war that should have never been, like many others. I feel for all the diggers who had no idea what they were heading into.

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Fantastic insight into the War and times of Australia

Amazing insight into the Australian Vietnam War by its soldiers, Australian public, Politicians.
I hope we can learn from history and move forward to finding ways to resolve differences without going to war as it is not the answer clearly

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Amazing book

Really enjoyed this book. The detail and perspective provided was brilliant. Couldn’t recommend it more!

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Essential Knowlege - must listen

Before you think of passing comment on the Vietnam experience, listen to this cover to cover. To open your mouth on this topic before reading this would be gross ignorance.

This book explains Vietnam from the origins to the recent aftermath. It continually quotes primary sources from all sides of this conflict. It is long in detail and pursues each of the political, civilian and military aspects.. From there all events are assembled to reach an excellent understanding without the author injecting any political bias. My feeling as I listened was that this went further, and a valuable source of military lessons applicable to current wars. I think new generations of both Americans and Vietnamese would also learn from this a past that was buried in politics and significantly altered.
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.