The Battle of Long Tan cover art

The Battle of Long Tan

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Battle of Long Tan

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: David Tredinnick
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $7.99

Buy Now for $7.99

About this listen

 From the bestselling author of Kokoda and Gallipoli comes the epic story of Australia's deadliest Vietnam War battle.

4.31 pm: Enemy [on] left flank. Could be serious.
5.01 pm: Enemy ... penetrating both flanks and to north and south.
5.02: Running short of ammo. Require drop through trees.

It was the afternoon of 18 August 1966, hot, humid with grey monsoonal skies. D Company, 6RAR were four kilometres east of their Nui Dat base, on patrol in a rubber plantation not far from the abandoned village of Long Tan. A day after their base had suffered a mortar strike, they were looking for Viet Cong soldiers.

Then - just when they were least expecting - they found them. Under withering fire, some Diggers perished, some were grievously wounded, the rest fought on, as they remained under sustained attack.

For hours these men fought for their lives against the enemy onslaught. The skies opened and the rain fell as ferocious mortar and automatic fire pinned them down. Snipers shot at close quarters from the trees that surrounded them. The Aussie, Kiwi and Yankee artillery batteries knew it was up to them but, outnumbered and running out of ammunition they fired, loaded, fired as Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces just kept coming. And coming.

Their only hope was if Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) could reach them before they were wiped out. The APCs did their best but low cloud and thunderstorms meant air support was stalled. A daring helicopter resupply mission was suggested but who would want to fly that? The odds against this small force were monumental...

By far the deadliest battle for Australian forces in Vietnam, the Battle of Long Tan has a proud place in the annals of Australian military history - and every ANZAC who fought there could hold his head high.

Peter FitzSimons, Australia's greatest storyteller, tells the real story of this classic battle. He reveals the horror, the bravery, the wins and the losses that faced our soldiers. He brings to life the personal stories of the men who fought, the events leading up to that memorable battle and the long war that followed, and the political decisions made in the halls of power that sealed their fates. The Battle of Long Tan is an engrossing and powerful history that shows the costs of war never end. Asia Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Military Oceania Southeast Asia Vietnam War War Thought-Provoking
All stars
Most relevant
Great insights into the history in Vietnam leading up to Australia’s involvement, incredible detail of the battle, the invaluable contribution of the artillery and APCs. I could never understand how so few managed to prevail against so many without staggering loss. I believe I understand now.

Monumental

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It was disgusting that the man who were in this Battle were not decorated at all or correctly for their bravery and sacrifice which they greatly deserve. But you know what you and your mates did and you won the respect of your brothers in Arms and the respect of the enemy. That is better than those people that were awarded a medal for not being in the action where the blood and sweat was spilt. Those men should be ashamed to wear that metal over their heart. How do they live with that on their Conscience? It was the man in the action of low ranks that were greatly overlooked by the words in this book that fought in Vietnam. Thank you....ANZAC'S

Thank you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
18 young men, the oldest just 22 years of age,
died at Long Tan.
The survivors scarred.
Read most of Peter FitzSimons books
this yet another brilliantly told.
The narration was truly masterful.

What price War?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Peter Fitz masterfully captures in chilling detail the horror that is war, the brutality, the humanity and immense courage of those who fought at Long Tan as well as the ludicrous ineptitude of the senior staff officers that pitched 105 Australian diggers in the path of more 2000 Viet Cong and NVA.
This book left me with myriad of emotions, from being in awe of these young men from Delta Company 6RAR and their incredible courage and tenacity, to sadness at the horrible loss and waste of young lives in war, to anger at the bewildering ineptitude and what can only be described as callous narcissism of the senior officers, who failed to communicate vital information that lead to the battle in the first place, failed dismally in their leadership roles, then denied the soldiers the recognition they so sorely deserved and took medals for themselves.
Brilliantly researched and written, a Must Read.

Chilling, Horrific, Courageous and Ludicrous, Long Tan.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great listen. Horrible what they went through. Lest we forget. Gives a detailed account of the battle and the brave soldiers involved.

Inspiring and upsetting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
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.