From critcally acclaimed military historian Eric Hammel comes a vivid oral history account of the Tet 1968 siege of the Khe Sanh Combat Base. The words of American fighting men caught up in the grueling, deadly seventy-seven-day ordeal create a harrowing tapestry of tragedy and triumph. As two North Vietnamese Army divisions move to surround them, the vastly outnumbered U.S. Marines rush to strengthen their defenses at the isolated base and several nearby hilltop positions. The Communist forces repeatedly attack, are repeatedly repelled, and then dig in to take the American base by siege-the makings of a classic, modern "set-piece" strategy in which the defenders become bait to tie the attackers to fixed positions in which they can be pummeled and pulverized by American artillery and air support. Khe Sanh: Siege in the Clouds is a ground-breaking step forward in the oral history genre. This gripping-and moving-narrative flows from the masterfully woven threads provided by nearly a hundred men who gallantly endured the wrenching all-out struggle to hold the combat base and its vulnerable outlying positions.
Eric Hammel Livres
La passion de cet auteur pour l'histoire militaire s'est allumée très tôt, motivée par le désir de créer des récits narratifs captivants. Son œuvre mêle méticuleusement des archives officielles aux souvenirs directs de ceux qui ont vécu les événements, donnant lieu à une narration historique vivide et authentique. Fort d'une formation en journalisme, l'auteur excelle dans la présentation de récits historiques complexes de manière accessible et engageante. Son écriture met l'accent sur l'élément humain du conflit, donnant vie au passé pour les lecteurs contemporains.
