We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam | 
| Authors: Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway
Publisher: Presidio Press
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
Buy New: $10.15
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 36119
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 480
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 034547581X
Dewey Decimal Number: 959.704342
EAN: 9780345475817
ASIN: 034547581X
Publication Date: November 23, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20080724215545T
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Product Description
Each year, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps selects one book that he believes is both relevant and timeless for reading by all Marines. The Commandant's choice for 1993 was We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young.
In November 1965, some 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War.
How these men persevered--sacrificed themselves for their comrades and never gave up--makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating. General Moore and Joseph Galloway, the only journalist on the ground throughout the fighting, have interviewed hundreds of men who fought there, including the North Vietnamese commanders. This devastating account rises above the specific ordeal it chronicles to present a picture of men facing the ultimate challenge, dealing with it in ways they would have found unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It reveals to us, as rarely before, man's most heroic and horrendous endeavor.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Read It! July 12, 2008
This is clearly the best military book I have every read. I couldn't put it down and found myself paging back and forth to the maps and the battles unfolded. This is one of the few books I will keep and read again...it is that good.
The true story that inspired the great Mel Gibson film June 23, 2008
It is a true story of real courage and camaraderie. Mel Gibson made an excellent film out of this book. The two are equally good. I mentioned this book in my listmania "Vietnam War" on amazon.fr.
we were soldiers once and young December 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is one of the finest most vivid true story accounts of the war in Vietnam these young men were the true heroes of there generation. if you saw the movie read the Book. a fascinating account of courage and heartbreak during fierce battle against NVA And VietCong forces in the Ia drang Valley.
One of the best researched story of battle and the fog of war ever written December 9, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Having studied the Vietnam war for many years, I found this to be the most accurate account of two actions, one that turned out as well as any such conflict, and the other a horrible disaster. When comparing it to General Moore's After Action Report, one finds all the details, complete with maps, comments, and recommendations that were largely ignored.
This is not a pretty story; there is nothing beautiful about battle. What is compelling and extremely powerful are the author's straight forward, un-filtered account of the true face of battle. This is not a self-serving, ego driven account. It, in many ways, is reminiscent of Caesar's Commentaries in the description of the way events unfolded at LZ X-Ray and Albany. This is a must read and study for anyone trying to understand the American involvement in Vietnam.
Jim Payne
Las Cruces, NM
 Not really a history.... October 9, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book, while very popular and included on the US Army Chief of Staff's "Professional Reading List, is a mixed bag. There's lots of action, shooting, firefights, etc., and Col. Moore did get some of the NVA perspective as well. The maps are pretty good, and are useful to consult while reading this. After reading this book, I came away with a feeling of awe and near disbelief about what these very young soldiers had to go through, what they endured, and how many were killed. The problem, however, is that after awhile, the book reads like one non-stop chronicle of firefights and NVA assaults. There is not enough structural framework to the narrative once the battle starts. If the fighting was confusing to the GI's in the jungle where the battle was fought, how much more so to the reader 40 years later, not having seen the ground. The book suffers from what many do, especially by 1st time authors--it keeps EVERYTHING in, and leaves nothing out. The book could have used some editing of the repletion, and needs to have a much better organization of events. I kept asking myself, "why are the soldiers there?" "Why did they send in such a small force, and not reinforce in greater #'s?" Moore never really provides this.
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