Vietnam's Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN

University of Southern Mississippi

"No book about the Vietnam War can be simply a book about the Vietnam War. Vietnam's Forgotten Army appears in the midst of a raging debate over American armed interventions abroad and over the proper lessons to draw from Vietnam for the war in Iraq." The Nation "While tactical history can seem stilted and dry at times, Andrew Wiest, in Vietnam's Forgotten Army, presents an enriched and dynamic history of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) by chronicling the careers of two of ARVN's best young officers, Tran Ngoc Hue and Pham Van Dinh, as they fought in the Vietnam War. Wiest seeks to dispel the myth of the ARVN as an ineffective fighting force... The value of Vietnam's Forgotten Army lies in the author's appreciation for ARVN fighting prowess and the book's interesting perspective of the Vietnam War." Military Review "Wiest's excellent book helps to fill a yawning void in the history of the Vietnam War." Journal of Military History "This sympathetic biography of Pham Van Dinh and Tran Ngoc Hue, mid-level officers in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), provides a unique perspective among American war histories... [Readers] will gain new respect for the mishandled South Vietnamese army." Publishers Weekly "This is a fascinating study of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) - the South Vietnamese army - during America's involvement in the Vietnam War... This well-written, compassionate study is a major contribution to most libraries." Library Journal