The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Harrowing Account of America's Tunnel Rats in the Underground Battlefields of Vietnam

It would be better if the printing was a little bit bigger, especially for old people like me with poor vision.

An eye opening account of the strategy of the Vietcong harbored in South Vietnam so close to Saigon. Extremely well documented and readable.

I first read this book over 20 years ago. Not sure I can quantify with any certainty any increase in my intellect, but I feel pretty safe in presuming that I have gained something in terms of perspective over the last 20 years. The book is a great resource of historical detail with regard to the tunnels used during the Vietnam War. The book actually focuses more on the enemy success than it does on the American response, but overall I found the book to provide what is likely a very reliable assessment of the tunnels at all three levels of war: tactical, operational, and strategic. What the book lacks is organization. It is really a mish-mosh of short stories or themes that do not take you to a final culmination or conclusion. The book pretty much just ends with a short summary called “Winners and Losers.” I recommend the book for anyone in the military and anyone who is interested in the Vietnam War, or in guerrilla warfare. We clearly struggle to this day with understanding the importance of considering the history and culture of the people we are fighting when we develop our military strategy. This book is in large part about that. Finally, I think the authors could have – and should have - acknowledged to a higher degree than they did the honorable men and women who fought against communism in Vietnam. The book puts them on equal ground. This is somewhat incomprehensible, as there should never be any inclination to suggest something honorable in fighting for communism.

Interesting and so well written I learned a lot without realizing I was learning

My husband is enjoying reading 📚 this book. He is a history buff.

Very informative and detailed history of the use of tunnel warfare during the Vietnam War. The author could have completed the history with less repetitive emphasis. I felt like he raced at the end after too much of similar storytelling in the beginning of the book. Though, for VN history buffs, it's an important read.

I served in Vietnam in 1967-68 in a support role, and was always amazed by the resilience of the Viet Cong in facing off against the most powerful military on earth.This book is AMAZING! It explains why and how the Vietnamese were able to endure unbelievable hardships to outlast the greatest power on earth. When I was in Saigon during the Tet Offensive, I marveled at how the Viet Cong could muster the forces needed to attack so many cities at the same time......the tunnels provide one answer...There are many lessons to be learned from this book......some which should have been learned much earlier by American Leadership. The key lesson for me was that TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERIORITY doesn't always result in eventual victory. History is replete with this lesson, going back to our own Revolution, when the British had the most powerful military on the planet, but eventually lost the American colonies. More recently, the Russians learned their hard lesson when they took on the Afghanistan people and eventually had to withdraw in spite of overwhelming military advantages. America could have avoided many of the lives lost in Vietnam had the leadership of the time remembered the lessons of the past.However, as evidenced by the more recent occupation of Iraq, when the leadership attempted to occupy a totally fractured country with too few troops, it took us over ten years to untangle ourselves from a mess we helped to create......in fact we are STILL embroiled there.The other lesson I've learned is this.....While I'm very supportive of HELPING other nations protect themselves, but THEY MUST TAKE THE LEAD in their own defense......if the populous isn't willing to do that, any regime we prop up will eventually fail.Lastly, I salute the soldiers who bravely fought this "underground war". They are truly among the very few who would be willing to do a job that most of us would never do. They deserve the special recognition that I believe this book delivers.

Very interesting, readable, informative. Answered a lot of questions for me.

I really liked this book, it gave a diffrent outlook on the topic at least for me. I found it very intresting and I recommend it.

I read this book because i am visiting the Cu Chi tunnels next month as one of many stops in SE Asia. I am so glad i picked up this book. I was a kid during the Vietnam war, and am not a war buff - so my history on this topic was not the best. I found this to be a fascinating read on the the military tactics of the Vietnam guerrillas against the US who were holy unprepared for an underground war. it gave me a greater appreciation for Vietnam culture and their ties to the soil and earth. And i have much empathy for the American soldiers or "tunnel rats" who faced the unknown in the dark - the enemy, spiders, bats, snakes, booby traps - each time one of them had to enter a tunnel. There are no winners in war.

Ok

Purchased this to read before my upcoming visit to Vietnam so it would enlighten me to the history of the tunnels . Fascinating book