Military Review English Edition January-February 2015 | Page 135

BOOK REVIEWS

camps. Finally, in 1979 he was able to escape with his
family to the United States. It is a powerful account
which Chau (with ample support from his co-author
Ken Fermoyle) superbly articulates.
Vietnam Labyrinth is not entirely focused on
Chau’s extraordinary life. Chau also interweaves discussions of two other subject areas into the volume.
First, he provides a superb historical narrative of
Vietnam from 1945-1978. Because of his perspective
and the positions he served, he is able to address
events normally not discussed in other volumes tied
to the history of Vietnam after World War II. The
discussion prior to U.S. involvement is immensely
beneficial. Clearly, to better understand the U.S. role
and experience in the Vietnam War one must possess this kind of a foundation; Vietnam Labyrinth
conclusively provides such a foundation for readers.
Second, and somewhat overshadowed by the
other portions of the volume, is Chau’s analysis (and
opinions) of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
The author is blunt in his assessment of U.S. policy
and decisions made concerning Vietnam. He concludes that U.S. ignorance of Vietnam’s history and
culture was instrumental in the final outcome of the
Vietnam War. It is counsel he hopes America will
heed in the future.
The account of how Vietnam Labyrinth came to
print is a story in itself. Chau and Fermoyle met in
the mid-1980s and in 1987 started a business venture together. A year later, they began collaboration
on a book focused on Chau’s life. As they expected,
it was an extremely laborious process that included taping hours upon hours of Chau’s recollections
and translating hundreds upon hundreds of written
notes and pages from Vietnamese to English. Some
25 years later, the results of their painstaking work
are found in the pages of Vietnam Labyrinth.
To label Vietnam Labyrinth as simply another
book on the Vietnam War is clearly an injustice. It is
far more than that. Certainly, it is a significant volume in aiding in our understanding of the Vietnam
War and the history of Vietnam from 1945 to 1978.
Moreover, I believe its ability to detail the incredible life of a man who loved his country is gripping.
These in combination make Vietnam Labyrinth a
must for readers of varying interests.
Rick Baillergeon, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
MILITARY REVIEW  January-February 2015

LAST STAND AT KHE SANH: The U.S. Marines’
Finest Hour in Vietnam
Gregg Jones, Da Capo Press, Boston, Mass., 400 pages

I

n late 1967, the 26th Marine Regiment moved
into a remote area of Vietnam near the village
of Khe Sanh to disrupt traffic al