Stealth Patrol: The Making of a Vietnam Ranger, 1968-70

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Summary: Great Job Bill. Never Forget.
Review: Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

Rating:
Summary: Deeper Appreciation
Review: An excellent read. Told in the first person, this book is very informative, interesting, exciting, and free of unnecessary embellishments. The story of the inception and development of the Rangers as told by a man who actually lived it gives one a profound appreciation of the accomplishments our military. For those of us who remember that era of our history, and how relatively primitive the equipment and weaponry of the Viet Nam era was, it underscores the high degree of technological sophistication that our fighting men and women have in these current times. We should all be thankful that America is blessed with people like the men of the Rangers, and all those who have followed.

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Summary: Compelling!
Review: As a "young person" personally inexperienced with war this is compelling storytelling. Through John's vivid descriptions I found myself sitting there next to Bill Shanahan as the other soldiers and the VC come to life before my eyes. A truly relevant book in our time with real characters, real emotions, real lives and real deaths. Highly recommended to all: young, old, male or female!

Rating:
Summary: Compelling!
Review: As a "young person" personally inexperienced with war this is compelling storytelling. Through John's vivid descriptions I found myself sitting there next to Bill Shanahan as the other soldiers and the VC come to life before my eyes. A truly relevant book in our time with real characters, real emotions, real lives and real deaths. Highly recommended to all: young, old, male or female!

Rating:
Summary: A surprising book!
Review: Both young and old, men and women, and non-war buffs would enjoy Shanahan's story. The author manages to weave this Vietnam Ranger's experiences into a suspenseful and entertaining story that even includes humorous episodes. Through Shanahan's eyes you are able to see the wide range of emotions of a Ranger and gain more understanding of Vietnam soldiers. I give it a 5 star rating!

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Summary: Astonishing talent!
Review: Brackin is obviously one of the foremost authors of our time. The moving and compelling way in which he paints Shanahan's story will both move the reader to tears and have him perversely wish the book were longer.

Rating:
Summary: Great Job Bill. Never Forget.
Review: Excellent view on how we worked. Bill & John did and great job! Lurp Teams were the "Eyes and Ears of the Commanding General". We had many tense situations. I personally slept with my M16 on my left side, my radio phone on my right ear and my 45 on my chest- finger on the trigger & thumb on the safety. Ed Zapata RTO, Team G. Thanks Bill. Never forget you guys, Bill, Dave and Arthur Bell.

Rating:
Summary: A Book Worth The Time
Review: I have to follow the trend, this was an excellent read. The way the author shares his accounts from his time in Vietnam puts you at a level of understanding unlike that of any other book on the subject that I've read. Just the way it was written and the fact that the author recounts stories from his time in Vietnam made this book hard to put down. In all, I recomend it to anyone intrested in the Vietnam War.

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Summary: Brings Back Memories!!
Review: I served in D/4/503 from '70-'71. This book brought back a lot of lost memories especially the stories from the An Do and An Lao valleys.
I had the pleasure to meet John Brackin in Memphis. I hope he can co-author more books on Vietnam. Looking forward to more from this young author.
This book is also about one of the unsung heros of the Vietnam war.... Patrick Tadina.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about the Vietnam war.
cheers,
Auddis Ward

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Summary: Like it really was to be a LRRP or Ranger in Vietnam
Review: I think that Bill Shanahan's is one of the very best first-hand accounts written about LRRP operations. His verbiage is not egotistical, but it does reflect the confidence with which he and his teammates and others in his unit carried out their very speciallized and unique operations. They were a fine unit and this book gives testimony to their memorable combat achievements as part of "The Herd", the 173rd Airborne Bde. This books ranks right up there with the best of Gary Linderer's series of books and other great combat narratives of the Vietnam War. He puts the reader right out there "in the bush" and explains tactics and actions in a manner even those who did not serve in a LRRP or Ranger unit can readily understand. He tells what his unit did, where they did it, how well, and "lessons learned", all in a very candid way. It is particularly good considering that this is apparently his first book. I hope more are forthcoming from him. I speak from first-hand knowlege as a former LRRP in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. I would highly recommend "Stealth Patrol" for a valued place in anyone's library.