Combat at Close Quarters: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1682471950 ISBN 13: 9781682471951

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 2018

Synopsis

Combat at Close Quarters presents the work of five renowned historians who describe and interpret the U.S. Navy's major combat operations in Southeast Asia, including the Rolling Thunder and Linebacker strikes against North Vietnam, the river war in South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, and the intelligence campaign. Over 200 images drawn from Navy archives and private collections, detailed maps, and a select list of the most authoritative works on the subject complement the concise, readable text. The chapters describe not only the actions of the warships, aircraft, and river vessels involved in one of America's longest wars but the professional skill, dedication, and courage of the Navy men and women who journeyed into harm's way in Vietnam.

Covering both the air war and riverine combat in Vietnam, Combat at Close Quarters provides a lavishly-illustrated history of the U.S. Navy's role in the entire conflict. Special focus is paid in this volume to the leadership of Vice Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., the Navy's role in Linebacker, the bombing and mining campaign that helped compel Hanoi to end the war and release American POWs, as well as the Navy's intelligence efforts in Southeast Asia, from the controversial Tonkin Gulf Incident to the end of the conflict. The work fully explains both the operations of communications and electronics analysts at the theater level and the aerial reconnaissance, SEAL, and NILO intelligence-gathers at the tactical level, whether over North Vietnam and Laos or on the ground in South Vietnam. In short, Combat at Close Quarters describes in depth the Navy's major and essential role in a conflict that marked a milestone in modern American history.

· Over 200 images drawn from Navy archives and private collections

· Features the work of five renowned historians

· Highlights the dedication, courage, and sacrifice of Navy officers and enlisted sailors

About this title

About the Author:

Edward J. Marolda served as the Acting Director of Naval History and Senior Historian of the Navy. In 2017 the Naval Historical Foundation honored him with its Commodore Dudley W. Knox Naval History Lifetime Achievement Award. He has authored, coauthored, or edited nine works on the U.S. Navy's experience in Vietnam. In support of the U.S. Naval Institute's Oral History Program, he has interviewed Vietnam veterans and retired admirals Stanley R. Arthur and Joseph W. Prueher. At Georgetown University, Dr. Marolda has taught courses on the Cold War in the Far East and the Vietnam War. He holds degrees in history from Pennsylvania Military College (BA), Georgetown University (MA), and George Washington University (PhD).

Review:

"Most Vietnam veterans know about actions in which they had participated. They witnessed and appreciated the close air support and the artillery and Naval gun fire, yet many are unaware of all the behind-the-scenes activities needed to make those long-range bombs so timely and so accurate. To help learn how it all came together, Combat at Close Quarters is a must-read." --The VVA Veteran

"This book is a very informative and noteworthy book that features many photographs and maps, a comprehensive picture of the US Navy's involvement in Vietnam from 1965 to 1972. It is recommended to all readers who want to delve deeper into the history of the Vietnam War and get to know new aspects." --TRUPPENDIENST

"The controversial nature of the Vietnam War, its place as the first real televised war, and the part played by protestors in undermining their own troops, has produced a vast amount of fog and confusion. This book provides a picture of how it was from a US Navy perspective which makes it a very important study that should appeal way beyond naval history enthusiasts, professionals and military buffs." --FIRE Reviews

"The editor and contributor [of Combat at Close Quarters] provide comprehensive coverage of the Navy's multifaceted involvement in Southeast Asia during the Second indochina War. It is not a dry retelling, but instead a detailed examination of the efforts of pilots and sailors involved with many tales of individual heroism and local battles. It includes extensive illustrations and photographs, many of which accompany sidebars offering intriguing vignettes." --Military Heritage

"Combat at Close Quarters is a well-rounded, lavishly illustrated overview, with four contributions from five authors who will be familiar to those in the official history community in the nation's capital.... The result of Marolda's efforts is a professional tour de force, with high-quality writing and exceptional photographs, paintings, and maps, many of them in color." --The Journal of America's Military Past

"This new illustrated edition provides extensive coverage of U.S. Naval air and o shore fire support in Vietnam. Abundant illustrations, maps and explanatory sidebars help tell the story.... An index and reading suggestions round out this well-written book." --The Ensign

"For naval strategists and thinkers this book represents an important contribution. In some respects, it echoes and perhaps aligns with Harlan K. Ullman's book Anatomy of Failure: Why America Loses Every War It Starts (Naval Institute Press, 2017), in examining from a geo-strategic perspective the tactical and operational level successes (at close quarters) of the U.S. Navy in Vietnam." --The NAVY Magazine

"Mr Dye challenges longstanding views about performance as Commander-in-Chief Far East and, based on new evidence, offers a more nuanced narrative that sheds light on British and Allied preparations for the Pacific War, inter-service relations and the reasons for the disastrous loss of air and naval superiority that followed the Japanese attack. "The Man Who Took the Rap" hones in on the misguided attempts at deterrence, in the absence of a co-ordinated information campaign, and the unprecedented security lapse that betrayed the parlous state of the Allied defences." --This is the Westcountry.co.uk

"Ed Marolda has edited a outstanding work by several authors who are all experts in their field. It is full of factual detail and careful analysis that makes use of the most recently de-classified documents and the opinions of men who were there at the time. It provides the wider picture that complements the history of RAN warships that served alongside their USN allies in the Vietnam War and does so in a way that is both stimulating and of absorbing interest. I thoroughly recommend it." --The Australian Naval Institute

"With more than 200 illustrations and maps to complement the text, this work is ideal for both the professional and general audiences." --Sea History

About this edition

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1682471950
• ISBN 13: 9781682471951
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 360
• Editor: Marolda Edward J.