{"product_id":"the-battle-of-an-loc-paperback-softback-9780253018991","title":"The Battle of an Loc (Paperback \/ softback) 9780253018991","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Battle of an Loc\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eJames H. Willbanks (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780253018991\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 27 August 2015\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e272 pages, 22 b\u0026amp;w photos, 4 figures, 16 plates, 12 maps\u003cbr\u003e23.5 x 15.6 x 1.5 cm, 0.408 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"An informative and consuming account. It is an engrossing read . . . for those who want to understand the battle of An Loc itself, the state of the war in 1972, and the sacrifices of those who advised the ARVN during the war's final years. A must-read for those who think the Vietnam War was only about defeating a jungle insurgency.\"—\u003ci\u003eHistoryNet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The Battle of An Loc could only be written effectively by a participant, and Willbanks was present as an advisor to an ARVN unit. But this is not just an eyewitness account. Utilizing newly discovered archival evidence and recently translated North Vietnamese after-action reports, Willbanks has reconstructed . . . the nearly three-month long siege . . . to answer the question that has plagued military historians since the war ended: was the Army of the Republic of Vietnam an effective fighting force? . . . A fine book with rich, vibrant descriptions of combat, weapons, and command decisions. Willbanks writes from an insider's perspective [with] the discipline of a historian who knows what questions to ask.\"—\u003ci\u003eH-Net Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the knowledge born of firsthand experience, James H. Willbanks tells the story of the 60-day siege of An Loc. In 1972, late in the Vietnam War, a small group of South Vietnamese held off three North Vietnamese divisions and helped prevent a direct attack on Saigon. The battle can be considered one of the major events during the gradual American exit from Vietnam. An advisor to the South Vietnamese during the battle, Willbanks places the battle in the context of the shifting role of the American forces and a policy decision to shift more of the burden of fighting the war onto the Vietnamese troops. He presents an overview of the 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive, a plan to press forward the attack on U.S. and ARVN positions throughout the country, including Binh Long province and Saigon. The North Vietnamese hoped to strike a decisive blow at a time when most American troops were being withdrawn. The heart of Willbanks's account concentrates on the fighting in Binh Long province, Saigon, and the siege of An Loc. It concludes with a discussion of the Paris peace talks, the significance of the fighting at An Loc, and the eventual fall of South Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eList of Figures\u003cbr\u003e List of Maps\u003cbr\u003e List of Photos\u003cbr\u003e Preface\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments\u003cbr\u003e Introduction\u003cbr\u003e List of Abbreviations\u003cbr\u003e 1. Prelude to Battle\u003cbr\u003e 2. The Nguyen Hue Campaign\u003cbr\u003e 3. The Area of Operations\u003cbr\u003e 4. The Battle of Loc Ninh\u003cbr\u003e 5. The Opening Battle for An Loc\u003cbr\u003e 6. Second Attack on An Loc\u003cbr\u003e 7. NVA High Tide\u003cbr\u003e 8. The Fight for Highway 13\u003cbr\u003e 9. Breaking the Siege\u003cbr\u003e 10. Evaluating the Battle of An Loc\u003cbr\u003e 11. Aftermath\u003cbr\u003e Epilogue\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 1. Order of Battle\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 2. Presidential Unit Citation, 229th Aviation Battalion\u003cbr\u003e Appendix 3. Presidential Unit Citation, Advisory Team 70\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Indiana University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52523419402520,"sku":"9780253018991","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-battle-of-an-loc-paperback-softback-9780253018991","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}