Overview
On May 12, 1975, less than two weeks after the fall of Saigon, Khmer Rouge naval forces seized the S.S. Mayaguez , an American container ship, off the Cambodian coast in the Gulf of Siam. The swift military response ordered by President Gerald Ford was designed to recapture the Mayaguez , held at anchor off the island of Koh Tang, to liberate her crew, and to demonstrate U.S. strength and resolve in the immediate aftermath of America's most humiliating defeat. Guilmartin, a former air rescue helicopter pilot stationed in Thailand, provides a unique and compelling account of the Mayaguez–Koh Tang crisis, shedding new light on the politics, the tactics, the orders, the high-level decision makers, and the fighting men entangled in a crucial military action that nearly ended in disaster for U.S. forces. """". . . a brilliant and exceptionally clear tactical study that offers a point of departure for broader reflections on the nature of contingency and uncertainty in all military operations.""""-- Foreign Affairs """"This is an exceptional book. . . [Guilmartin's] work transcends the events themselves, illustrating numerous aspects of men in war. His insights and observations are compelling.""""-- Journal of Military History """". . . written with the flair and excitement of an adventure novel. Even those who know the outcome and the lessons of the Mayaguez incident will find this book hard to put down until finished.""""-- Proceedings
Full Product Details
Author: John F. Guilmartin ,
John Keegan
Publisher: Texas A & M University Press
Imprint: Texas A & M University Press
Edition: 46th
Volume: 46
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 1.50cm
, Length: 22.80cm
Weight: 0.333kg
ISBN: 9781603441964
ISBN 10: 1603441964
Pages: 268
Publication Date: 28 February 2011
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Awaiting stock
The supplier is currently out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out for you.
Reviews
... a brilliant and exceptionally clear tactical study that offers a point of departure for broader reflections on the nature of contingency and uncertainty in all military operations. - Foreign Affairs This is an exceptional book... [Guilmartin's] work transcends the events themselves, illustrating numerous aspects of men in war. His insights and observations are compelling. - Journal of Military History ... written with the flair and excitement of an adventure novel. Even those who know the outcome and the lessons of the Mayaguez incident will find this book hard to put down until finished. - Proceedings
Author Information
JOHN F. GUILMARTIN JR., professor of history at the Ohio State University, flew 119 combat missions over Southeast Asia as an Air Force helicopter pilot.
