The tunnels of Cu Chi : a harrowing account of America's "tunnel rats" in the underground battlefields of Vietnam

At the height of the Vietnam conflict, a complex system of secret underground tunnels sprawled from Cu Chi Province to the edge of Saigon. In these burrows, the Viet Cong cached their weapons, tended their wounded, and prepared to strike. They had only one enemy: U.S. soldiers small and wiry enough to maneuver through the guerrillas’ narrow domain. The brave souls who descended into these hellholes were known as “tunnel rats.” Armed with only pistols and K-bar knives, these men inched their way through the steamy darkness where any number of horrors could be awaiting them–bullets, booby traps, a tossed grenade. Using firsthand accounts from men and women on both sides who fought and killed in these underground battles, authors Tom Mangold and John Penycate provide a gripping inside look at this fearsome combat. The Tunnels of Cu Chi is a war classic of unbearable tension and unforgettable heroes. Publishers Weekly As a scholar of modern European history, Jannen, in his first book, has unscrambled the Gordian knot of diplomatic and political maneuvering and duplicity that led to world war in 1914. He focuses on the fears, errors, and decisions of the Great Powers' statesmen as they desperately tried to avoid a European war, never realizing that their actions would produce what they feared the most. From June 28 to August 12, 1914, the Great Powers sought to avoid a war they knew would bring revolution, the collapse of empires, and the end of European monarchies. They failed, and the ensuing war's slaughter was the result. Jannen's explanation of entangling treaties and alliances, diplomatic ignorance and miscalculation, chauvinism, and pride is exciting and frighteningly real. This book is a perfect companion to Barbara Tuchman's Guns of August (LJ 1/15/62). Highly recommended for schools, libraries, and history buffs.-Col. William D. Bushnell, USMC (ret.), Brunswick, Me. At the height of the Vietnam conflict, a complex system of secret underground tunnels sprawled from Cu Chi Province to the edge of Saigon. In these burrows, the Viet Cong cached their weapons, tended their wounded, and prepared to strike. They had only one enemy: U.S. soldiers small and wiry enough to maneuver through the guerrillas’ narrow domain. The brave souls who descended into these hellholes were known as “tunnel rats.” Armed with only pistols and K-bar knives, these men inched their way through the steamy darkness where any number of horrors could be awaiting them–bullets, booby traps, a tossed grenade. Using firsthand accounts from men and women on both sides who fought and killed in these underground battles, authors Tom Mangold and John Penycate provide a gripping inside look at this fearsome combat. The Tunnels of Cu Chi is a war classic of unbearable tension and unforgettable heroes. Praise for The Tunnels of Cu Chi “A claustrophobic but fascinating tale.” — The Wall Street Journal “Chilling . . . what war really was and how it was fought.” — The New York Times “Gripping . . . highly recommended.” — The Philadelphia Inquirer “Remarkable.” — The Washington Post These tunnels, often dug just beneath the feet of the Americans, became the Viet Cong's sanctuaries, barracks, arms factories, theaters, and hospitals--those incredible men in the tunnels.