Black Ops, Vietnam

An Operational History of MACVSOG

By: Robert M. Gillespie

Narrated by: Paul Heitsch

Without doubt the most unique U.S. unit to participate in the Vietnam War, the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACVSOG) was a highly-classified, U.S. joint-service organization consisting of Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Marine Force Reconnaissance units, the Air Force, and the CIA. Committed to action in Southeast Asia even before the major U.S. build-up in 1965, it also fielded a division-sized element of South Vietnamese military personnel, indigenous Montagnards, ethnic Chinese Nungs, and Taiwanese pilots.

During its nine-year existence, MACVSOG participated in most of the significant operations of the conflict, including the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Tet Offensive, the incursion into Cambodia, the Green Beret murder case, the Phoenix program, and the Son Tay POW raid. The story of this extraordinary unit has never before been told in full and comes as a timely blueprint for today's unconventional warfare. Published in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army.

The book is published by Naval Institute Press.

©2011 Robert M. Gillespie (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Fascinating account...Gillespie's book is particulary timely in light of the ongoing fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It demonstrates the hazardous duty that SOG teams endure." ( Military Heritage)

"Assembled from declassified documents and memoirs, Black Ops Vietnam is an in-depth focus on the deeds of this elite group, and its true stories are especially relevant amid today's problematic, complex, and difficult ongoing counter-insurgency operations. Highly recommended." ( The Midwest Book Review)

A great synopsis of the Vietnam War

One of the best books about Americas involvement in the war, well explained but too much technical info that the average reader wouldn't understand

Almost information overload

Good just very very detailed. Probably could use a few more stories opposed to statics.

Bad 0 Stars

the only audio book I have ever returned. 0 Stars. The thing sounds like a eulogy.

Too much useless information

It is a shame this book is not more interesting. It is hard to even listen to with over 50% of it being completely useless information on the amount of planes boats and troops that were used each year. Only a true diehard military historian would find any use for most of the information this book covers.

Very dry

The book is very informative but lacks any real draw to keep you enthralled. The narrator was excellent, but he was basically reading a list of operations that occurred.

Would not recommend.