Anyone who knows Al Santoli knows he is an American patriot
one who puts country ahead of self. One who is in that rat race
of Washington DC and still keeps his integrity without looking for a cushy place of fame or wealth. We cannot find these folks around any more. A must read

It is unfortunate that this outstanding book is out of print because the lessons contained within the pages are timeless. Al Santoli, a Vietnam veteran, assembles a comprehensive cast to provide anecdotes about their problems and solutions to reforming and reorganizing the post Vietnam era United States Armed Forces. This book is just not for military leaders, officer and enlisted; the lessons of the book apply to all leaders, especially in organizations that are in need of change.

Al Santoli's book, To Bear Any Burden, is a narrative of stories told by 47 Americans, Vietnamese (both North and South), and Cambodians regarding their experiences before the US involvement, during the US war, and the war's aftermath (after the departure of US troops). Each tale (from two to 10 pages in length) is riveting in itself. The book moves in relative chronilogical order beginning in 1954 and concludes with the present (circa 1985). Each tale is successfully interwoven with the next story such that there is a cohesiveness and a logical flow to the story telling timeline.

Some of the stories are quite stunning: from the description of US soldiers being called baby-killers and spat on after they returned to the US [difficult to comprehend in this patriotic post 9/11 world] to the horror stories of the Communist regimes in Cambodia and in North/South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon [after reading theses stories, one should question why the US would want to establish ties to Vietnam].

This "straight from the hip" narrative is recommended to anyone wishing to learn more about the scenes from a participant's point of view.

I first read To Bear Any Burden when it was originally released in 1985. This has been a 'must-read' classic of American involvement in Southeast Asia since it was published. For it, Santoli interviewed, in depth, 47 individuals representative of that involvement from 1945 into the 1980s--Americans, Viet-Namese (communists and anti-communists), Cambodians and Laotians. The book is so artfully compiled as to flow like a single narration; yet the 'cast of characters' are separate in time, space, culture and social rank--an entire spectrum from ambassadors to villagers, soldiers to politicians, in one volume. No ones education about the Viet-Nam War is complete unless they've read this book.

Al Santoli has collected the recollections (including his own) of thirty-three American soldiers who fought in Vietnam. The soldiers include an Army enlistee who finds a "nine-to-five war" when he arrives in Vietnam in 1962; an Army drill sergeant who worries that the Army prevents him from teaching his men the killer instinct; and a Navy SEAL whose job is terrorism. ["It was a business, and the business was terrorism." (pg. 219)] The soldiers also include a naval aviator who as senior POW officer worries as much about his men's mental health as his own; and a medical corpsman present during the 1975 fall of Saigon.

Most of these recollections do not emphasize bloodshed. Instead they emphasize the Vietnam War's effect upon men and women soldiers; white and minority soldiers; and enlisted personnel, officers, and their families. The recollections discuss the relationship between the Americans and the Vietnamese people. The recollections also discuss the Viet Cong war philosophy: terrorism and erosion of will.

On April 30, 2000 a copyrighted Reuters news article "Vietnam Celebrates War Anniversary" reported that Vietnamese "Officials paid glowing tribute to the three million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died during the war. More than 58,000 American troops were also killed in the conflict." The same article reported that many Vietnamese "also express growing unease over Vietnam's woes: graft, smuggling, heroin addiction, prostitution, excessive party control over the economy and a feeling that the world is getting wired to the future and leaving them behind."

The Vietnam War was long, confusing, and controversial. Al Santoli's collection of oral histories dispels some of the confusion, but the controversy remains. Did anyone win the Vietnam War?

This book is worth reading for anyone interested in the history of the Vietnam War.
It is a collection of forty-eight short recollections from a wide variety of Americans and Vietnamese involved in the war, or the country, from the late 50's to the 80's. It also touches on Cambodia and Laos. Each recollection is from one-half to six pages long, and may cover one short event, or several years' experience in the country.
The book deceptively starts out slowly, and it is only with continued reading that one discovers that within this chosen group of recollections are many of the great truths of politics and military conflict in South Vietnam.
The essays cover the fatal flaws inherent within South Vietnam, which include the long history of being a colony of France, without France taking any steps to prepare the country for independence, such as training civil servants or encouraging the rule of law through local rulers. Once independent, South Vietnam was fragmented on religious lines. The civil leaders were corrupt, engaged in nepotism, and did not relate well to the peasants. South Vietnamese military leaders were promoted not on merit, but by family ties and the size of the bribes they paid to the government. For political reasons, the military zone around Saigon was intentionally unorganized and inefficient.
The geography of South Vietnam -- having all its territory within easy reach of Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam -- made it a very difficult land to defend from an enemy with safe sanctuary so close to crucial areas. This book does not mention the oppressive acts of the South Vietnamese government, which helped alienate its citizens. The book seems to understand, if not almost excuse, wrongful acts by US soldiers.
The US tactics also contributed to defeat: rules of engagement tied the military's hands in senseless ways (a SAM base couldn't be attacked under construction, but pilots had to wait until it was operational); rotating inexperienced officers through Vietnam to "punch their combat ticket" was more important than retaining experienced officers and advisors who often "got it" just before being rotated out; the battle for "hearts and minds" was often ignored; and years were wasted on ineffective strategy, until home protests compelled withdrawal.
And, yes, North Vietnam really was an oppressive regime which used terror and lies to achieve its goals.
Any discussion of Vietnam brings up many "what if's?" What if South Vietnam had a more appealing and legitimate government? What if US politicians hadn't used such ineffective strategy and tactics? Is there ANY scenario which would have resulted in a long-term stable and secure South Vietnam?
If you're at all interested in the field, this is a book well worth searching out.

Moving and extreme reality

Everything We Had

Everything We Had is a great book about the Vietnam War that shows the public an actual account of what happened to our troops. Even if the book only about 33 men and women, the tales they tell make you think about the war our country fought. The things they went through are know being learned by the public as what is historical and unforgettable. Al Santoli as serving with the 25th infantry division in Vietnam know what went on and his and the other 33 soldiers story ad to make what should be considered one of the best Vietnam books yet. The way he chronologically puts the events together to create the impact of the entire war hits home to those who only hear stories of Vietnam and those who gave everything they had.

There have been a few who have tried to cast doubt on this entire book because one of the accounts here has been exposed as false. Well guess what folks, we have one person telling rather embellished war stories (and who nonetheless WAS in Vietnam), and that still leaves 32 credible eyewitness accounts. Vietnam Veterans of America is politically centrist and welcomes ALL Vietnam veterans as members, and so the extreme right wing, which would prefer that all veterans groups be ultra-conservative, simply does not like them and will try to discredit anything associated with them, such as this book.

I'd say, forget the critics and read this book. The 32 credible eyewitness accounts here are powerful, moving, and will give you a "grunt's eye view" of what it was like to be there.

This is one of several "in their own words" books which came out during the early 1980s, when America suddenly took an interest in trying to understand and get a grasp on the Vietnam War. In my opinion, this is still one of the best of those books.

EVERYTHING WE HAD is a powerful account by soldiers of the Vietnam war, compiled by a combat veteran, whose experiences and insight ring true for soldiers who have seen hostile fire in any conflict. Members of the Lao Veterans of America who fought in that war have found this book to represent their gut-level experiences and reflections. The benefit of this book for those who have not seen combat, is the fact that Santoli does not attempt to be academic, but instead presents candid personal accounts of fellow soldiers with dignity and honor. Philip Smith, Lao Veterans of America

I have to admit that the promotors of the book did an execellent job in adding a spicy cover and provoking subtitle to the book. I am quite sure it will sell well: what else can be more enticing than gossipping on the conspiracy to destroy the world's only superpower by an upcoming superpower? I think this book is a must read for anyone who is interested in the geopolitical environment in the next few decades. However, the readers are encourage to read, ponder, and take the stuff with a grain of salt.

The original Chinese authors, Col.Qian and Col. Wang may sue Mr. Al Santoli and his publisher for misrepresentation of their original book and the misleading cover image if the latter do not have the former's approval. However, it is hard to believe that the publisher could list them as the 1st and 2nd author without their consent. Either way, I can see US $s flying into the 2 PLA officers' bank account. It is an uncanny union of hawks of two camps who believe that the collision and war between China and US are inevitable. As American, I worry more about our hawks. They have proved themselves to be capable of making wars against alleged enemies. We have heard enough recently about pre-emptive strike as our national defense policy, about US being a good empire obligated to spread our political believes around the globe. The unrestricted warfare advocated in the original Chinese version, on another hand, is primarily a defensive measure as a strategic black mail. It is not a "master plan to destroy America." It is out of the author's frustration felt by many in countries that have repeatedly humiliated by us. That's why people in those countries had cheered when Twin Towers came down. We have to make a distinction between people who undeniably share in some degree the same abhorrence towards us and the terrorists. We would defend our freedom by strength our home land defense and promote a new world order through peaceful means. Democracy cannot be imported and it has to start from inside despite the popular and very tempting believe nowadays that we are an empire and we out to do more militarily for the world. For Chinese, you should rein in your hawks as well. It is dangerous to let them get out of hand.

I have lived in Asia not just visited there. My degreed studies in Asian Studies and an understanding of two Asian languages and being married to an Asian lady gives me an insight to the thinking and traditional values and customs on the region. Many of your so called Customer reviews are clearly individuals that are attempting to cover and rewrite the history of our former leader giving our biggest enemy the technology to kill millions of Americans. Their opinions rate with the British that spoke against Churchill when he and others warned of the treachery of Hitler and the third Reich. The obvious attack by one of your rates on the "hawks" in the US is a clear socialist buzz word that has no bearing on this well written and detailed book. The book is very consistent with the Teaching of Sun Tzu and other Chinese History and is completely believable to any reader with an understanding of the material. The Book details some Information that is only known in some circles high above that of the average civilian. A good read with many good warnings. Not for the weak between the ears.