Reviews

"Mike Archer has written an intelligent, courageous, sensitive book about an historic battle in a controversial war. He reflects on the joy, the sorrow, the fear, and the wonder that was Khe Sanh. And Archer remembers it as it was, rather than the way he might have wanted to remember it. In this he stays honest and true to the friend he lost on a hill overlooking Khe Sanh, a death that was as ambiguous as the war itself. Mike Archer accurately captures the time and experience of a Marine PFC stuck in a God-forsaken place. This book is well researched and rich in historical context. It is indicative of a mature, older man trying to understand the traumatic war experiences of his youth in a more complete way. For all these reasons, I have adopted it as required reading for my Honors Colloquium on 'The Lessons of Vietnam' at the University of Delaware. It truly is first-rate. 

Kenneth J. Campbell, Ph.D., 
Assoc. Prof. of Political Science & IR
Dir., International Relations Program
University of Delaware  

                                                          "A moving and powerful and very honest  piece of work that brought a lot of memories back to me. I appreciate you writing this book."                             Wayne Karlin, fomer Marine helicopter door gunner in Vietnam, author and Professor of Literature at the College of Southern Maryland. His books include Crossover, Lost Armies, The Extras and US. Karlin also co-edited the first anthology of Viet Nam war veteran fiction, Free Fire Zone, and in 1995, co-edited The Other Side of Heaven: Post War Fiction by Vietnamese and American Writers.

                                                         "As author of the books On Killing and On Combat I try to read every first-person historical narrative I can get my hands on, in order to understand what happens to the individual in combat. This book is one of the most powerful and authentic first person narratives to come out of Vietnam. It powerfully captures a vital piece of history, yet is also a very valuable contribution to anyone who would study the behavior of men in war."

Dave Grossman, Lieutenant Colonel, USA (Ret.), author, scholar, lecturer and one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime.

"It is a well thought out and beautifully written book. At times the author brought tears to my eyes with the graphic description of his companions and his own emotions when he wrote about the sweat, dirt and the exhaustion. After all these years, Michael Archer reached something inside me because I had always avoided talking about the war."

Edward Heyman, Modesto, CA

WWII Marine Corps veteran who saw combat in the Solomon Islands 1942-43

"A Patch of Ground: Khe Sanh Remembered" takes the reader into the heart of the U.S. war in Vietnam told in very human terms. Archer's prose is vivid and detailed, the account of his actions 'in country' both humble and humbling, and the incidents he relates sometimes darkly humorous and sometimes intensely frightening. Archer's deft style draws the reader into the story so that it becomes more than ancient history.... There are more than two dozen black-and-white photographs with several maps to help orient the reader."

Daniel Barnett

Chico Enterprise-Recorder

"'A combination of personal narrative and historical overview, with maps and photos, this is the best first-hand account of the battle."

VIETNAM Magazine

"I enjoyed A Patch of Ground very much. It is obvious you wrote it not only with your brain but also with your heart."

Senator Harry Reid

Majority Leader

United States Senate

"I have read numerous books about the Vietnam War and this is definitely one of the best. In fact, I enoyed A Patch of Ground so much-- I read it twice."

Senator Warren B. Hardy

Nevada State Senate

"An outstanding account.  Takes an old Marine back to his youth.  Mike Archer captures the essence of the young Marine in Viet Nam; tough, lonely, living miserably and dangerously, yet committed to his mission and especially his fellow Marine.  This is a must read for anyone interested in knowing (or remembering) what it was really like at Khe Sanh in late 1967 and early 1968.”

Ray Smith, Major General, USMC (Ret), Company Commander at Khe Sanh and co-author of The March Up, Taking Baghdad with the First Marine Division.

 Jacksonville, NC

"There is simply no way that a first time author should be able to take credit for this excellent book. Archer captures the big picture of the battle in and around Khe Sanh for the uninitiated. At the same time, he puts the reader there, lets them smell the cities and fear the enemy, as the best authors do. Your only disappointment from reading this book will be when he has no more story to tell.

By far, in my opinion, this book's greatest asset is its humanity. When I read this book for the first time, I was weeks away from publishing a work about my own wartime experiences, which I co-authored with a fellow platoon leader. After working on my manuscript for three years, I had grown too close to it to realize the personal nature of the stories, thoughts, and fears that I was revealing in it. After reading Mr. Archer's book here, I realized how personal of a story my co-author and I were telling.

I am afraid, though, that we do not plumb to the depths of our own stories as effectively as Mr. Archer does in this book. If you didn't know him before reading it, you did afterward. You know his motivations, you know his sense of humor, and mostly, you know his truly honest and earnest nature. This is why meeting him and his friends was an extraordinary moment for me, and one that made this already remarkable book even a more important work in my own eyes.

As long as nations are going to war, a few will do their best to tell their stories. If a few from every generation can tell their stories as humbly and well as Mr. Archer tells his, the record of our culture will be thorough and well preserved.

Caleb Cage, co-author of The Gods of Diyala: Transfer of Command in Iraq

"I read this book over the course of several evenings last week. It was a very insightful story that captures the essence of one man's war experiences, from pre-enlistment to completion of his service. The story and photographs present the Khe Sanh siege in very personal terms and came across as forthright and honest. It does not glorify war, but honors those who did the dirty work for very little appreciation or recognition. I would highly recommend this book to someone who wants to know more about a high profile event from a regular, ground level perspective."

Captain Steve Swenson

Eugene Oregon Police Department

Eugene, OR

"I have just read A Patch of Ground by Michael Archer and I would strongly recommend it to all. It is honest and true. The book is a masterpiece in my opinion." Frank Ahearn

Platoon Commander at Khe Sanh

Casper, WY

I just finished reading [A Patch of Ground] and it is outstanding!"

Wes Hammond, Colonel, USMC (Ret.), Battalion Commander in Vietnam, former editor of The Marine Corps Gazette and the U.S. Naval Acadamy magazine Shipmate and author of The Treaty Navy: The Story of the US Naval Service Between the World Wars. Reno, NV

"One of the most impressive narratives I have read in a long time. In fact, I can not think of any other book I have read from a veteran that painted such a clear picture of events while at the same time not getting bogged down in opinion or emotion. I have read many books on Vietnam and they always seem to focus on the politics. For once I was able to get a good idea of what the troops were actually doing. In sum, Wow!"
Joseph P. Hupy, Ph.D.

Visiting Assistant Professor
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

"I read A Patch of Ground and was totally engaged.  Mike Archer is a great storyteller – made me laugh, cry and just wonder how the US got out of Vietnam without getting everyone killed.  I couldn’t believe some of the scenarios he described – seemed like no one really knew what was going on while at the same time they were coordinating the most sophisticated moves."

Gail Dolgin, filmmaker, whose film Daughter From Danang was nominated for the 2003 Academy Award for best documentary feature. 

"I read A Patch of Ground, enjoyed it, admired its honesty and directness. Michael Archer just tells us how he experienced it, feeling no need to play down or build up the drama.  Very real.  You can feel what a decent,straight- forward person the author is."             Steven Okazaki, filmmaker, has received a Peabody Award and been nominated for three Academy Awards, winning an Oscar in 1990 for the documentary short subject Days of Waiting: The Life and Times of Estelle Ishigo  

"In a powerfully written, highly descriptive and fast paced narrative, Michael Archer recounts his experiences as a radioman during the crucial three-month North Vietnamese siege of the remote US Marine outpost at Khe Sanh, South Vietnam in 1968. When he arrived at Khe Sanh in December 1967, Archer had no idea that he would soon be immersed in the bloodiest, most confusing and controversial battle of the Vietnam War. Thus, his story portrays the growing apprehension of the Marines as they realized that Communist forces had encircled the American base with the intention of scoring a decisive victory over the US. Archer effectively conveys the fear, trepidation and general bewilderment experienced by newly arrived Americans in the combat zone while graphically describing the fall of Khe Sanh village during the early days of the battle. In the process, Archer blends humor, irony and drama to craft one of the best books written about the Vietnam War and certainly the preeminent account of the battle of Khe Sanh. His depiction of his personal journey from an awkward, alienated youth to a cynical, hardened Khe Sanh combatant, invites the reader to consider the perplexing situation in the US during the 1960s as Americans argued with increasing fervor over the American commitment to South Vietnam, the often impulsive decisions of young people to join the military at a time when it was engaged in an unpopular struggle, and the loyalty and camaraderie that grew up among those who fought together in South Vietnam. At the same time, Archer confronts a number of controversial issues left over from the hostilities, including the sometimes uneven performance of South Vietnamese troops, the controversial decisions on the part of US Marine commanders to abandon several US Army positions under attack by superior Communist forces and the ferocious conflict that arose between the US Army and the US Marine Corps in the midst of the hostilities. As a radio operator working in the 26th Marines Regimental Command Post, Archer examines the complex relationship between enlisted men and officers during wartime and demonstrates the critical role of technology in preventing a North Vietnamese onslaught against the Khe Sanh perimeter. By far, the best sections of the book are his depictions of the daily existence of Marines at Khe Sanh with all of their idiosyncrasies, foibles, superstitions, dark humor and forced bravado under the most sustained barrage of enemy fire of the conflict. Archer brings these outrageous characters to life as he portrays the everyday valor of the young Marines endeavoring to survive their time at "The Worst Place on Earth." (124-25) Indeed, despite the poignancy of the story, this reviewer often found himself laughing aloud at Archer's representations of his fellow Marines. He ends the book with a moving and personal tribute to his childhood friend who was subsequently listed as an MIA in South Vietnam. Yet, his work clearly indicates that Archer remained unprepared for the negative reactions of his fellow citizens towards veterans when he returned to the US. Nor does he attempt to hide the bitterness that all Khe Sanh participants felt after the US command abandoned the base in July 1968. Thus, Archer points out that after "over 1,000 Americans died fighting for Khe Sanh in 1968" (175), Marine veterans of the battle witnessed the outrageous spectacle of the US command giving up the position without a fight where so many young Marines had recently struggled and died. Perhaps, this superb book's greatest value is that it stands as a metaphor for the frustration and futility felt by those who clashed over thousands of 'patch[s] of ground' (188) throughout the Vietnam War."

Robert J. Topmiller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, Eastern Kentucky University, author of The Lotus Unleashed, The Buddhist Peace Movement in South Vietnam, 1964-1968, and Red Clay on My Boots: Encounters With Khe Sanh 1968-2006

"The book is an honest look at a battle that pitched technology versus ferocity. It cuts through the trite stereotypes and delves into the reality of fighting a pitched battle against a foe who often was just as miserable as the Marines surrounded at Khe Sanh Combat Base, established to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In it Mike ot only drops the reader into the bunkers with the Marines, but also explores the terrain and history of Vietnam. He puts the battle in context, human, tactical and strategic."

Kurt Hildebrand

The Douglas County Record-Courier

"I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed A Patch of Ground. While I am not an expert on the Vietnam War genre, I have read both Hackworth's "Steel My Soldier's Heart's" and Moore's "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young." I found your memoir compared quite favorably to both of these titles, and in many ways proved to be the most enjoyable read of the three. You personal reflections as a young, Northern Californian, Marine Corps enlistee, and combatant gave your recollections a sense of humanity beyond that achieved in the other two works."

Tom Davies

Reno, NV