Bibliography
Published Books
Five books spanning three decades of research into the Vietnam War — from POW rescue operations to the fall of South Vietnam.
Encounter Books · 2021
Drawn Swords in a Distant Land
South Vietnam's Shattered Dreams
The first in-depth history of the rise and fall of the Republic of Vietnam, from the Diem presidency through the fall of Saigon. Reveals previously unreported evidence about the Diem coup, new details about the backroom maneuvering that chose Thieu over Ky for the presidency, and an unknown French plot in the war's final days to prevent North Vietnam from conquering Saigon.
Encounter Books · 2012
Black April
The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973–75
Covers the period from the January 1973 Paris Peace Accords to Saigon's surrender on April 30, 1975. Based on exhaustive research including primary source documents from American archives, North Vietnamese publications, and interviews with key South Vietnamese participants — incorporating nearly one hundred North Vietnamese unit histories, battle studies, and memoirs.
Self-Published · 2014
Peace, POWs, and Power
Reflections on the Vietnam War
A collection of reflections on the Vietnam War drawing on decades of research and personal engagement with veterans, policymakers, and historians. Explores the intersections of diplomacy, the POW experience, and the exercise of American power during and after the conflict.
Presidio Press · 2004
Leave No Man Behind
Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War
The story of Garnett "Bill" Bell, the first chief of the U.S. POW/MIA office in post-war Vietnam. Chronicles Bell's quest — at great personal cost — to find and bring home American POWs and MIAs, from his 1960 Army enlistment through his 1993 retirement.
The Free Press · 1998
Code-Name Bright Light
The Untold Story of U.S. POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War
Using previously classified NSA intercepts, State Department cables, and wartime interrogation reports, reveals the American military's extensive secret operations to locate and rescue POW/MIAs during the conflict. The raids succeeded in freeing hundreds of captive South Vietnamese soldiers.