Magazine Reviews

"Combat memoirists rarely display such firm authority so engagingly as former Marine Captain James Coan, who commanded a tank unit in 1967 - 1968 during the battles around the encircled bastion of Khe Sanh... Con Thien was, in Coan's view, a microcosm of America's general failure in Vietnam and the late William Westmoreland's tactical failure in particular."

--Military History of the War


"This is a magnificent account of the battles, the suffering, the sacrifices, and the enduring courage of the Marines who fought, bled, and died on what Coan calls a red-clay target."

--Leatherneck


"There are still lessons for the Marine Corps to learn from Vietnam--supply and artillery to name but two--and this book is a good source for those who would like to understand more about actual experience in those areas."

--Marine Corps Gazette


"With this sterling book, Captain Coan, Marine Tanker, wounded Vietnam Veteran, and combat leader against many of the  battles fought against the experienced and professional North Vietnamese Army in and around 'The Hill of Angels,' has arrived as a riveting and knowledgeable Marine Corps historian."

--The Khe Sanh Veterans' Red Clay

Reader Reviews

"As a former Marine who served in Northern I Corps with the 12th Marines I found this history stark and sobering. ... What most America's don't realize and Coan does a first rate job of explaining is that Marine existance in Northern I Corps was a day to day slug-fest with North Vietnamese Army regulars. No booby traps, punji sticks, black pajama's but uniformed and well trained soldiers whose only goal was to punish Marines and punish them in a severe and regular manner.

I wish every American interested in the Vietnamese War would take the time and read this text to balance out their knowledge of the war and how the Marine Corps endured hell in an obscure place and in a manner that continues the legacy of Belleau Wood, Guadacanal, Inchon and the hundreds of other places that Marines have served"

--Chris S. Brooks-Miller (Amazon.com Book Review)

"This book was written as a product of the author's extended research and readings from varied resources (see his bibliography), interviews with Marines who were there and his own first person experiences as a tank platoon leader. He sets the historical stage in a brief but informative manner and includes the geography of Con Thien and an excellent summary of the major cast of participants. Mr. Coan addresses and describes these critical components in a smooth, understandable narrative. A reader learns about the 'big picture' and how it spun into reality for the individual Marine. We read what life was like for the Marine stationed at Con Thien and his often courageous participation in battle. Once I started reading the book, I had a hard time putting it down.
This is a must read for those of us who are seeking to formulate our own answer(s) to the rhetorical question posed by then President Johnson, "Why Vietnam?"

--Tracy Alton  (Amazon.com Book Review)

"Jim Coan was my Marine tank platoon leader during part of my 12 month & 29 day tour in Vietnam. I have read countless historical volumes about the War in Vietnam. Jim tells one of the most comprehensive and detailed histories of this God-forsaken piece of real estate that I have ever read. "Con Thien - The Hill of Angels" should be required reading on the Commandant of the Marine Corps Career Enhancement Reading Program. Five Stars and two thumbs up for his wonderful book."

--John Wear, Alfa Co, 3rd Tank Bn, Former Sgt of Marines (Amazon.com Book Review)

"This piece by James Coan is an absolute work of ART! If you haven't yet bought the book, BUY IT! Rumor has it that Coan is preparing for his next masterpiece, but you have to get Hill of Angels. If there is one book that everyone interested in the Vietnam era should read, it is this one. Thanks to Coan, we can finally get a sense of what this war really was, complete hell on earth."

--Veronica K. Shadow (Amazon.com Book Review)

"I was a Corpsman with First Bn. Fourth Marines during almost the same time frame as Mr. Coan.

He covers all the major battles and many of the skirmishes and the different sites in the Leatherneck Square area superbly. If you were a Marine or Hospital Corpsmen there during that time you will find this an outstanding read.

If you want to know what it was really like on the DMZ and the Trace in 1967 and 1968, I have not read anything more in depth than this treatise. I highly recommend this for anybody interested in the history of the Marines on the DMZ."

--Its Dakota (Amazon.com Book Review)

"This is a rare book that has the details of personal combat, the overall strategy, is well documented and is still easy to read. It is important to preserve this history for future generations both because we owe it to those who fought and died and so we won't repeat the same mistakes. As a retired Navy Commander, I had studied Vietnam in the Naval War College, but Mr. Coan's book gives a much more intimate portrait as well as discussing the overall strategy.
I knew Jim Coan, not in Vietnam, but as a leader in the California Youth Authority where he started many innovative programs for troubled young people. More importantly, he displayed the Marine Corps values of courage, honor, and committment. These values were more important to him than promotion. Jim Coan served as an example to wards, staff, and me as a teacher."

--Ed Griffith (Amazon.com Book Review)

"This book is an excellent review of the daily lives of Marines and Corpsmen who served on the Hill of Angels. I was with Naval Support Unit, DaNang 1966-67 on YFU 66. We ran constant supply missions up the coast and thru the Cau Viet River to Dong Ha during the many offensives around Con Thien. We delivered everything from Tanks to C-Rations and also the 175mm "Long Tom". This book has given me a new insight to the sacrifices made by many who kept our river supply routes open and a safe passage for our boat crews.
Jim also describes how the North Vietnamese Units were allowed to hide in the DMZ area as a safe haven and shell Con Thien without reprisal. Never Again should this protection be granted by our politicians when the lives of our Armed Forces are in Harm's Way.
I thank Jim for his book and appreciate his thoroughness and accurate recording of events that occurred during his tour. Thanks to the many who sacrificed everything and Welcome Home to those who are still recovering from this period of time in our history. Semper Fidelis!"

--Edward Anderson (Amazon.com Book Review)