We are Soldiers Still audiobook

One of the very best books on the subject of war etc I've ever read.Here we have the same authors who were responsible for also excellent 'We Were Soldiers Once and Young' - Harold Moore and Joe Galloway. One of them a Lt. General and the other a journalist.The two men return to the Ia Drang battlefield in the company of the men they were fighting against on that fateful day back in 1965. There're not too many books on this subject which cause you to swallow hard, but this one is soooo well written, very emotional, and certainly had that effect on me.To get the full appreciation from it the first book, dealing with the actual build up and battle in November 1965, should be read first. It would help greatly with the understanding of the finer points and personalities covered/mentioned here.Personally the section which deals solely with Hal Moore's 'Lessons On Leadership' which covers around thirty pages I could have done without. Again its my preference, but to me it detracted somewhat from the atmosphere created by the main story itself.That's probably why I didn't feel I could give it five stars.However I will (God willing) be reading this book again at some stage I'm sure.A totally recommended read - even with that unnecessary chapter!

In their stunning follow-up to the classic bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway return to Vietnam and reflect on how the war changed them, their men, their enemies, and both countries—often with surprising results. More than fifteen years since its original publication, the number one New York Times bestseller We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young is still required reading in all branches of the military. Now Moore and Galloway revisit their relationships with ten American veterans of the battle—men such as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley and helicopter pilot Bruce "Old Snake" Crandall—as well as Lt. Gen. Nguyen Hu An, who commanded the North Vietnamese Army troops on the other side, and two of his old company commanders. These men and their countries have all changed dramatically since the first head-on collision between the two great armies back in November 1965. Traveling back to the red-dirt battlefields, commanders and veterans from both sides make the long and difficult journey from old enemies to new friends. After a trip in a Russian-made helicopter to the Ia Drang Valley in the Central Highlands, with the Vietnamese pilots using Moore's vintage U.S. Army maps and Galloway's Boy Scout compass to guide them, they reach the hallowed ground where so many died. All the men are astonished at how nature has reclaimed the land once scarred by bullets, napalm, and blood. As darkness falls, the unthinkable happens—the authors and many of their old comrades are stranded overnight, alone, left to confront the ghosts of the departed among the termite hills and creek bed. Moore and Galloway combine gritty and vivid detail with reverence and respect for their comrades. Their ability to capture man's sense of heroism and brotherhood, their love for their men and their former enemies, and their fascination with the history of this enigmatic country make for riveting reading. With sixteen pages of photos, tributes to departed friends and loved ones, and General Moore's reflections on lessons learned throughout his military career, We Are Soldiers Still puts a human face on warfare in a way that will not soon be forgotten.

I really liked this book. I now see Hal Moore as more of a person with his own flaws and idiosyncracies, but still a great warrior and hero. When you see the movie "We Were Soldiers" (starring Mel Gibson) you find yourself frequently saying "That wasn't in the book" (We were Soldiers once...and young,) and you wonder if once again Hollywood took 'Artistic License' with a great classic book. However, all of those moments are explained in this book. This book gives a more well rounded view of Hal Moore and Joe Galloway...and especially Sargeant Major Plumley, and other soldiers. Many of the humorous moments in the movie weren't in the original book, but are described in this book. I also really enjoyed reading Harold Moore's reflection on the events and his feelings and interactions with his "opposite number" from the North Vietnamese Army. Even though I was a little girl during the Vietnam War, like everyone else in America, I guess I needed some closure on this. It was soothing to read about Hal Moore's rainy night on the old battlefield with some of his old comrads and how the battlefield was largely the same as they remembered, but when one old soldier searched for fragments or momentos all he found were wild flowers that weren't there before, but now seemed to thrive on the soil fertilized by the blood of the fallen. It reminded me of Peter, Paul, and Mary's Anti-Vietnam War anthem "Where have all the flowers gone?" I guess they found them.

This is one of the most beautiful and powerful books that I've ever read. I never had the privilege of meeting Lt Gen Moore but, just from reading his book, I know I would have followed him into the Ia Drang valley in November 1965, and anywhere else since. Every chapter brought tears to my eyes. But mostly what made me sad is the complete and utter contrast with the so-called 'leadership' in America today.I never met Lt Gen Moore but I can still follow where he led: "Never quit. There's always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favour."I am the proud daughter of a Vietnam veteran. I am proud to be an American. And I will never quit.#resist

I actually purchased this book in a small tourist gift store near Halong bay in 2015.Being Australian and only really interested in Australian war history in Vietnam I put it on my shelf for a few years but recently dusted it off to read it.It was a good reflection on a glimpse of how tough the War was on those battlefields and how much the USA suffered especially in the early years of the Vietnam war.Wasn’t a huge fan of the movie they made to reflect the book and some scenes were very dubious as the book reflects a different story.The leadership spiel at the end was ok I did feel it was necessary it just felt like I was reading a corporate management leadership booklet.But all in all it has sparked my interest on the USA involvement in Vietnam as just like America,Australia too sent conscripted troops to when some were still just teenagers.But yeh would recommend this one.

In this book Harold Moore and Joe Galloway discuss how the traits that served them well on the battlefields of Vietnam continue to impact their lives and the lives of those around them. While the book We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young was written from an American point of view, it occasionally mentioned the actions of the Vietnamese commanders. That perspective was obtained by means of several trips to Vietnam to meet with those commanders as part of the research effort. Furthermore, Moore and Galloway travelled to Vietnam several times after that book was written. A substantial part of this book describes these trips.One trait that had served Moore well in Vietnam was a respect for the enemy. Why is this important? First, he never lost sight of the humanity of the enemy, even in the thickest of fights. Every man he lost in battle was a devastating loss to that man's family and friends back home. The same consequences applied to every enemy soldier killed in battle, as well. Second, a failure to respect the enemy would lead to overconfidence, a potentially fatal underestimation of the enemy's capabilities. Moore never lost this character trait and demonstrated it in his meetings with Vietnamese commanders. The mutual respect shown in these meetings eventually led to friendship between former enemies.In one trip, Moore and Galloway were accompanied by several veterans of the Ia Drang battles and visited landing zones X-ray and Albany. During this trip, these veterans got to meet with Vietnamese veterans of these same battles. One machine gunner found himself talking with a commander whose battalion had been mowed down by him. This commander was the godfather of the daughter of one of the dead and only days before had presided over her wedding, a duty that would have been her father's responsibility had he not died in battle. Some of the American veterans of these battles had been bitter over the losses of friends and comrades, but these interactions showed them the humanity of these former foes who had suffered just as much.As a professional soldier, Moore believed that military force was to be used only as a last resort because of the price in lives and because it it always much easier to avoid a war than to get out of it. He had not been impressed with the decision quality of the Johnson administration, and his first return trip to Vietnam reinforced that opinion. During some slack time in Hanoi, Moore and Galloway visited the Vietnam Historical Museum and saw a mural that put the war in perspective. This mural served as a map and timeline of more than a thousand years of history. A fifty-foot section of the mural portrayed a half dozen invasions and occupations of Vietnam by the Chinese, with some of the occupations lasting centuries before Vietnamese patriots and rebels drove out the invaders. The 150-year French colonial occupation garnered a mere twelve inches, and the entire Vietnam War was displayed in three inches. This mural showed in graphic detail that the Vietnamese had a history of fighting for generations to drive out foreign occupiers. If only the American political leadership had considered this before committing themselves to war.Towards the end of the book, Moore outlines various leadership principles he had learned and practiced throughout his life, giving copious examples of how they helped him to succeed and stay out of trouble. He had practiced some of them as a teenager seeking appointment to West Point. Another one, regarding keeping alert for trouble when everything seems ok, may well have saved his battalion at landing zone X-ray. Patrols he had sent out one morning because it was too quiet ran into a column of PAVN soldiers stealthily advancing on his lines.An appendix to the book pays tribute to two heroes: Rick Rescorla and Moore's late wife Julie.Rescorla had been a die-hard platoon leader at landing zone's X-ray and Albany. Later in life, he was vice president for security at Morgan Stanley. During the 1993 truck bombing of the World Trade Center, he maintained order and successfully evacuated the staff. Recognizing that there would be more attacks later, he sought and obtained authority to run several surprise emergency evacuation drills each year. These drills paid off on September 11, 2001. Although Morgan Stanley was in tower 2 and had not yet been hit, Rescorla ignored instructions to keep his people at their desks and ordered them to evacuate and to run as fast as they could as far as they could. Thanks to his efforts, only six Morgan Stanley employees, including himself, died.During the Ia Drang battles, the Army was unprepared for large-scale casualties, and telegrams sent to next of kin were delivered by taxi drivers. Julie Moore took it on herself to follow these cabs and comfort new widows and to stand next to them at graveside ceremonies. Afterwards, she and the wife of the division commander personally and successfully lobbied the Pentagon to change its policies. When the movie We Were Soldiers was being filmed, she noticed that the all-white cast of actresses portraying Army wives did not reflect the actual racial make-up of the women she had known and successfully lobbied the director to correct this.These eulogies are tastefully done, and I believe they add to the quality of the book. I listened to an audio version of the book. Normally, these are narrated by professional voice actors, but this book is narrated by Joe Galloway. He doesn't sound as impressive as the voice actors, but it adds authenticity to the book.

If possible, even better than the first book!Man, this book... I don't know where to begin. There are so many lessons that are just jumping off the pages. Lessons not just in leadership, but I'm forgiveness, in love and friendship and loyalty. Lessons in dedication and commitment to a cause bigger than yourself. Lessons in the true horrors and consequences of war. Every single American should read this book, no matter your race, color, creed, or political affiliation. The lessons in this book are universal.

The Vietnam war is an era which American army would never eve like to repeat. The lessons learnt from fall of French in Vietnam and then mistakes made by America by getting involved in far eastern country are interesting and should not be forgot. The book brings out the important mistakes made by politicians and leadership lessons one should imbibe in life in a very well manner.A very well written book for army history lovers

Excellent Continuation of Hal and Joe's StoryIf you read the first book,, you will enjoy this one. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway continue wherever the first book left off. Very good information about the country of Vietnam, it's history and culture. The book shares important information about war and leadership that we can all learn from. Definitely worth your time to read and enjoy.

Excellent story and historical record. Vastly interesting facts about viet nam from ancient times to the time of book publication. I recommend it to anyone interested in the war or the country. I admit I listened to the audio cd read by the author and that made it all the more interesting.

I view this as a follow up book to the first one. A closure book of sorts. A really really interesting read. Harold G. Moore and Joe Galloway are engaging writers! They know how to suck the readers into their world.

Review for WE ARE SOLDIERS STILLTruly exceptional and touching piece of military memorabilia. I highly recommend this and all others by these authors to anyone interested in military literature.

What a book! I think it was his candor and especially his leadership rules that impressed me the most. Definitely reread soon.

Read as part of the Honor Them Project. Moore did it again.So much quality information in such a readable form.

Great to hear from the General again.As an old retired Major who lived through this period of history I couldn't agree more with his words on leadership. Love is the foundation of the true leaders motivation for serving. Thanks again for a wonderful read.