The Battle of Long Tan as Told by the Commanders to Bob Grandin.

• Author: McGibbon, Ian
• Position: Book Review

THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN as Told by the Commanders to Bob Grandin

Author: Bob Grandin Published by: Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2004, 332pp, $42.95.

Of all the battles fought by Australian forces during the long war in South Vietnam, that at Long Tan in August 1966 has long held pride of place. An Australian infantry company unexpectedly found itself engaged in a life and death struggle with a much superior enemy force that was apparently intending to attack the Australian Task Force base at nearby Nui Dat. In the midst of a tropical downpour Australian infantrymen fought with great determination to hold off repeated attacks. They could not have survived without effective artillery support, which was immediate and sustained. It is this artillery dimension that will increase interest in this book among New Zealand readers...