Price of Exit: A True Story of Helicopter Pilots in Vietnam

I've read dozens of books on the Vietnam War. This is the best one I've read on the helicopters and their crews. Others, while in some cases excellent, I've read were just first-person accounts of the author. Here Tom Marshall blends his own experiences with those of others he served with. This book provides more data, more events, larger context. The helicopter crews had much higher casualty rates than ground combatants. They just flew rapidly into so many fights and were high value targets to the NVA. As with other books on Vietnam, I am struck by how poorly served the grunts and helicopter air crews were by the upper brass. They deserved sharper leaders making decisions leading up to the Lam Son 719 operation into Laos, for instance. In this book and other books, the terrible performance of ARVN comes across. US troops could have accomplished far more in Laos on the ground if they'd been allowed. It was bad enough that they were fighting for a lost cause. But they were also being poorly led and poorly used while fighting for a lost cause.

Likely produced without editorial input, this book does deliver the sense of frustration experienced by so many VN helicopter pilots. The author's abject frustation with the unnecessary loss of life and with the Lam Son 719 operation in particular is very apparent. More of a personal saga, there are few elements of a novel. While the book is convincingly researched, a professional proofreader would have enhanced the reading experience.

Some books you open and start reading, and in no time you realize that is a superior effort, written with intelligence, passion and command of the subject matter. This book, Price of Exit: A True Story of Helicopter Pilots in Vietnam, is one of those. Many accounts have been written about the Vietnam war, all deserving of their place and respect, but only a few rise above the many that have been published. I did not expect it to be this good. After reading probably over a 100 books on Vietnam alone, I thought that this one purchased at a very nice bargain price, would deliver but not in that way that it did. The amazon reviewers that made me buy this book were right on the money when they said it was one of the very best. The author, Tom Marshall, is so eloquent in his writing manner, that is a true pleasure to read his book, and the subject of the last days in a conflict that for many should have never happen, could not been more violent, tough, gritty and well told that what the book delivers. Truly, a book to remember, written with authority by a skillful voice, to the point where the mud, the low level flying, the barrage of enemy firepower, the casualties of an almost ending conflict, make it all more real. Word by word, you certainly get the full delivery, well worth the price of admission, that is for sure. 4.5 Stars!

Outstanding book. Reading it brought pack old feelings of that time, especially the part relating the conflict between Lt. Col. Peachey and Major Bunting. Peachey was an idiot. To use an expression of those times Peachey was a "lifer" in the most pejorative sense of the word. One who cares only about his career and certainly not the lives of his men or the accomplishment of the mission through the employment of smart tactics. Peachey should have been captured by the NVA when his aircraft was shot down. Major Bunting displayed leadership of the highest degree, that leadership which inspired the loyalty of his men. To not have followed him back to LZ Brown would have been unthinkable. As it happened the Blue Stars did not lose one aircraft. Marshall was lucky to get his transfer to the 163rd just before Lam Son 719 started. I missed Lam Son 719 by the skin of my teeth. There is an element of guilt there a large element knowing that so many good men were lost in that operation for insignificant results and a war that was lost before it started. I am proud to have been an Army Aviator and Lam Son 719 showed Army Aviators from company commander on down at their very best under the worst conditions. I highly recommend this book.

As a former Vietnam Helicopter pilot during 1968 and 1969, I found his book exciting and accurate in details of flying in a war. I did, however find it difficult to keep track of who was flying and where they were flying. Mr. Price jumped from action to action or character to character too often and without sufficient preparation. I had difficulty keeping track of who was flying what with which unit. I will attribute that to this being Mr. Marshall's first book. Prof-reading could be better! Still, however, a worthwhile read. I would recommend this book to all veteran pilots; as it provided a new insight to some of the most disastrous operations of the war.

Extrem eindrückliches Buch über die Eindrücke eines Hubschrauberpilotes im Vietnamkrieg. Der Krieg hat bekanntlich nur Verliere gekannt und genauso wie die Vietnamesen für Ihre Ziele gekämpft haben, haben die amerikanischen Soldaten auch um ihr Leben gekämpft.

good book

First Class Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam.Gives a good account of himself and all of the other tragic deaths of helicopter crews in this conflict.Well worth buying if you like history and helicopter aviation.

I have read many books on this subject and found this one to be the best. The other books have mostly been quite good but I have found this one to be very well written. It has the right amount of detail and a good mix of personal experiances as well of others during his 12 months in Vietnam. You clearly get to appreciate how dangerous their work was and tthat they faced it most times they flew. It never fails to impress me how they were thrust into battle with so little flying experience yet succeeded and this book highlights that.

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