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I was asked to provide what I thought were some good reference material on Vietnam era special operations. Since there are quite a few good books out there on this topic, I concentrated on books that provided a "picture heavy" content so if someone wanted these books for their own library, they got more than just text.
This is by no means what I would consider the definative list. I've added my own comments on the books after the astrix and included the ISBN if someone needs it. These books are not ranked in any order except how I pulled them off my shelves. If anyone has some to add I personally would appreciate that but remember, this list is for more photographic content books.
Here you go:
Special Forces Camps in Vietnam 1961-70, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-84176-839-1
*Fortress series #33. Photos are in black and white. The book includes color plates of the various sections of a camp. Not very heavy on photos of people, the book might be useful in making a dio.
Mobile Strike Forces in Vietnam 1966-70, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 978-1-84603-139-7
*Battle Orders series #30. Photos are in color as well as black and white.
Green Beret in Vietnam 1957-73, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-85532-568-3
*Warrior Series #28. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates.
Vietnam ANZACs Australian & New Zealand Troops in Vietnam 1962-72, by Kevin Lyles, Osprey Publishing
ISBN1-84176-702-6
*Elite Series #103. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. Nice reference on Aussie and Kiwi SAS in Vietnam.
Vietnam Airborne, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-941-9
*Elite Series #29. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. Although there are other non-special operations units covered as well the book covers Marine Recon, Pathfinders, LRRPs, Mike Force, Aussie SAS and New Zealand SAS.
US Army Rangers & LRRP units 1942-87, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-795-5
*Elite Series #13. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The Vietnam section is small but might be of use to someone.
US Army Special Forces 1952-84, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-610-x
*Elite Series #4. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The book is not purely on Special Forces in Vietnam but does cover the period well.
Marine Recon 1940-90, by Charles D. Melson, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-85532-391-5
* Elite Series #55. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The book does not purely cover Recon ops in Vietnam but does have a few photos of that period.
US Elite Forces - Vietnam, by Leroy Thompson, Squadron/Signal Publications
ISBN 0-89747-170-9
*Combat Troops Number 7. Photos are in black and white. There are some color plates in the book center.
LRRP's in action, by John Burford, Squadron/Signal Publications
ISBN 0-89747-312-2
*Combat Troops Number 11. Photos are in black and white. There are some color plates in the book center.
SEALs in Vietnam, by Eric Micheletti, Histoire & Collections
ISBN 2-908-182-645
* Photos are color as well as black and white. Photos cover Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and SEAL ops in Vietnam and training for deployment in the States. Nice details of equipment and weapons.
PJs in Vietnam, the Story of Air Rescue in Vietnam as seen through the eyes of Pararescumen, by SMSgt Robert L. LaPointe, USAF Ret, Northern PJ Press
ISBN 0-9708671-0-7
*Photos are black and white. Although most of the pictures are of aircraft, there are a few rare Pararescue photos.
Ranger, Behind Enemy Lines in Vietnam, by Ron Field, Military Illustrated
ISBN 1-903040-04-3
*Photos are in color as well as black and white. Some photos include re-enactors wearing period uniforms.
Uniforms and Equipment of US Army Infantry, LRRPs, and Rangers in Vietnam 1965-1971, by Paul W. Miraldi, Schiffer Military History
ISBN 0-7643-0958-7
*Photos are in color as well as black and white. Although all of the black and white and some of the color photos are historical, some of the color pictures of re-enactors wearing uniforms of the period. These pictures are for the modeler as they show various angle shots of gear and weapons.
Running Recon, a Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, by Frank Greco, Paladin Press
ISBN 978-1-58160-526-6
* Photos are black and white. A great companion book to Plaster's, another photo heavy book.
SOG, a Photo History of the Secret Wars, by John L. Plaster, Paladin Press
ISBN 1-58160-058-5
* Photos are black and white. One of the best photo heavy books on the Studies and Observation Group (SOG), the book covers ground, air and water borne forces assigned to SOG.
Shadow War, the CIA's Secret War in Laos, by Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, Paladin Press
ISBN 0-87364-825-0
*Photos are black and white. Of interest are various CIA case officers working with Laotian forces. Not a picture heavy book but the uniqueness of the topic makes it worth the effort.
Classified Secret, Controlling Airstrikes in the Clandestine War in Laos, By Jan Churchill, Sunflower University Press
ISBN 0-89745-241-0
* Photos are black and white. Of interest are Combat Controllers and Forward Air Controllers.
This is by no means what I would consider the definative list. I've added my own comments on the books after the astrix and included the ISBN if someone needs it. These books are not ranked in any order except how I pulled them off my shelves. If anyone has some to add I personally would appreciate that but remember, this list is for more photographic content books.
Here you go:
Special Forces Camps in Vietnam 1961-70, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-84176-839-1
*Fortress series #33. Photos are in black and white. The book includes color plates of the various sections of a camp. Not very heavy on photos of people, the book might be useful in making a dio.
Mobile Strike Forces in Vietnam 1966-70, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 978-1-84603-139-7
*Battle Orders series #30. Photos are in color as well as black and white.
Green Beret in Vietnam 1957-73, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-85532-568-3
*Warrior Series #28. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates.
Vietnam ANZACs Australian & New Zealand Troops in Vietnam 1962-72, by Kevin Lyles, Osprey Publishing
ISBN1-84176-702-6
*Elite Series #103. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. Nice reference on Aussie and Kiwi SAS in Vietnam.
Vietnam Airborne, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-941-9
*Elite Series #29. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. Although there are other non-special operations units covered as well the book covers Marine Recon, Pathfinders, LRRPs, Mike Force, Aussie SAS and New Zealand SAS.
US Army Rangers & LRRP units 1942-87, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-795-5
*Elite Series #13. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The Vietnam section is small but might be of use to someone.
US Army Special Forces 1952-84, by Gordon L. Rottman, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 0-85045-610-x
*Elite Series #4. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The book is not purely on Special Forces in Vietnam but does cover the period well.
Marine Recon 1940-90, by Charles D. Melson, Osprey Publishing
ISBN 1-85532-391-5
* Elite Series #55. Photos are in black and white and there are color plates as well as color insignia drawings. The book does not purely cover Recon ops in Vietnam but does have a few photos of that period.
US Elite Forces - Vietnam, by Leroy Thompson, Squadron/Signal Publications
ISBN 0-89747-170-9
*Combat Troops Number 7. Photos are in black and white. There are some color plates in the book center.
LRRP's in action, by John Burford, Squadron/Signal Publications
ISBN 0-89747-312-2
*Combat Troops Number 11. Photos are in black and white. There are some color plates in the book center.
SEALs in Vietnam, by Eric Micheletti, Histoire & Collections
ISBN 2-908-182-645
* Photos are color as well as black and white. Photos cover Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and SEAL ops in Vietnam and training for deployment in the States. Nice details of equipment and weapons.
PJs in Vietnam, the Story of Air Rescue in Vietnam as seen through the eyes of Pararescumen, by SMSgt Robert L. LaPointe, USAF Ret, Northern PJ Press
ISBN 0-9708671-0-7
*Photos are black and white. Although most of the pictures are of aircraft, there are a few rare Pararescue photos.
Ranger, Behind Enemy Lines in Vietnam, by Ron Field, Military Illustrated
ISBN 1-903040-04-3
*Photos are in color as well as black and white. Some photos include re-enactors wearing period uniforms.
Uniforms and Equipment of US Army Infantry, LRRPs, and Rangers in Vietnam 1965-1971, by Paul W. Miraldi, Schiffer Military History
ISBN 0-7643-0958-7
*Photos are in color as well as black and white. Although all of the black and white and some of the color photos are historical, some of the color pictures of re-enactors wearing uniforms of the period. These pictures are for the modeler as they show various angle shots of gear and weapons.
Running Recon, a Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, by Frank Greco, Paladin Press
ISBN 978-1-58160-526-6
* Photos are black and white. A great companion book to Plaster's, another photo heavy book.
SOG, a Photo History of the Secret Wars, by John L. Plaster, Paladin Press
ISBN 1-58160-058-5
* Photos are black and white. One of the best photo heavy books on the Studies and Observation Group (SOG), the book covers ground, air and water borne forces assigned to SOG.
Shadow War, the CIA's Secret War in Laos, by Kenneth Conboy and James Morrison, Paladin Press
ISBN 0-87364-825-0
*Photos are black and white. Of interest are various CIA case officers working with Laotian forces. Not a picture heavy book but the uniqueness of the topic makes it worth the effort.
Classified Secret, Controlling Airstrikes in the Clandestine War in Laos, By Jan Churchill, Sunflower University Press
ISBN 0-89745-241-0
* Photos are black and white. Of interest are Combat Controllers and Forward Air Controllers.