Fortress 33: Special Forces Camps in Vietnam 1961-70

by Gordon L Rottman, illustrated by Chris Taylor

Osprey Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-84176-839-1, 64 pages

Gordon Rottman served with Special Forces in Vietnam and used some of these camps, so he writes here with considerable authority on an often-misunderstood subject. These camps were set up to house the teams that recruited and trained local defenders, as well as the locals and their families. Layouts differed widely – even floating versions in the Mekong flood plain – and many are described and illustrated, with plans and aerial photographs to help.

The principles behind the layouts are gone into in detail, as are those governing their defence. Three examples of assaults upon specific camps are covered in depth, with birds’-eye-view plates to make things clear, and there are plenty of photos and plates showing how defence positions looked. Excellent!

Fans of Special Forces figures have here all they need to construct authentic settings for them, and anyone wanting to set a PT-76 in the wire at Lang Vei will find this book essential – that’s one of the attacks covered in detail.

Highly recommended.

John PrigentMore details from Osprey Publishing

Read an extract at Osprey Publishing