The Sampan War

It is the year before Tet '68, the huge battle that will dramatically change the course of the Viet Nam War. The Viet Cong are preparing for this campaign under the noses of the Americans and their Vietnamese allies.The VC need Hoa Luu District in the Southern Delta as a staging area for Tet '68. The U Minh Regiment must acquire the canals and the province road, allowing its troops to deploy and move rapidly northeast to attack populated areas. Hoa Luu offers the gateway for success. A few dedicated Americans attached to a District Advisory Team and the Hoa Hao, fierce Delta fighters, stand in their way.The Sampan War is a novel based on historical events and personal observation. It tells the story of people on both sides pulled into the vortex of violent conflict for Hoa Luu District in the year before Tet '68. In a wider context, the novel describes the central tragedy of the Viet Nam War, the dashed hope of thousands of simple people who trusted us. Even today the specter of Viet Nam provides a sobering backdrop for the war on terrorism.