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This excellently illustrated book is a guide to American vehicles and heavy weapons used by the Army and Marine Corps between 1965 and 1973 when ground combat units were in Vietnam. Vehicles & Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War is the first in a series on Vietnam War weapons, vehicles, aircraft and naval vessels used by U.S. forces.

Author David Doyle is no stranger to Vietnam War vehicles. A military vehicle collector, Doyle proudly owns 10 Vietnam-era vehicles and received the 2015 Bart Vanderveen Award from the Military Vehicle Preservation Association. He has written more than 100 books on U.S. military vehicles.

The wealth of material in this book is divided into three major sections. The first two are dedicated to wheeled tactical vehicles and tracked combat vehicles. The last section is devoted to artillery and heavy weapons—specifically, self-propelled (drivable) weapons and towed weapons.

The author supplements a wide variety of archival photos with detailed historical information, including the development processes behind certain weapons and vehicles. The photographs are accompanied by thorough captions. Doyle also includes charts on engine data and general statistics that will no doubt be useful to researchers.

The book’s most outstanding feature is its array of images. Jeep enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the section on wheeled vehicles with its many photos of hardy vehicles featuring classic designs by manufacturers including Willys, Ford and Chrysler. Readers who collect military vehicles or share the same war history obsessions and admiration for military machines as this reviewer will possibly covet them.

Additionally, there are stunning photos of tanks, with a favorite of this reviewer being the M67A2 Flame Tank, illustrated by photos from the Patton Museum demonstrating the tank’s roaring flames in action.

Vehicles & Heavy Weapons of the Vietnam War is a useful tool for military history researchers, scholars of the Vietnam War or simply those who have enthusiasm for rugged military vehicles and weaponry.

Vehicles & heavy weapons of the vietnam war

by David Doyle, Pen & Sword Military, 2021

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