Gregg Jones

In a remote mountain stronghold in 1968, six thousand U.S. Marines awoke one January morning to find themselves surrounded by 20,000 enemy troops. Their only road to the coast was cut, and bad weather and enemy fire threatened their fragile air lifeline. The siege of Khe Sanh - the Vietnam War's epic confrontation - was under way.

For seventy-seven days, the Marines and a contingent of U.S. Army Special Forces endured artillery barrages, sniper fire, ground assaults, and ambushes. Air Force, Marine and Navy pilots braved perilous flying conditions to deliver supplies, evacuate casualties, and stem the North Vietnamese Army's onslaught. As President Lyndon B. Johnson weighed the use of tactical nuclear weapons, Americans watched the shocking drama unfold on nightly newscasts. Through it all, the bloodied defenders of Khe Sanh held firm and prepared for an Alamo-like last stand.

Now, Gregg Jones takes readers into the trenches and bunkers at Khe Sanh to tell the story of this extraordinary moment in American history.