Official, personal accounts of war in Vietnam
On the Offensive

By Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins. Allen & Unwin. 650pp. $80.

Reviewer :: Pte John Wellfare

The eighth volume of The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975 tells the story of the Australian Army in Vietnam from 1967-68.

This is a reference book from a series of reference books and, as such, it is a detailed, comprehensive and very dry read.

On the Offensive is not an adventure story nor is it a personal account. The occasional conversation has been thrown in, mostly to illustrate a point and possibly an attempt to breathe some life into the scenes.

On the Offensive may be far too specific for many, and a little too general for some; anyone looking for a detailed account of the Battle of Coral or Balmoral will find only 20 or 30 pages devoted to each.

Those who have collected the series thus far are unlikely to stop now and shouldn't; the book is a perfect addition to a continuing series.

Anyone looking for information about a specific period or battle may find what they're looking for in On the Offensive, but it would be worth taking some time to flick through it in the bookstore before heading to the counter; this is not, nor does it try to be, a stand-alone title.