Escape from Saigon: A Novel

(Hardback)

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Few thirty-day periods in history have been more tumultuous than the fall of Saigon in April of 1975. Few thirty-day periods in history have been more tumultuous than the fall of Saigon in April of 1975. With US military now gone for two years, the North Vietnamese Army routed South Vietnams forces, resulting in thousands of refugees pouring into the former colonial capital. The world watched and waited for what many expected would be a bloodbath.

Escape from Saigon follows various people trapped in the besieged city. Among them are a former GI attempting to rescue his Vietnamese wifes terrified relatives; a Vietnamese-American television reporter whose conflicted heritage threatens her future; an American businessman risking his life to smuggle out his employees; and the last remaining US diplomatic personnel in Saigon, including the ambassador, military liaisons, and CIA operatives. The NVA onslaught is spearheaded by two officersone intent on maintaining military restraint, the other bent on revenge and will sweep up families, friends, and comrades in this final chapter of a war that has already taken millions of lives.

Escape from Saigon is a story of a city and its inhabitants struggling to survive in its most desperate hoursa tale that stays true to the historic record while recounting moments of human hardship, courage, and triumph.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fictionnovels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Reviews

Escape from Saigon is a sweeping saga that places you dead center in the tumultuous final days of the war in Vietnam. During this time of great uncertainty, danger and death - lines are crossed, allegiances questioned, souls collide and heroes are born. Authors Mike Morris and Dick Pirozzolo carry on the grand tradition of Michener and Clavell in that they make history come alive through rich, compelling characters in a pulsating narrative that is both timely and timeless.--Casey Sherman, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Finest Hours

The novel is exceptional in authenticity. Its portrait of city in extremis is chilling and completely engrossing. It will take many back and some forward forward to new foreign involvements.--Llewellyn King, The White House Chronicle

"Michael Morris and Dick Pirozzolo have created a mirror image of the Vietnam era with the style and authority of Tom Clancy, accurately depicting the final heartbreaking weeks of the decades long conflict. Lovers of intrigue, history buffs, or anyone in search of an excellent action read that accurately depicts the journalists who dedicated their lives to covering the Vietnam War will love this book."--Skip Yetter, author of
Rilertown: A Jake Ketcher Novel

Set during the final days of the Vietnam War, Escape From Saigon brings to life the war-torn lives of the men and women, soldiers and civilians alike trapped in the capital city, each trying to escape the fall of Saigon before it engulfs them all. A vivid, unvarnished vision."--Winston Groom, author of Better Times Than These and Forest Gump

Escape from Saigon deftly weaves literary fiction rife with romance and intrigue, and historic fact, all the while providing a reminder of how the same foreign policy blunders in Vietnam were repeated in Afghanistan and Iraq."--Carmen Gentile, war correspondent in Afghanistan and Iraq for Esquire and TIME, the author of Kissed by the Taliban.

"The irony of war is that it simultaneously brings out the best and the worst of humanity. Escape from Saigon reminds us all the cost of every victory, as well as the gain from every loss. The Vietnam war produced some of the best pilots in the world because their lives, as well as the soldiers on the ground, depended on them to get it right on the first try. This story helps make the connection between what was happening in the air with the result of their efforts on the ground...both good and bad." -- Erika Armstrong, ATP, aviation professor, and author of A Chick in the Cockpit
Escape from Saigon is a sweeping saga that places you dead center in the tumultuous final days of the war in Vietnam. During this time of great uncertainty, danger and death - lines are crossed, allegiances questioned, souls collide and heroes are born. Authors Mike Morris and Dick Pirozzolo carry on the grand tradition of Michener and Clavell in that they make history come alive through rich, compelling characters in a pulsating narrative that is both timely and timeless.--Casey Sherman, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Finest Hours

The novel is exceptional in authenticity. Its portrait of city in extremis is chilling and completely engrossing. It will take many back and some forward forward to new foreign involvements.--Llewellyn King, The White House Chronicle

"Michael Morris and Dick Pirozzolo have created a mirror image of the Vietnam era with the style and authority of Tom Clancy, accurately depicting the final heartbreaking weeks of the decades long conflict. Lovers of intrigue, history buffs, or anyone in search of an excellent action read that accurately depicts the journalists who dedicated their lives to covering the Vietnam War will love this book."--Skip Yetter, author of
Rilertown: A Jake Ketcher Novel

Set during the final days of the Vietnam War, Escape From Saigon brings to life the war-torn lives of the men and women, soldiers and civilians alike trapped in the capital city, each trying to escape the fall of Saigon before it engulfs them all. A vivid, unvarnished vision."--Winston Groom, author of Better Times Than These and Forest Gump

Escape from Saigon deftly weaves literary fiction rife with romance and intrigue, and historic fact, all the while providing a reminder of how the same foreign policy blunders in Vietnam were repeated in Afghanistan and Iraq."--Carmen Gentile, war correspondent in Afghanistan and Iraq for Esquire and TIME, the author of Kissed by the Taliban.

"The irony of war is that it simultaneously brings out the best and the worst of humanity. Escape from Saigon reminds us all the cost of every victory, as well as the gain from every loss. The Vietnam war produced some of the best pilots in the world because their lives, as well as the soldiers on the ground, depended on them to get it right on the first try. This story helps make the connection between what was happening in the air with the result of their efforts on the ground...both good and bad." -- Erika Armstrong, ATP, aviation professor, and author of A Chick in the Cockpit

Author Bio

Michael Morris first saw Vietnam as a nineteen-year-old infantry sergeant in 1967-68. He served in the Northern I Corps region during some of the war's fiercest fighting, including the Tet Offensive, earning a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat. Afterward, he made a career of journalism as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and freelance writer.

Dick Pirozzolo served in Vietnam in 1970-71 as an Air Force information officer in Saigon, where he was as an Air Force media spokesperson and regularly participated at the daily press briefings nicknamed "The Five O'clock Follies." He developed a lasting affection for Vietnam and its people, later helping to foster international business relationships and playing a prominent role in the country's eventual reconciliation with the US. Dick still maintains ties to Vietnam and serves on the Editorial Board of the Boston Global Forum, a think tank focused on peace initiatives that include fostering cultural, commercial, and political ties with Vietnam.