Despite its unfortunate subtitle, Honorable Exit is a serious, well-researched and engaging attempt to relate the story of the last days of South Vietnam, or the Republic of Vietnam ... declassified U.S. government documents that shed revealing light on the dismal failure of the Ford administration and the ambassador to South Vietnam, Graham Martin, in particular, to prepare for the repatriation of U.S. personnel and the extraction of Vietnamese whose lives would be in danger if they stayed behind ... Clarke excels at balancing captivating oral history and illuminating political history ... The author’s work as a novelist is evident in the way he delineates key players. The good are very good and the bad, well, very bad ... In its final chapters, Honorable Exit expertly captures the mayhem of South Vietnam’s dying days.
Honorable Exit is another important, and very readable, history from...Thurston Clarke ... Clarke’s research is relentless—he has unearthed and read pertinent material, and interviewed the players in this extraordinary story. The rich bibliography has 141 citations. It’s an extraordinary effort, giving us the back-story for the fall of Saigon. Perhaps most importantly, Thurston Clarke reminds the reader of what America gained by rescuing the Vietnamese refugees.
Historian Clarke...offers a thrilling and fresh perspective of the Vietnam War based on new information and a showcase of American heroism ... Fans of military and U.S. history will revel in Clarke's expert storytelling, well-crafted re-creations, and research.
Clarke...does a fine job in this latest reconstruction of the infamous, chaotic final days of the Republic of (South) Vietnam ... Clarke provides compelling details ... Filled with new information and riveting recreations of daring rescues, this book adds significantly to the history of a notable moment in U.S. military history.
A detailed account ... [and] harrowing narrative ... Moving to a hair-raising climax, Clarke meticulously sifts through hasty evacuation measures and relates the sad stories of those who did not make it out. A welcome addition to the literature on the Vietnam War.
