{"product_id":"brown-water-black-berets-coastal-and-riverine-warfare-in-vietnam-9781557501967","title":"Brown Water, Black Berets: Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam","description":"The men of the U.S. Navy's brown-water force played a vital but often overlooked role in the Vietnam War. Known for their black berets and limitless courage, they maneuvered their aging, makeshift craft along shallow coastal waters and twisting inland waterways to search out the enemy. In this moving tribute to their contributions and sacrifices, Tom Cutler records their dramatic story as only a participant could. His own Vietnam experience enables him to add a striking human dimension to the account. The terror of firefights along the jungle-lined rivers, the rigors of camp life, and the sudden perils of guerrilla warfare are conveyed with authenticity. At the same time, the author's training as a historian allows him to objectively describe the scope of the Navy's operations and evaluate their effectiveness. Winner of the Navy League's Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement in 1988 when the book was first published, Cutler is credited with having written the definitive history of the brown-water sailors, an effort that has helped readers better understand the nature of U.S. involvement in the war.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThomas J. Cutler is a retired lieutenant commander and former gunner's mate second class who served in patrol craft, cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft carriers. His varied assignments included an in-country Vietnam tour, small craft command, and nine years at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he served as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Seamanship \u0026amp; Navigation Department and Associate Chairman of the History Department. While at the Academy, he was awarded the William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education (military teacher of the year). He is the founder and former Director of the Walbrook Maritime Academy in Baltimore. Currently he is Fleet Professor of Strategy and Policy with the Naval War College and is the Director of Professional Publishing at the U.S. Naval Institute. Winner of the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Naval Literature, the U.S. Naval Institute Press Author of the Year, and the U.S. Maritime Literature Award, his published works include \u003ci\u003eNavCivGuide: A Handbook for Civilians in the U.S. Navy\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eA Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy\u003c\/i\u003e [one of the books in the Chief of Naval Operations Reading Program]; \u003ci\u003eThe Battle of Leyte Gulf\u003c\/i\u003e; \u003ci\u003eBrown Water, Black Berets: Coastal \u0026amp; Riverine Warfare in Vietnam\u003c\/i\u003e; and the 22nd, 23rd (Centennial), and 24th editions of \u003ci\u003eThe Bluejacket's Manual\u003c\/i\u003e. His other works include revisions of Jack Sweetman's \u003ci\u003eThe Illustrated History of the U.S. Naval Academy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDutton's Nautical Navigation\u003c\/i\u003e. He and his wife, Deborah W. Cutler, are the co-editors of the \u003ci\u003eDictionary of Naval Terms\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eDictionary of Naval Abbreviations\u003c\/i\u003e. His books have been published in various forms, including paperback and audio, and have appeared as main and alternate selections of the History Book Club, Military Book Club, and Book of the Month Club. He has served as a panelist, commentator, and keynote speaker on military and writing topics at many events and for various organizations, including the Naval History and Heritage Command, Smithsonian Institution, the Navy Memorial, U.S. Naval Academy, MacArthur Memorial Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, U.S. Naval Institute, Armed Forces Electronics Communications and Electronics Association, Naval War College, Civitan, and many veterans' organizations. His television appearances include the History Channel's \u003ci\u003eBiography\u003c\/i\u003e series, A\u0026amp;E's \u003ci\u003eOur Century\u003c\/i\u003e, Fox News Channel's \u003ci\u003eThe O'Reilly Factor\u003c\/i\u003e, and CBS's \u003ci\u003e48 Hours\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"US Naval Institute Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50918138544402,"sku":"9781557501967","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_423f3956-91da-4c5c-90d5-1637448efc75.jpg?v=1738877703","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/brown-water-black-berets-coastal-and-riverine-warfare-in-vietnam-9781557501967","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}