Getting Out of Saigon

How a 27-Year-Old Banker Saved 113 Vietnamese Civilians

By: Ralph White

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

A “captivating” (The Washington Post) true story of “courage, resolve, and determination” (Christian Science Monitor), author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army.

In April 1975, Ralph White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank to the Saigon Branch. He was tasked with closing the branch if and when it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese army and ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees.

But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined. The senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff of the branch and their families, which was far more than he was authorized to do. Quickly he realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate but how.

Getting Out of Saigon is an “edge-of-your-seat” (Oprah Daily) story of a city on the eve of destruction and the colorful characters who respond differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s quest to save innocent lives not because he was ordered but because it was the right thing to do.

©2022 Ralph White. All rights reserved. (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

getting out of Saigon

thus book explains so much about what happened during the fall of Saigon . not only did America but all of our allies let the Vietnamese people down.

snapshot of a time in Vietnam

Description of real people in a difficult situation and how they managed to overcome.

excellent listen

excellent story enhanced by superb narration. As a young adult I worked along side many refugees from Vietnam and Laos. This book helped paint a picture of what some endured to get out.

what a fantastic story

The fall of Saigon was a traumatic event. I still recall photos of people hanging from helicopter skids in their desperate attempt to escape what was coming.
This book is very informative as to what was happening during those fateful days. I highly recommend it.

Amazing Story

I enjoyed every part of this book. it shows the resilience of an individual who is driven to accomplish the mission assigned to him. His creativity in overcoming the barriers he confronted led to his success. Very few people would have accomplished this mission. As a Vietnam Veteran who spent some time in and around Saigon, his descriptions of Saigon were very accurate.

Captivating

I found the story told to be captivating, well thought out, well presented. Thank you

Riveting!!

An astounding story so well-told, that I always wanted to know what came next. This is like a driveway moment on steroids!

Thoughtful memoir

This memoir covers a very short period of time in Ralph White's life. White is a lowly bank accountant and asked to be in Saigon for the final days before the North Vietnamese overrun the city. His job is for Chase to stay open as long as possible then shut the business and arrange passage out of the country for Chase Bank's South Vietnamese employees. White discovers that there is no plan nor support from the US ambassador, and so White scours the city for options in these dangerous end-of-war days of 1975. This book is beautifully written and engaging, scary, and moving at times. It is probably a little longer than it needed to be. Between those strong moments, there was too much lag time with White talking with one person after another, mostly with people we don't know and might not see again. In spite of that small weakness, this is powerful history that transported me to another place and time.

Compelling. True. A human angle of the fall

I had a front row seat at the end of the evac as a young 18-year-old Marine standing offshore on Navy vessels. I have always had a soft spot for the Viet people, Especially the Montagyard. This story presents a whole new side of the evac and the refugees, that I had never imagined.
Ralph White is a HERO. Why have we never heard his name before?

Brilliant.

A brilliant listen and perfectly read. Filled in the missing part in my memory of that time.