-
Abandoned in Hell
- The Fight for Vietnam's Fire Base Kate
- Narrated by: Brian O'Neill
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Hill 488
- By: Ray Hildreth, Charles W. Sasser
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 13, 1966, men of the 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division were stationed on Hill 488. Before the week was over, they would fight the battle that would make them the most highly decorated small unit in the entire history of the US military, winning a Congressional Medal of Honor, four Navy Crosses, 13 Silver Stars, and 18 Purple Hearts - some of them posthumously.
-
-
Exceptional Experience
- By Robert on 04-06-16
By: Ray Hildreth, and others
-
Ripcord
- Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970
- By: Keith W. Nolan
- Narrated by: George Spelvin
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles's last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the US.
-
-
Action packed
- By mark blankenship on 08-16-21
By: Keith W. Nolan
-
Baptism
- A Vietnam Memoir
- By: Larry Gwin
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Yale graduate who volunteered to serve his country, Larry Gwin was only 23 years old when he arrived in Vietnam in 1965. After a brief stint in the Delta, Gwin was reassigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in An Khe. There, in the hotly contested Central Highlands, he served almost nine months as executive officer for Alpha Company, 2/7, fighting against crack NVA troops in some of the war's most horrific battles.
-
-
Great story of a front line grunt during Vietnam
- By richard fox on 05-04-16
By: Larry Gwin
-
Eyes Behind the Lines
- L Company Rangers in Vietnam, 1969
- By: Gary A. Linderer
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In mid-December 1968, after recovering from wounds sustained in a murderous mission, Gary Linderer returned to Phu Bai to complete his tour of duty as a LRP. His job was to find the enemy, observe him, or kill him - all the while behind enemy lines, where success could be as dangerous as discovery.
-
-
Must read for anyone who enjoys Vietnam era LRRP
- By Adam on 12-22-19
By: Gary A. Linderer
-
Life and Death in the Central Highlands
- An American Sergeant in the Vietnam War, 1968-1970 (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series)
- By: James T. Gillam
- Narrated by: Todd Belcher
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1968 James T. Gillam was a poorly focused college student at Ohio University who was dismissed and then drafted into the Army. Unlike most African-Americans who entered the Army then, he became a Sergeant and an instructor at the Fort McClellan Alabama School of Infantry.
-
-
Excellent Narrative
- By Doc Holliday on 04-03-17
By: James T. Gillam
-
Guts 'N Gunships
- What It Was Really Like to Fly Combat Helicopters in Vietnam
- By: Mark Garrison
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1967, Mark Garrison had dropped out of college at Southern Illinois University just before entering his third year. He had run out of money and had to work for a while. These were the days before the lottery and the draft soon came calling. In order to somewhat control his own future, he enlisted in the US Army's helicopter flight school program. Little did he know that this adventure would be the most profound experience of his life.
-
-
Fascinating
- By Jean on 04-25-16
By: Mark Garrison
-
Hill 488
- By: Ray Hildreth, Charles W. Sasser
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 13, 1966, men of the 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division were stationed on Hill 488. Before the week was over, they would fight the battle that would make them the most highly decorated small unit in the entire history of the US military, winning a Congressional Medal of Honor, four Navy Crosses, 13 Silver Stars, and 18 Purple Hearts - some of them posthumously.
-
-
Exceptional Experience
- By Robert on 04-06-16
By: Ray Hildreth, and others
-
Ripcord
- Screaming Eagles Under Siege, Vietnam 1970
- By: Keith W. Nolan
- Narrated by: George Spelvin
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 10, 1970, Hill 927 was occupied by troopers of the Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division. By July, the activities of the artillery and infantry of Ripcord had caught the attention of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) and a long and deadly siege ensued. Ripcord was the Screaming Eagles's last chance to do significant damage to the NVA in the A Shau Valley before the division was withdrawn from Vietnam and returned to the US.
-
-
Action packed
- By mark blankenship on 08-16-21
By: Keith W. Nolan
-
Baptism
- A Vietnam Memoir
- By: Larry Gwin
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Yale graduate who volunteered to serve his country, Larry Gwin was only 23 years old when he arrived in Vietnam in 1965. After a brief stint in the Delta, Gwin was reassigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in An Khe. There, in the hotly contested Central Highlands, he served almost nine months as executive officer for Alpha Company, 2/7, fighting against crack NVA troops in some of the war's most horrific battles.
-
-
Great story of a front line grunt during Vietnam
- By richard fox on 05-04-16
By: Larry Gwin
-
Eyes Behind the Lines
- L Company Rangers in Vietnam, 1969
- By: Gary A. Linderer
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In mid-December 1968, after recovering from wounds sustained in a murderous mission, Gary Linderer returned to Phu Bai to complete his tour of duty as a LRP. His job was to find the enemy, observe him, or kill him - all the while behind enemy lines, where success could be as dangerous as discovery.
-
-
Must read for anyone who enjoys Vietnam era LRRP
- By Adam on 12-22-19
By: Gary A. Linderer
-
Life and Death in the Central Highlands
- An American Sergeant in the Vietnam War, 1968-1970 (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series)
- By: James T. Gillam
- Narrated by: Todd Belcher
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1968 James T. Gillam was a poorly focused college student at Ohio University who was dismissed and then drafted into the Army. Unlike most African-Americans who entered the Army then, he became a Sergeant and an instructor at the Fort McClellan Alabama School of Infantry.
-
-
Excellent Narrative
- By Doc Holliday on 04-03-17
By: James T. Gillam
-
Guts 'N Gunships
- What It Was Really Like to Fly Combat Helicopters in Vietnam
- By: Mark Garrison
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1967, Mark Garrison had dropped out of college at Southern Illinois University just before entering his third year. He had run out of money and had to work for a while. These were the days before the lottery and the draft soon came calling. In order to somewhat control his own future, he enlisted in the US Army's helicopter flight school program. Little did he know that this adventure would be the most profound experience of his life.
-
-
Fascinating
- By Jean on 04-25-16
By: Mark Garrison
-
Da Nang Diary
- A Forward Air Controller's Gunsight View of Flying with SOG
- By: Tom Yarborough
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Da Nang Diary is the story of how, in Vietnam, an elite group of Air Force pilots fought a secret air war in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes - flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the forward air controller made an art form out of an air strike - knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life-and-death decisions as a battle unfolded.
-
-
Just Another Vietnam Book? Oh So Much More!
- By Bee Keeper on 02-16-21
By: Tom Yarborough
-
Tiger Bravo's War
- By: Rick St. John
- Narrated by: David L. White
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tiger Bravo’s War follows a band of young paratroopers, from the same battalion in the elite 101st Airborne Division portrayed in Stephen Ambrose’s World War II best seller Band of Brothers, during their first year in combat in the Vietnam War - from a bayonet charge in War Zone D and street fighting during the 1968 Tet Offensive, to a rescue mission of a surrounded platoon and rock and roll in the company mess hall, and much more.
-
-
Vietnam from an Officer's Perspective...
- By Michael Richards on 05-11-18
By: Rick St. John
-
To the Limit
- An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam
- By: Tom A. Johnson
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From June 1967 to June 1968, Tom Johnson accumulated an astonishing 1,600 flying hours piloting the UH-1 "Iroquois" - better known as the "Huey" - as part of the famous First Air Cavalry Division. His battalion was one of the most decorated units of the Vietnam War, and helped redefine modern warfare. Johnson's riveting memoir takes us into key battles and rescue missions, including those for Hue and Khe Sanh. In harrowing detail, he tells of being shot down in the battle of A Shau Valley, of surviving enemy attacks during the Tet Offensive, and of a death-defying nighttime river rescue.
-
-
Huey pilot's perspective of the 67-68 Vietnam war.
- By Jim on 10-15-18
By: Tom A. Johnson
-
Vagabonds
- Tourists in the Heart of Darkness
- By: Nick Brokhausen, Jeff Miller
- Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1978 - a chance meeting on a remote military airbase between two Green Berets involved in the same operation leads to a partnership that will last over 40 years. Four years after that meeting, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller leave the service within a few weeks of each other and begin an odyssey that takes them to dozens of countries on five continents.
-
-
Wrong narrator
- By Charles Harris on 12-15-21
By: Nick Brokhausen, and others
-
SOG
- The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam
- By: John L. Plaster
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Plaster’s riveting account of his covert activities as a member of a special operations team during the Vietnam War is “a true insider’s account...this eye-opening report will leave readers feeling as if they’ve been given a hot scoop on a highly classified project” (Publishers Weekly). Code-named the Studies and Observations Group, SOG was the most secret elite US military unit to serve in the Vietnam War - so secret that its very existence was denied by the government.
-
-
More, give me more.
- By MP on 03-06-19
By: John L. Plaster
-
We Were Soldiers Once... and Young
- Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam
- By: Harold G. Moore, Joseph L. Galloway
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 16 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In November 1965, some 450 men of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, under the command of Lt. Col. Hal Moore, were dropped by helicopter into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. They were immediately surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Three days later, only two and a half miles away, a sister battalion was chopped to pieces. Together, these actions at the landing zones X-Ray and Albany constituted one of the most savage and significant battles of the Vietnam War. How these men persevered makes a vivid portrait of war at its most inspiring and devastating.
-
-
The truth
- By Bobbyg on 10-08-19
By: Harold G. Moore, and others
-
Run Through the Jungle
- Real Adventures in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade
- By: Larry J. Musson
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Larry J. Musson comes an authentic account of combat with an airborne company in the waterlogged rice paddies and demanding jungles of South Vietnam. Share the experiences of fighting men under punishing conditions, extreme temperatures, and intense monsoon rains as they search for the enemy in the rugged mountains and teeming lowlands. Relive all the terror, humor, and sadness of one man's tour of duty with real-life action in spectacular, stunning detail.
-
-
It never grabbed me
- By Steve on 09-05-18
By: Larry J. Musson
-
Death in the A Shau Valley
- L Company LRRPs in Vietnam, 1969-1970
- By: Larry Chambers
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Larry Chambers was still new to Vietnam in early 1969 when the LRRPs of the 101st Airborne Division became L Company, 75th (Rangers). But his unit's mission stayed the same: act as the eyes and ears of the 101st deep in the dreaded A Shau Valley - where the NVA ruled. Relentless thick fog frequently made fighter bombers useless in the A Shau, and the enemy had furnished the nearby mountaintops with antiaircraft machine guns to protect the massive trail network that snaked through it. So, outgunned, outmanned, and unsupported, the teams of L Company executed hundreds of courageous missions.
-
-
Stories you may not have heard. A Shau Valley⁷
- By data tech on 11-11-21
By: Larry Chambers
-
Dead Center
- A Marine Sniper's Two-Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War
- By: Ed Kugler
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there - the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at 17, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966. As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up bush skills while attached to 3d Force Recon Company, and then joined the grunts.
-
-
Detailed and personal - made me forget my problems
- By MP on 11-29-16
By: Ed Kugler
-
SOG Medic
- Stories from Vietnam and Over the Fence
- By: Joe Parnar, Robert Dumont
- Narrated by: Arthur Flavell
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the years since the Vietnam War, the elite unit known as SOG has spawned many myths, legends, and war stories. Special Forces medic Joe Parnar served with SOG during 1968 in FOB2/CCC near the tri-border area that gave them access to the forbidden areas of Laos and Cambodia. Parnar recounts his time with the recon men of this highly classified unit, as his job involved a unique combination of soldiering and lifesaving.
-
-
Medics in Vietnam war
- By William R. Todd-Mancillas (Name includes hyphen and camptalized M) on 11-27-19
By: Joe Parnar, and others
-
19 Minutes to Live
- Helicopter Combat in Vietnam
- By: Lew Jennings
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over 12,000 helicopters were used in the Vietnam War, which is why it became known as "The Helicopter War". Almost half of the helicopters, 5,086, were lost. This memoir describes first-hand the harrowing experiences of helicopter pilots and crews in combat operations, from the far South to the DMZ, including the infamous Ashau Valley, Hamburger Hill, LZ Airborne, and others. 19 Minutes to Live illustrates the incredible courage and determination of helicopter pilots and crews supporting those heroes that carried a rucksack and a rifle in Vietnam.
-
-
Not a novel about flying in Vietnam
- By Jimhusky on 09-05-18
By: Lew Jennings
-
Secret War in Laos: Green Berets, CIA, and the Hmong
- By: Steven Schofield
- Narrated by: Andrew Rowe
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tale of a young Green Beret medic, Vietnam combat veteran with the top secret Studies and Observations Group (SOG) who was recruited by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Schofield worked five and a half years providing medical support for the Hmong and other Hill Tribes who fought the CIA’s secret war in Northern Laos, and was among the last Americans to leave SE Asia in May 1975. It was a surreal time and place that would be impossible to even imagine today.
-
-
Excellent
- By David on 01-21-20
By: Steven Schofield
Publisher's Summary
In October 1969, Captain William Albracht, the youngest Green Beret in Vietnam, took command of a remote hilltop outpost called Fire Base Kate, held by only 27 American soldiers and 150 Montagnard militiamen. He found their defenses woefully unprepared. At dawn the next morning, three North Vietnamese Army regiments - some 6,000 men - crossed the Cambodian border and attacked. Outnumbered three dozen to one, Albracht's men held off repeated ground assaults by communist forces with fierce hand-to-hand fighting, air support, and a dangerously close B-52 strike. For days, the NVA blanketed Kate in a rain of rockets, mortars, artillery, machineguns, and small arms, blocking efforts to resupply, reinforce, or evacuate the outpost. Albracht continually exposed himself to enemy fire to direct air strikes, to guide re-supply helicopters, to distribute ammunition and water to his men, to retrieve the dead and to rescue the wounded, often shielding men with his own body. Wounded by rocket shrapnel, he refused medical attention or evacuation. Exhausted from days without sleep, he continued to rally his men to beat off each new enemy attack.
After five days, Kate's defenders were out of ammo and water. Aerial resupply was suicidal, and reinforcements were denied by military commanders who had written off Kate. Albracht refused to surrender or die in place. Refusing to allow his men to surrender, Albracht led his troops, including many wounded, off the hill and on a daring night march through enemy lines.
Abandoned in Hell is an astonishing memoir of leadership, sacrifice, and brutal violence, a riveting journey into Vietnam's heart of darkness, and a compelling reminder of the transformational power of individual heroism. Not since Lone Survivor and We Were Soldiers Once, and Young has there been such a gripping and authentic account of battlefield courage.
More from the same
Narrator
What listeners say about Abandoned in Hell
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Effie
- 04-12-16
Amazing story
Any additional comments?
Once you finally get to the story, its a great book. But there's actually only about 3 hours worth of "story". The first 5 hours of this book is setting up for the story. But it's worth getting to the good stuff.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 03-27-15
The Best Read about Vietnam Combat Bases!
Would you listen to Abandoned in Hell again? Why?
I most certainly will!. This is how a good writer can take a story right to your heart! This is a must read for those interested in the Vietnam War and a prime example how a narator can hold your attention to such a deree you hate to stop the listen!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Abandoned in Hell?
When the Fire Base Leader began to lead his troops to safety under such hopeless odds. Never give up was my leason!
What does Brian O'Neill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
His voice rises, falls & pauses at all of the right times. I"d love to have a beer with him! Great job.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, but time constraints would not allow it in one go.
Any additional comments?
This is just how all Books should be written & read! Perfect for me.ND John
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jon
- 05-28-15
Military/Political stupidity hasn't changed
What did you love best about Abandoned in Hell?
The story was amazing. It somehow captures the chaotic nature of combat very clearly. It also hints at the amazingly stupid beuarcracy in the DoD, that would sacrifice men's lives to prove a policy theory. Its one thing to die for ground or an objective, but this book highlights the stupidity of letting men die to promote your career or silly ideology.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- E. Ronakov
- 06-10-22
A great read
Well researched, written, and narrated, Abandoned in Hell is an incredible account of the struggle for Firebase Kate and one I knew little about prior to this. Highly recommended.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tony
- 05-16-22
Name pronunciations
I think the narrator could have did a better job of pronoincing names of Vietnamese villages & towns with a little help.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gary Pforr
- 12-23-21
A Remarkable True Story of Beating the Odds
An intense tale of soldiers who found themselves surrounded by superior NVA forces at a fire support base in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam. The author documents the heroic actions and leadership of those who stepped up and stuck their necks out to take charge, making it possible to hold back recurring artillery and ground attacks until withdrawal by night time escape became necessary. Also documented were the heroic airmen who risked life and limb to deliver ammo, water, and supplies to those under siege, as well as the FOs and attack pilots who helped to hold back the hoards of attacking NVA. I sensed the author 's bitterness at being denied the support of the upper echelons of both the South Vietnamese and US Army commands, at a time when "Vietnamization" was supposed to be taking place. The writing style of the book was engaging and the narration was excellent. As one who has had virtually no contact with the men with whom I served, I found the author's post-war biographies of the men he served with at Fire Support Base Kate most heartening. Despite the hardships they had endured, most went on to enjoy rewarding relationships and careers.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MK
- 02-17-21
Fantastic Read.
One of the best books out there. Capt. Albracht writes about fire base Kate in such a way that you are there with him during his time there. Exhilarating, and horrified of the many dangers he and his men faced each day. The camaraderie and brotherhood that was exhibited during their war time battles is a thing of beauty that most do not understand unless one was in the Military or L.E. As an American, whether you believe in war or not, we should be thankful everyday for the sacrifices these men gave in a cause they themselves they may or may not have believed in, but honor them for the courage they exhibited and the sacrifices they made during their time of combat. Captain Albracht style of writing is honest and captures the frantic moments of battle but also acknowledges the heroism of each man while under combat. The other wonderful thing Captain Albracht did at the end of his book (Story) was to give an update of their personal lives of the men he served with which is a touching way to end the book. Captain Albracht and all the men and women who serve in our military, thank you for your service and welcome home......
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Katrina Case
- 07-26-20
wow
You don't fully understand what our soldiers went through until you hear 1st hand accounts like this. This is a book you could listen beginning to end without stop.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- matthew wilson
- 02-04-20
Amazing and captivating
This story gives great insight into the life of Soldiers during Vietnam during a short but decisive battle. It also tells the story of post war life for many of the Soldiers involved. There are leadership lessons to be taken away from this story, as well as history to be learned.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 09-27-18
Another fucking courtesy of the US military
Here's yet another example of the US military fucking its soldiers and getting away with it. I'll never understand why the "commanders" seem to think they know everything when even a nonmilitary person, with no military training, can see the situation is FUBAR. The book itself is really good. Make you laugh, cry, and piss you off! Well it did for me anyhow. Narration is pretty good, although some accents seemed to be off.