April Fools
By George W. Schwarz, Jr.

     In most previous books about Vietnam, the emphasis has been on the military and political aspects. April Fools is an account of actions in that conflict which have not been treated before, the civilian participation.

     April Fools is a revealing chronicle of the participation of civilians prior to and during the Vietnam War, from the US first involvement with the Vietnamese during the closing days of World War II when a team of the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS, precursor to the present-day CIA) advisors in 1945 entered Indochina to assist Ho Chi Min, until the chaotic evacuation of the South Vietnamese and American civilians when the US was forced to withdraw in 1973. Civilians acted as advisors, helped build roads, repair aged infrastructures and aid in the evacuation of refugees from battle areas. The civilians suffered casualties rarely reported to the media.

     This well-written account of the author's experiences captures the reader's attention with details never before revealed, a clear concise account of when and how and why the U.S. became involved in Vietnam and of the tragic consequences.

      This is a book that has an area whose treatment has been long overdue, a book which every thinking American should read.