From a fellow Marine from Hill 55 just South of Danang who was given a M48 as a 21st birthday present, this is a great book. Tank warfare in the tropics is not like the movies of deserts like North Africa or Iraq and wide open spaces. No, we weren't knocking over jungle trees all the time (though we could). Our main tasks were mobile artillery and convoy security. We didn't invent the term 'Shock and awe', but it certainly applied.
When they gave me Bravo 52 with a blade, they said not to hurt it. Two weeks later, I ran over a 500lb bomb and hurt it bad. The entire left suspension was gone... not just bent and broken, gone! 1 inch bolts sheared flush. Nobody got hurt except the tank. Being surrounded by homogenous steel certainly was comforting.
Mr. Gilbert does an excellent job of painting the mental images of what is was like having one of these monsters and using it in combat.
My combat experience was not one of fighting every day. My tank was assigned to Capt. Robb's infantry company. He had just married the President's daughter, so the Colonel had told the Major that Capt. Robb was to have a good job, but not a dangerous job, so Capt. Robb, his men, and my tank group were assigned bridge security. Well, what's under bridges but water. For several months, my main enemy in Vietnam was leeches. Namo bridge duty was the high light of my tour. Two Marine tanks surrounded by two thousand Army guys to protect us. Still, I don't want to make light of the experience. I know the names of several fellow Marine Corps tankers on The Wall! This book won't become a NY Times bestseller, but it'll bring back memories for those who were there, both in tanks and those who weren't.

John G