Fifty years after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing US forces to defend South Vietnam, this incredible book arrives with a one-stop visual tour of every item of gear employed by American infantrymen in the long years of battle that followed.

With over 2,000 photos accompanied by insightful text (did we know that the US buildup was so sudden that initial divisions had to be issued black leather footwear instead of tropical boots?) this work digs into every nook and cranny of the infantry’s experience “in-country.” M-16s, Claymores, M-60s, grenades and knives and knives are naturally examined in full color. But so is every variety of clothing, rations, helmets, hats and caps, as well as medals, patches and insignia.

This remarkable collection does not stop there, however, as it also examines the soldiers’ pastimes, from music to magazines (not just Life or Time but Mad, Playboy and the periodical Grunt) as well as the brands of beers, cigarettes and other leisure elements. Rare photos of soldiers themselves in Nam spot the narrative, as well as glimpses of what was going on back in the States meantime, including protests. Carefully compiled and lavishly illustrated, this unique book provides a visceral tour down memory lane for every soldier who served in Vietnam.

It is also a revealing guide to those in the general public who may have wondered exactly what our troops felt, handled and experienced during that tumultuous American war in remote Southeast Asia.