“Heroes to the End is a book of vignettes strung around the service of its author during the most turbulent times of the Vietnam War. There have been great books on Vietnam: some have skillfully chronicled the “big picture; others have told the story of the war from the small unit or “grunt’s eye” view. Heroes is different, and refreshingly so. With this book, you get stories from the rice paddies all the way up the chain of command. Smith’s unique perspective stitches together a remarkable patchwork of valor, irony, hubris, and passion for and against the conflict. Very commendable work, and well worth reading.” –Phil Keith, author, “Blackhorse Riders” and “Fire Base Illingworth”

“Heroes to the End” is based on Stars and Stripes Articles written by Jim Smith when he was a reporter in Vietnam in the early 1970’s. It’s a very interesting read and well worth the time. I’ve never seen the various nuances of the war addressed in such a fashion. Thumbs up! –Dr. Mark V. Harrison, author of “Guts ‘N’ Gunships”

I remember Jim Smith as a dogged observer and reporter who never failed to speak truth to power. I see from “Heroes to the End” that he has maintained his high standards. I am not surprised. –Bob Drury, author of “Last Men Out”

I found the author Jim Smith’s accounting of the war to be as realistic as it comes. He wrote this book from his very heart and soul – with notes, articles and memories that he had stored and save all these years after the war. He was a military reporter for “The Stars and Stripes” and had to be careful about how he worded his stories at the time, since he was in the Army and still subject to following orders from above. But he finds ways to blend his feelings and observations in a sharp and sometimes emotional narrative of the personal history that he lived though.
One of the better books written about the war by real veterans and I have read several hundred of them over the last 20 years. This is a must for your bookshelf and would make a great gift to both veterans and even non-veterans. It is as real and honest of a telling of that time period in our history as it gets! I give this book a FIVE STAR RATING! A truly worthy book!
–Rev. Bill McDonald on Amazon