A book review By William E. Odom, former NSA director.
THE BLOOD ROAD: The Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Vietnam War By John Prados.
"The Blood Trail" claims the Ho Chi Minh Trail could never have been 
cut off and the war could not have been won. The Trail becomes the window on 
strategic debates in the Johnson and Nixon adms, as well as on the myriad
combat ops to control it. The book presents the story of the Studies and
Observation Group, known as MACSOG, or just SOG, and the Special Forces, or 
Green Berets. SOG was formed in late 1963 when the U.S. Military Assistance 
Command took over CIA-controlled indigenous scouts used to monitor 
infiltration from North Vietnam. It grew rapidly, re the trail in Laos.  
U.S. Special Forces, and sometimes South Vietnamese special forces, also 
worked against the trail. There was a struggle between U.S. officials 
who wanted to take the war North, placing a military force astride the trail,
and those against it because they doubted it could be supported and worried 
about Chinese intervention. 

   The result was a "...inconsistent strategy"  based on massive 
bombing (more tonnage dropped than in all of U.S. strategic bombing in 
World War II), technology  fixes (e.g., the "McNamara line") and
surveillance and raids by SOG- and Green Beret-controlled forces.
Walt Rostow, Kissinger and Nixon top the list of villains. Prados defends 
Robert McNamara, as one who "responded" to proposals. No military officer 
who dealt with him will accept this [due to] his high-handed arrogance and 
amateurish understanding of war and strategy. H.R. McMaster's 
"Dereliction of Duty," has a less redeeming image. The strengths of 
"The Blood Trail" are its descriptions of SOG and Special Forces and 
the North Vietnamese. Washington Post 7/1/99 a8.

Ralph McGehee
http://www.members.tripod.com/CIABASE/index.html