Page 2 – A book by Luke Hunt

November 22, 2018March 25, 2019

Recent Comments From Readers

“It was Terrific! The best read on the Vietnam war. It held my interest from the first chapter! I found the journalistic perspective to be a refreshing perspective on a long and complicated war. It should be required reading for anyone whose taking a study of that period.”

Diane Holbrook — Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

“It is a great book. The scope and detail is amazing. It opened my eyes to the complexity of the whole Indo China history, from the colonisation of the French, through the struggles for independence after the First World War and then again after the Second World War. The self determination of the Vietnamese was the last thing on the mind of the major combatants of the World Wars.

“Your work is must read for all young journalists on what it means to be a foreign correspondent. Your explanation of how the wire system worked, and the press agencies, and the proprietary newspapers and magazines all differ in what and how they write stuff was enlightening.”

Bob Hayes — Melbourne, Australia.

November 8, 2018November 8, 2018

Paddington, N.S.W.

Lawrence Deushane, retired American living in Sydney. Lawrence is a former US paratrooper, black ops specialist and merchant mariner from the Vietnam war era who spent the later part of his working life as a journalist and photographer in Australia.

October 25, 2018January 6, 2019

Sydney

SPY vs SPY — Pardoned in Cambodia of espionage Australian film maker James Ricketson with a copy of the Punji Trap in Sydney.

“A ripping good yarn (about real spy 😊) told by top notch journalist Luke Hunt. Contact Luke to buy a copy. Strongly recommended.”

October 15, 2018

Melbourne

Pub intellectuals and a chat in Melbourne. From left to Right; Rod McKinnon, Bernie Esser, John Dooley and Rodney Riley with copies of the Punji Trap.

October 11, 2018October 15, 2018

Washington D.C.

The American Journal of Counter Terrorism

October 6, 2018

New York

Matt Crawford, the Curious Man, interviews Luke Hunt

August 16, 2018October 6, 2018

Second Print

A second print run of the Punji Trap was released on August 16 following strong demand . It includes include updated blurbs on the back cover, several clarifications and the removal of the odd typo.

April 25, 2018January 6, 2019

Bangkok Book Launch

Watch the Bangkok launch on Youtube

Author Luke Hunt with VoA regional chief Colin Lovett

The Punji Trap was launched in Bangkok on Anzac Day, April 25, 2018 at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand with more than a hundred people attending. Veteran Jim Pringle spoke eloquently about his days covering the Vietnam War.

April 20, 2018October 6, 2018

Hong Kong

Indonesian author Rini Rica on the bus in Hong Kong. The Punji Trap is now on sale in many countries, including Thailand at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club where the author and veteran war correspondent Jim Pringle were guest speakers on April 25, 2018.

April 18, 2018April 20, 2018

Kununarra, W.A.

Photo: Derek Mayes from the Doon Doon Roadhouse in Kununurra, outback Western Australia with his copy of the Punji Trap.

BBC Vietnam Service Interview with Luke Hunt

Black News Zone: Pham Xuan An’s Impact on the Vietnam War

Vietnam’s Focus on West Raises Hopes of Improved Press Freedom

‘Punji Trap is a cracking read that paints a vivid picture of colorful characters on a murky canvas.’ David Fox, former Reuters correspondent.

‘History and mystery melded together in a must read for students and scholars of modern Southeast Asia.’ Paul Ruffini, former editor Bangkok Post Sunday.

‘Mata Hari, Kim Philby… Luke Hunt’s magnificent Punji Trap adds the Vietnamese War’s most effective double agent, Phạm Xuân Ẩn, to the short list of master spies who changed the course of 20th century history.’ Dan Boylan, the Washington Times.

‘Absolutely riveting… a real page turner.’ Michael Hayes, co-founder and former publisher Phnom Penh Post.

‘Luke Hunt’s incisive portrayal of a fascinating character explores a murky underbelly of espionage in the Vietnam War. This painstakingly researched work is compelling and thought provoking.’ Lindsay Murdoch, South-East Asia correspondent, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

‘It might also be true that this book – Hunt’s second – is an important study of 20th century foreign correspondence, something made possible by his own knowledge of the intricacies of reporting for wire services from the frontline.’ Shane Worrell, The Diplomat.

‘Luke Hunt’s Punji Trap is a remarkable study of Vietnamese journalist and spy Pham Xuan An who was to the Vietnam War what Kim Philby was to the Cold War. In this unsentimental account, Hunt shows how the American educated journalist who wrote for western audiences, shaped impressions about the war that in the end proved to be more important than the empirical facts on the ground.’ Prof. Peter Maguire author of Law and War, Facing Death in Cambodia, and Thai Stick.

‘Hunt is the journalist’s journalist. This book is a rollicking tale of history and intrigue. Economical and expansive. Hunt reports the truth of history under the guise of a cracking read.’ Ross Mueller, Freelance Writer and Playwright, Geelong Advertiser.

‘The West’s highest-rated reporter, and Hanoi’s greatest spy. Pham Xuan An at first glance seems like a walking contradiction. However, veteran Southeast Asia correspondent Luke Hunt shows the reader that An did have a code after all. On the heels of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s epic film “The Vietnam War,” Hunt gives us an intriguing book to help fill in the gaps.’ Michael Philips, the Phnom Penh Post.

‘Highly respected and experienced journalist Luke Hunt, a front line reporter himself, tells a great story of deception and intrigue that occurred during the first major conflict to be covered by the modern media that shaped public opinion of the Vietnam conflict around the world.’ Alan Parkhouse, Asia Times.