Punji Trap – Page 2

February 4, 2018March 29, 2018

Punji Trap

January 31, 2018March 29, 2018

Recent Relevant Links

Almost Noble: A Review of ‘Punji Trap’

Luke Hunt’s Seminal Work

War Correspondent Jim Pringle Remembers the Tet Offensive

Dan Boylan of the Washington Times Q&A with Luke Hunt

Old Hack Dismisses Punji Trap as a “Quickie”; Earns Rebuke

Recommended Read on the Importance of the Tet Offensive

The Vietnam War Spy Who Didn’t Love Us

January 30, 2018March 29, 2018

Reviewed

Another excellent review, written on a bathroom wall in a rather well-known Phnom Penh bar. Name and address withheld.

January 24, 2018April 20, 2018

Phnom Penh Book Launch

The Punji Trap was officially launched on January 24, 2018, at Meta House in Phnom Penh with more than 100 people attending. Journalist and videographer Craig Skehan hosted the event and former Saigon Reuters bureau chief Jim Pringle gave a telling talk about the Tet Offensive, which erupted at the end of January, 1968, and turned the tide of public opinion against the Vietnam War.

January 23, 2018March 29, 2018

Disclaimer

Author’s note: Blurbs and praise for the Punji Trap were written on behalf of the reviewer and not the publication they work for. It is common practice, and a courtesy, in publishing for a reviewer and the author to list who they work for. To do so should not be interpreted as an official endorsement from their publisher as that would require the incorporation of an official logo from the company making such an endorsement. The initial reaction from readers of the Punji Trap has been terrific, as such a second print run is anticipated soon with updated reviews for the cover.

January 10, 2018March 29, 2018

Straight From The Printers

Photo: Jim Pringle, legendary correspondent and Reuters bureau chief in Saigon during the 1968 Tet Offensive, with the author (and a celebratory drink) on the day the Punji Trap is delivered from the printers. Image by Milly Pringle.

January 9, 2018March 29, 2018

Further Reading

From Larry Berman: Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent

‘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.