There was another war in Vietnam, one that generally didn't make the headlines: the campaign to "win the hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Fought not with artillery and helicopters but with food, medicine and shelter for civilians devastated by the conflict, the effort was unprecedented in U.S. history, involving both military and civilian personnel working together in far-flung areas of the countryside.

Part history, part memoir, this book chronicles an overlooked aspect of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, with a focus on the war victims and refugees most tragically affected by the carnage. The author recounts his two years "in-country" as an aid worker and describes how the humanitarian effort was conducted and why it failed.