"Face to Face with the CIA" by Nguyen Tai. Publication date 24 Nov 2026

This is a translation of the memoir of Nguyen Tan during his time imprisoned after his capture in late 1970 by South Vietnamese forces. It recalls his imprisonment and his interrogation by both the South Vietnamese forces and the CIA. Nguyen Tan was a high ranking North Vietnamese intelligence officer. It is written in the first person and his ability to recall what happened in so much detail is incredible. There are terrifying moments and I was apalled to read of the torture techniques used. He shows remarkable strength of character to withstand his imprisonment and his dedication to the communist cause is frequently demonstrated. I don't often read first hand accounts of war and when I do, it is less likely to be an account from the Communist side. This book showed me a different perspective on history. It made me think again about how all humans are created equal and that different cultures, societies and histories have a massive influence on the decisions we make. It also made me rethink the stories we are told by the media about conflicts and the actions of different parties during these. It can be easy to assume that those whom we think we have closer associations with are less likely to do the wrong thing but in reality more countries than we would probably wish to acknowledge have used torture techniques and justified their use as interrogation. This is certainly not an easy read and there are some very harrowing parts. It does however show the strength and resilience of an indiviudal and their resolute belief in their ideals. If you are interested in Vietnamese history or geopolitics in general then this could be one for you. I gave it 3 stars out of 5. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249332931-face-to-face-with-the-cia I was gifted a complimentary copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an objective review.