A conflict with no front line, much of the war was fought at close range against a largely indistinguishable foe.
Hall points out that outside identified ''hot'' areas, enemy insurgents were identical in dress and appearance to Vietnamese non-combatants.
Soldiers had great difficulty identifying Viet Cong suspects sheltering among civilians during cordon and search operations.
Some 3500 New Zealanders served in Vietnam from 1963-1975.
The candid recollections of some of the men and women make it plain this was a dirty war to match all dirty wars.
Victor Company's Richard Easton, who patrolled with feet and thighs chafed raw, recalled: ''You stank, you didn't shave. The philosophy was to smell like the enemy. You ate their food - rice and chillies - so you'd smell like them ...''
Thirty-seven New Zealand military personnel and two civilians lost their lives.
Another four Kiwis died serving with Australian and American forces.
This first-class book covers all aspects of the war, including its aftermath when those who fought were subject to humiliation on the home front.
Many have died, and many suffered from serious medical conditions attributable to their service and the toxic environment they encountered.
No Front Line contains a generous collection of photographs.
• Clarke Isaacs is a former ODT chief of staff.
