The Vietnam War was the first conflict in which booby traps played a leading role. Unable in most instances to hold their own in standup fights against US and other Free World forces which were superior in strength, firepower, mobility, and logistics, the Viet Cong relied on traditional guerrilla warfare tactics. Employing small-scale hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, terrorist actions, and precision attacks against bases during which they controlled the surrounding area, the Viet Cong favored means that allowed them to avoid direct enemy contact. These included one of the oldest of guerrilla weapons - booby traps. These could be incredibly simple or startlingly complex and ingenious, ranging from pointed sticks to command-detonated submerged floating river mines. Besides a wide variety of booby traps the Viet Cong also used land and water mines, both contact/pressure-detonated and command-detonated. In this book, a Vietnam veteran examines the various types of booby traps used by the Viet Cong, as well as the countermeasures employed by their Free World opponents, including landmines, early warning devices, and means of detecting booby traps. Book jacket.