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The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home
"With astonishing verve, The League of Wives persisted to speak truth to power to bring their POW/MIA husbands home from Vietnam. And with astonishing verve, Heath Hardage Lee has chronicled their little-known story — a profile of courage that spotlights 1960s-era military wives who forge secret codes with bravery, chutzpah and style. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down."
— Beth Macy, author of Dopesick and Factory Man
The true story of the fierce band of women who battled Washington—and Hanoi—to bring their husbands home from the jungles of Vietnam.
On February 12, 1973, one hundred and fifteen men who, just six years earlier, had been high flying Navy and Air Force pilots, shuffled, limped, or were carried off a huge military transport plane at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. These American servicemen had endured years of brutal torture, kept shackled and starving in solitary confinement, in rat-infested, mosquito-laden prisons, the worst of which was The Hanoi Hilton.
Months later, the first Vietnam POWs to return home would learn that their rescuers were their wives, a group of women that included Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale, Louise Mulligan, Andrea Rander, Phyllis Galanti, and Helene Knapp. These women, who formed The National League of Families, would never have called themselves “feminists,” but they had become the POW and MIAs most fervent advocates, going to extraordinary lengths to facilitate their husbands’ freedom—and to account for missing military men—by relentlessly lobbying government leaders, conducting a savvy media campaign, conducting covert meetings with antiwar activists, most astonishingly, helping to code secret letters to their imprisoned husbands.
In a page-turning work of narrative non-fiction, Heath Hardage Lee tells the story of these remarkable women for the first time in The League of Wives, a book certain to be on everyone’s must-read list.
— Beth Macy, author of Dopesick and Factory Man
The true story of the fierce band of women who battled Washington—and Hanoi—to bring their husbands home from the jungles of Vietnam.
On February 12, 1973, one hundred and fifteen men who, just six years earlier, had been high flying Navy and Air Force pilots, shuffled, limped, or were carried off a huge military transport plane at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. These American servicemen had endured years of brutal torture, kept shackled and starving in solitary confinement, in rat-infested, mosquito-laden prisons, the worst of which was The Hanoi Hilton.
Months later, the first Vietnam POWs to return home would learn that their rescuers were their wives, a group of women that included Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale, Louise Mulligan, Andrea Rander, Phyllis Galanti, and Helene Knapp. These women, who formed The National League of Families, would never have called themselves “feminists,” but they had become the POW and MIAs most fervent advocates, going to extraordinary lengths to facilitate their husbands’ freedom—and to account for missing military men—by relentlessly lobbying government leaders, conducting a savvy media campaign, conducting covert meetings with antiwar activists, most astonishingly, helping to code secret letters to their imprisoned husbands.
In a page-turning work of narrative non-fiction, Heath Hardage Lee tells the story of these remarkable women for the first time in The League of Wives, a book certain to be on everyone’s must-read list.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2019
327 people are currently reading
8170 people want to read
About the author
Heath Hardage Lee
6 books93 followersHeath Hardage Lee comes from a museum education and curatorial background, and she has worked at history museums across the country. She holds a B.A. in History with Honors from Davidson College, and an M.A. in French Language and Literature from the University of Virginia. Heath served as the 2017 Robert J. Dole Curatorial Fellow: her exhibition entitled The League of Wives: Vietnam POW MIA Advocates & Allies about Vietnam POW MIA wives premiered at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics in May of 2017 and is now travelling to museums throughout the U.S. Potomac Books, a division of the University of Nebraska Press, published Heath’s first book, Winnie Davis: Daughter of the Lost Cause, in 2014. Winnie won the 2015 Colonial Dames of America Annual Book Award as well as a 2015 Gold Medal for Nonfiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Heath lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with her husband Chris and her two children, Anne Alston and James.
(source: Amazon)
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
April 8, 2019
3 ½ rounded up to a 4.
When the draft lottery for the Vietnam War started in 1969 I was dating my husband, then a college student, he was extremely fortunate not to have been called to serve. Afterwards the Vietnam War went on and on and while I remember a lot of news about it, I can’t say that I followed it closely. That’s one reason why this book attracted my attention, I wanted to know more about the MIA’s and POW’s. I have also heard that Reese Witherspoon is going to make a movie about it.
In March of 1964 the first reported capture of a US serviceman in Vietnam was reported. By the end of the war approximately 2,500 servicemen and other personnel had been reported as prisoners of war or missing in action.
What I liked about this book is that it didn’t concentrate on the politics of the war, that you can read about in numerous other historical books. This was strictly about the wives of the missing men and how, after battling their own government and Hanoi finally had had enough and banded together to get their men home. I didn’t realize how much President Johnson failed to implement plans to investigate how many men were MIA’s and how many men were being captured and tortured in Vietnam prisons. His lack of communication to the public and these military wives was atrocious.
The wives banded together and started to lobby the government leaders and run a media campaign. From many parts of the US they banded together to get the answers they needed.
When Richard Nixon became President he was much more willing to listen to these women and realized that they were, indeed, a force to be reckoned with.
On February 12, 1973, 115 men who had been POW’s arrived at Clark Air Force base in the Philippines. After these and other men arrived home news finally reached the public about the horrific conditions that these men had been held under and the severe torture that many endured.
The women described in this book had to change their lives and in some cases their personalities from being dutiful military wives to creating a group of strong, resourceful, incredibly effective spokeswomen for their husbands and families. They were true heroes and it wasn’t until the men were home that they realized what a large part their wives played in obtaining their release.
This is a highly detailed, well researched book. I did get bogged down in some areas and felt myself skimming to get through some of the book. The writing is very good and if the subject interests you I highly recommend you pick up this book.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley.
When the draft lottery for the Vietnam War started in 1969 I was dating my husband, then a college student, he was extremely fortunate not to have been called to serve. Afterwards the Vietnam War went on and on and while I remember a lot of news about it, I can’t say that I followed it closely. That’s one reason why this book attracted my attention, I wanted to know more about the MIA’s and POW’s. I have also heard that Reese Witherspoon is going to make a movie about it.
In March of 1964 the first reported capture of a US serviceman in Vietnam was reported. By the end of the war approximately 2,500 servicemen and other personnel had been reported as prisoners of war or missing in action.
What I liked about this book is that it didn’t concentrate on the politics of the war, that you can read about in numerous other historical books. This was strictly about the wives of the missing men and how, after battling their own government and Hanoi finally had had enough and banded together to get their men home. I didn’t realize how much President Johnson failed to implement plans to investigate how many men were MIA’s and how many men were being captured and tortured in Vietnam prisons. His lack of communication to the public and these military wives was atrocious.
The wives banded together and started to lobby the government leaders and run a media campaign. From many parts of the US they banded together to get the answers they needed.
When Richard Nixon became President he was much more willing to listen to these women and realized that they were, indeed, a force to be reckoned with.
On February 12, 1973, 115 men who had been POW’s arrived at Clark Air Force base in the Philippines. After these and other men arrived home news finally reached the public about the horrific conditions that these men had been held under and the severe torture that many endured.
The women described in this book had to change their lives and in some cases their personalities from being dutiful military wives to creating a group of strong, resourceful, incredibly effective spokeswomen for their husbands and families. They were true heroes and it wasn’t until the men were home that they realized what a large part their wives played in obtaining their release.
This is a highly detailed, well researched book. I did get bogged down in some areas and felt myself skimming to get through some of the book. The writing is very good and if the subject interests you I highly recommend you pick up this book.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley.
August 20, 2019
3.5 stars
There, there darlin, I know you are upset. I promise you we’re doing everything possible to get information about your POW/MIA husband. We’re asking the Swiss Red Cross to intercede with Hanoi and give us a status report. Now dry your eyes and powder your nose. Leave it to us. We’ll get results.
But nothing happens. The North Vietnamese don’t respond. The Swiss are denied entry into Vietnam. Wives are in limbo. What are you going to do?
In The League of Wives you find out what gets done and by who. It’s the wives of POW/MIA who take action. These stay at home wives, who followed the rules of etiquette for military wives as outlined in handbooks supplied them by service branches, did what officials couldn’t. Led by Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale and Louise Mulligan, they stepped into the spotlight for their husbands. They left behind the safety of home for the role of lobbyer of government officials, speech giver and public spokesperson. They not only wrote letters to the editor, they met the newspaper editors. Not a big deal you say. All these actions demanded resolve, skill, tenacity, and a willingness to speak forcefully to powerful individuals. These women did not take that pat on your head as the end of their job. They took getting their husbands home as the end of their job. Meeting the President of the U.S. was part of their plan: so was meeting anti war activists.
In The League of Wives, author Heath Hardage Lee unfolds the story of the women who gave their all to bring their POW husbands home from Vietnam. Underneath the pillbox hat was more than a bouffant hairdo - there was a strong willed human brain churning out ideas to get husbands home.
The reader is made aware of the outcome in this story. The story is not do they succeed, it is the story of how they succeeded. It is an admirable story. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheLeagueofWives
There, there darlin, I know you are upset. I promise you we’re doing everything possible to get information about your POW/MIA husband. We’re asking the Swiss Red Cross to intercede with Hanoi and give us a status report. Now dry your eyes and powder your nose. Leave it to us. We’ll get results.
But nothing happens. The North Vietnamese don’t respond. The Swiss are denied entry into Vietnam. Wives are in limbo. What are you going to do?
In The League of Wives you find out what gets done and by who. It’s the wives of POW/MIA who take action. These stay at home wives, who followed the rules of etiquette for military wives as outlined in handbooks supplied them by service branches, did what officials couldn’t. Led by Jane Denton, Sybil Stockdale and Louise Mulligan, they stepped into the spotlight for their husbands. They left behind the safety of home for the role of lobbyer of government officials, speech giver and public spokesperson. They not only wrote letters to the editor, they met the newspaper editors. Not a big deal you say. All these actions demanded resolve, skill, tenacity, and a willingness to speak forcefully to powerful individuals. These women did not take that pat on your head as the end of their job. They took getting their husbands home as the end of their job. Meeting the President of the U.S. was part of their plan: so was meeting anti war activists.
In The League of Wives, author Heath Hardage Lee unfolds the story of the women who gave their all to bring their POW husbands home from Vietnam. Underneath the pillbox hat was more than a bouffant hairdo - there was a strong willed human brain churning out ideas to get husbands home.
The reader is made aware of the outcome in this story. The story is not do they succeed, it is the story of how they succeeded. It is an admirable story. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheLeagueofWives
April 2, 2019
At the beginning of the Vietnam War hundreds of American soldiers were considered either missing or captured, and President Johnson’s administration approached their families with a simple message: keep quiet. With little information sharing, most families did just that. But then footage started appearing from North Vietnam confirming the worst. In one video, Admiral Jeremiah Denton discussed how great he’d been treated, but his eyes told another story— literally, he blinked out a message in Morse Code: TORTURE.
And that’s when most wives of service members could no longer remain quiet.
There are some stories that are so unbelievable that it’s imperative for historians to eventually explore what happened for a broader audience. Fortunately, author Heath Hardage Lee has expertly crafted these wives’ experiences into an engrossing, revealing narrative. She’s done this by tapping into a common thread for these women— frustration. Frustration at war. Frustration at being unable to speak publicly in their grief. Perhaps above all else, frustration at the lack of attention when they finally did go public. This is palpable on the page as they navigate the bureaucracy of Washington and the stubbornness of Hanoi all in the name of finding answers.
While the broad history of this movement is fascinating, it’s Lee’s exploration of how this frustration shaped the individual women that makes this work so compelling. There’s a rotating cast, though Lee remarkably keeps each of the wives distinguished and memorable. Led by the captivating and focused Sybil Stockdale, most balked at the idea of becoming activists. And yet they bonded to form support groups that eventually expanded into the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia.
Today, it’s frustrating that the story of this courageous group of women isn’t more renowned. However, Lee’s tremendous work finally gives them some of the celebration they’re due.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
And that’s when most wives of service members could no longer remain quiet.
There are some stories that are so unbelievable that it’s imperative for historians to eventually explore what happened for a broader audience. Fortunately, author Heath Hardage Lee has expertly crafted these wives’ experiences into an engrossing, revealing narrative. She’s done this by tapping into a common thread for these women— frustration. Frustration at war. Frustration at being unable to speak publicly in their grief. Perhaps above all else, frustration at the lack of attention when they finally did go public. This is palpable on the page as they navigate the bureaucracy of Washington and the stubbornness of Hanoi all in the name of finding answers.
While the broad history of this movement is fascinating, it’s Lee’s exploration of how this frustration shaped the individual women that makes this work so compelling. There’s a rotating cast, though Lee remarkably keeps each of the wives distinguished and memorable. Led by the captivating and focused Sybil Stockdale, most balked at the idea of becoming activists. And yet they bonded to form support groups that eventually expanded into the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia.
Today, it’s frustrating that the story of this courageous group of women isn’t more renowned. However, Lee’s tremendous work finally gives them some of the celebration they’re due.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.
April 5, 2019
Thank you St.Martin's Press for allowing me to review The League of Wives. Releasing April 2/19, this is a remarkable story.
I first became interested in this book when I heard that Reese Witherspoon had signed on to adapt and produce this book. She always chooses to portray the most interesting stories about women. The League of Wives is an incredibly detailed book detailing the group of wives who's husbands were MIA in the Vietnam war. These men were captured by the Vietnamese and held in horrible conditions in camps. Wounds were barely treated, some suffered in solitary confinement and some were marched through angry crowds to be beaten and belittled.
The families were left in limbo and were barely given any information. With their husbands not in active duty nor killed in action, they often had trouble accessing paycheque and other benefits military wives usually rely on while their husbands are away. After years of trying to tow the company line, they formed The League of Wives to keep the missing men and POWs in the minds and hearts of the government and the media, and did everything they could to try and get their husbands home or at least out of the camps that tortured them and they were treated inhumanly in.
The League of Women was a dense and very detailed account of this fight. I found it a little hard to keep all the names and dates and events straight. But, I am glad I learned more about these woman and am very excited to see it come alive in screen.
I first became interested in this book when I heard that Reese Witherspoon had signed on to adapt and produce this book. She always chooses to portray the most interesting stories about women. The League of Wives is an incredibly detailed book detailing the group of wives who's husbands were MIA in the Vietnam war. These men were captured by the Vietnamese and held in horrible conditions in camps. Wounds were barely treated, some suffered in solitary confinement and some were marched through angry crowds to be beaten and belittled.
The families were left in limbo and were barely given any information. With their husbands not in active duty nor killed in action, they often had trouble accessing paycheque and other benefits military wives usually rely on while their husbands are away. After years of trying to tow the company line, they formed The League of Wives to keep the missing men and POWs in the minds and hearts of the government and the media, and did everything they could to try and get their husbands home or at least out of the camps that tortured them and they were treated inhumanly in.
The League of Women was a dense and very detailed account of this fight. I found it a little hard to keep all the names and dates and events straight. But, I am glad I learned more about these woman and am very excited to see it come alive in screen.
November 22, 2023
Ms. Lee relied on much of her research for her book from the military wife's whose husbands were held captive by the Viet Cong.
Officially the war ended in 1975, but hard feelings and some bitterness still exists among the soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Ms. Lee's account is about the brave women who fought the government for the eventual release of their husbands.
Officially the war ended in 1975, but hard feelings and some bitterness still exists among the soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Ms. Lee's account is about the brave women who fought the government for the eventual release of their husbands.
August 29, 2019
This book was a slog to get through, to the point that I didn't even care at the end when the POWs were released--I just wanted to finish. The author also did a fantastic job making it as difficult as possible for me to empathize with the wives.
May 17, 2020
Some heroes wear uniforms and other heroes are married to them.
This is the story of heroes who fought bravely in Vietnam, were captured and cruelly tortured while held prisoner.
It's also the story of heroes who fought bravely and unceasingly to bring them home.
Soon to be a movie, but I highly recommend reading the book first. It's important and worth it.
This is the story of heroes who fought bravely in Vietnam, were captured and cruelly tortured while held prisoner.
It's also the story of heroes who fought bravely and unceasingly to bring them home.
Soon to be a movie, but I highly recommend reading the book first. It's important and worth it.
February 18, 2019
Thank you Net Galley and St Martin's Press for this arc.
I was 9 years old in 1965 when this slice of history began. I remember my Mom fighting tooth and toenail to be admitted into law school (a fight that lasted her nearly eight months). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been enacted and in Birmingham, Alabama the struggle to achieve racial integration was slow and awkward at best. I was a kid. I was aware of the War in Viet Nam by junior high. It wasn't until I was in high school before my folks encouraged us kids to watch the war reports on the evening news. Yes, I had a POW/MIA bracelet …. Jeremiah Denton was a "State Son".
What I was unaware of is the fight these ladies put up.... with the military and the government(s). I cannot imagine the transformation they had to go through from the Stepford Wife / Donna Reed model expected of military officer's wives to the fighting tigresses they had to become in order to survive their ordeal (all the while trying to raise their children). Heath Hardage Lee has done a excellent job documenting their grit and determination in their fight to bring their husbands home from Viet Nam. I finished this feeling that yes, cynicism will serve us all well at some time and also proud that I have a vagina.
I was 9 years old in 1965 when this slice of history began. I remember my Mom fighting tooth and toenail to be admitted into law school (a fight that lasted her nearly eight months). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been enacted and in Birmingham, Alabama the struggle to achieve racial integration was slow and awkward at best. I was a kid. I was aware of the War in Viet Nam by junior high. It wasn't until I was in high school before my folks encouraged us kids to watch the war reports on the evening news. Yes, I had a POW/MIA bracelet …. Jeremiah Denton was a "State Son".
What I was unaware of is the fight these ladies put up.... with the military and the government(s). I cannot imagine the transformation they had to go through from the Stepford Wife / Donna Reed model expected of military officer's wives to the fighting tigresses they had to become in order to survive their ordeal (all the while trying to raise their children). Heath Hardage Lee has done a excellent job documenting their grit and determination in their fight to bring their husbands home from Viet Nam. I finished this feeling that yes, cynicism will serve us all well at some time and also proud that I have a vagina.
July 9, 2020
What a disappointment. This could have been, should have been a great story. It is unfortunate a better writer did not take it on.
The book is an account of the wives of servicemen, whose planes were shot down, during the Vietnam war. These women took on the Johnson and Nixon administration, in an effort to go public with what was happening in the prison camps. For nearly 4 years the Washington DC swamp trolls, hid and falsified the truth about the torture and abuse captured U.S. military were facing. The North Vietnam administration refused to allow the Red Cross into the prison camps and would not release names of prisoners. Women across the country were left with no answers and stayed in a sort of limbo "were they wives or widows?". In a time when women were still shunned in the "Great Halls of Government" these women got fed up and became activists.
As I said-what a great story, that's never been told in it's entirety. I hope that someone else re-writes the story of these women. The entire star rating, that I give here, is for the brave women who would not take no for an answer.
The book is an account of the wives of servicemen, whose planes were shot down, during the Vietnam war. These women took on the Johnson and Nixon administration, in an effort to go public with what was happening in the prison camps. For nearly 4 years the Washington DC swamp trolls, hid and falsified the truth about the torture and abuse captured U.S. military were facing. The North Vietnam administration refused to allow the Red Cross into the prison camps and would not release names of prisoners. Women across the country were left with no answers and stayed in a sort of limbo "were they wives or widows?". In a time when women were still shunned in the "Great Halls of Government" these women got fed up and became activists.
As I said-what a great story, that's never been told in it's entirety. I hope that someone else re-writes the story of these women. The entire star rating, that I give here, is for the brave women who would not take no for an answer.
May 14, 2020
The League Of Wives
By: Heath Hardage Lee
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s been a long time since I read something that truly moved me in a very personal way. This book is about the wives of the POW/MIA soldiers who were in Vietnam.
🇻🇳
Sybil Stockdale’s husband Jim, was a Naval pilot who was shot down and captured in Vietnam. Jane Denton’s husband Jerry was also shot down. The men were close friends. It seemed the Navy pilots were being shot down and captured or missing.
🇻🇳
This story tells how all the wives banded together and took on the government to bring their husbands home. Many people did not realize how little the American people knew about POW/MIA and the treatment they were receiving in Vietnam.
🇻🇳
I admit I knew very little about this time. My dad served in Vietnam but thankfully came home.
#theleagueofwomen, #heath_lee, #heathhardagelee, #stmartinspress, #vietnam, #warcrimes, #pow, #mia, #military, #government, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus, #socialdistancing, #bookreview, #bookstagram
.
Things I took away from this book.
.
Women can form friendships in the most difficult times. As a former military brat and wife I know this to be true. You become a family.
.
The government would not help for many years and the women persisted until their husbands came home. They became independent, strong, and gained a strength they never knew they had.
.
Texan Ross Perot helped these women and tried to get aid to the men.
.
LBJ was horrendous to these women and Nixon helped them in many ways that was unnoticed until it was all over.
.
An unlikely hero Naval Commander Robert “Bob” who worked for Naval Intelligence helped the women out where many people turned their backs and told the women to “keep quiet”.
.
I can see why many men came back, including my dad and did not want to talk about Vietnam. The torture and atrocities they endured could break any human spirit.
.
Just my opinions. 🤗
By: Heath Hardage Lee
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s been a long time since I read something that truly moved me in a very personal way. This book is about the wives of the POW/MIA soldiers who were in Vietnam.
🇻🇳
Sybil Stockdale’s husband Jim, was a Naval pilot who was shot down and captured in Vietnam. Jane Denton’s husband Jerry was also shot down. The men were close friends. It seemed the Navy pilots were being shot down and captured or missing.
🇻🇳
This story tells how all the wives banded together and took on the government to bring their husbands home. Many people did not realize how little the American people knew about POW/MIA and the treatment they were receiving in Vietnam.
🇻🇳
I admit I knew very little about this time. My dad served in Vietnam but thankfully came home.
#theleagueofwomen, #heath_lee, #heathhardagelee, #stmartinspress, #vietnam, #warcrimes, #pow, #mia, #military, #government, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus, #socialdistancing, #bookreview, #bookstagram
.
Things I took away from this book.
.
Women can form friendships in the most difficult times. As a former military brat and wife I know this to be true. You become a family.
.
The government would not help for many years and the women persisted until their husbands came home. They became independent, strong, and gained a strength they never knew they had.
.
Texan Ross Perot helped these women and tried to get aid to the men.
.
LBJ was horrendous to these women and Nixon helped them in many ways that was unnoticed until it was all over.
.
An unlikely hero Naval Commander Robert “Bob” who worked for Naval Intelligence helped the women out where many people turned their backs and told the women to “keep quiet”.
.
I can see why many men came back, including my dad and did not want to talk about Vietnam. The torture and atrocities they endured could break any human spirit.
.
Just my opinions. 🤗
May 9, 2019
This book provides a fascinating look at what POW wives were doing on the homefront during the Vietnam War. This book provides a different perspective on the Vietnam war era, looking at a group commonly ignored. It provides a unique glimpse into 60s culture, the Vietnam era, military standards, and the treatment of women.
Though the wives tried to play by the good military wife handbook and follow the LBJ administration's request for staying on the down low, they gave up as the years dragged on. The feds and the military had no plans on how to act with a rogue government that was not observing the Geneva Conventions (though why would you expect a rogue government to do so?). The wives cooperated with an intelligence officer to send coded messages, they traveled, they worked on public opinion. They organized non-political groups (local and national), held conventions, met with the press and officials around the world, wrote letters and did everything they could to help bring their husbands home. Now, did the really have any effect? Wasn't the general public (the great unwashed, not the officers' families, see below) tiring of sending their sons off to Vietnam to be killed? Since many of the men had been held for 5-7 years, did the women really "take on the government" to "bring their husbands home"? They certainly tried, but were they truly successful or was the general public really just over it?
Lee does point out that, largely, POWs in Vietnam were of a different class and rank than in previous wars. These were aviators--highly educated, often upper class, highly trained, and trained for resistance in case of capture (chapter 2). For the most part their wives were also highly educated (over educated, for women who were expected to be perfect wives) and often from the upper class. And she admits that because these were a different sort of people, the pilots were more valuable to the military--though the military and the government was not acting on that. I found this assumption that, because of their social status, that these men were more important than POWs in past wars. They could certainly be seen as more valuable to the military--who was not making any effort to get them back--but wouldn't that also make them more valuable for the North Vietnamese to keep?
There were some areas I would have liked to see more information on. 1) Finances: the military had no way to get women their husbands' paychecks when they were POWs, creating severe economic strain. Only many of these women were NOT poor--Lee mentions constant flying back and forth, private college, and prep school (good lord). But what about the MIA wives? Presumably they were not being paid since they were MIA. Did they need to work? Did they need to repay paychecks when their husbands were declared dead? 2) MIA wives in general. The book ends with them largely being shuffled offstage as their husbands were declared deceased. They weren't invited to parties and did not appear on newspapers and in magazines. Were they given any help at all? Did the League do anything for these women that had worked so hard, only to have their dreams crushed? 3) Did any branch of the military being using the SERE training for more men? Lee suggests this training limited the PTSD in the POWs--the one wife she studied who's husband did come home with PTSD was army and not a pilot, so presumably did not go through SERE.
Pet peeve: throughout this book women are generally referred to by their first names. Children by their first names. Soldiers by first/last or first if mentioned with their wives. Government officials and
other men by their last names. Here in this book announcing the role they played in the war, and they are still being treated like children.
————
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Though the wives tried to play by the good military wife handbook and follow the LBJ administration's request for staying on the down low, they gave up as the years dragged on. The feds and the military had no plans on how to act with a rogue government that was not observing the Geneva Conventions (though why would you expect a rogue government to do so?). The wives cooperated with an intelligence officer to send coded messages, they traveled, they worked on public opinion. They organized non-political groups (local and national), held conventions, met with the press and officials around the world, wrote letters and did everything they could to help bring their husbands home. Now, did the really have any effect? Wasn't the general public (the great unwashed, not the officers' families, see below) tiring of sending their sons off to Vietnam to be killed? Since many of the men had been held for 5-7 years, did the women really "take on the government" to "bring their husbands home"? They certainly tried, but were they truly successful or was the general public really just over it?
Lee does point out that, largely, POWs in Vietnam were of a different class and rank than in previous wars. These were aviators--highly educated, often upper class, highly trained, and trained for resistance in case of capture (chapter 2). For the most part their wives were also highly educated (over educated, for women who were expected to be perfect wives) and often from the upper class. And she admits that because these were a different sort of people, the pilots were more valuable to the military--though the military and the government was not acting on that. I found this assumption that, because of their social status, that these men were more important than POWs in past wars. They could certainly be seen as more valuable to the military--who was not making any effort to get them back--but wouldn't that also make them more valuable for the North Vietnamese to keep?
There were some areas I would have liked to see more information on. 1) Finances: the military had no way to get women their husbands' paychecks when they were POWs, creating severe economic strain. Only many of these women were NOT poor--Lee mentions constant flying back and forth, private college, and prep school (good lord). But what about the MIA wives? Presumably they were not being paid since they were MIA. Did they need to work? Did they need to repay paychecks when their husbands were declared dead? 2) MIA wives in general. The book ends with them largely being shuffled offstage as their husbands were declared deceased. They weren't invited to parties and did not appear on newspapers and in magazines. Were they given any help at all? Did the League do anything for these women that had worked so hard, only to have their dreams crushed? 3) Did any branch of the military being using the SERE training for more men? Lee suggests this training limited the PTSD in the POWs--the one wife she studied who's husband did come home with PTSD was army and not a pilot, so presumably did not go through SERE.
Pet peeve: throughout this book women are generally referred to by their first names. Children by their first names. Soldiers by first/last or first if mentioned with their wives. Government officials and
other men by their last names. Here in this book announcing the role they played in the war, and they are still being treated like children.
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Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing me with a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Heath Hardage Lee for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.
Like:
- I could see this making a good movie.
- Different women and their personalities represented
- Recognize some of the POWs as future politicians
- A not too political look at the Vietnam War
Love:
- The feminism
- The wives went from shutting up, behaving themselves, and being good Navy Wives to forces of nature changing thoughts and minds during the Vietnam War #BadAssLadies
-
Dislike:
- Many parts are boring and drawn out - the first 1/2 of the book
Wish that:
- It was not as underwhelming
- Got to the interesting parts quicker
Overall, a good interesting book about the strong women whose husbands were POW/MIA soldiers during the Vietnam War. It’s a heartwarming story about a terrible event, but the details don’t interest me that much.
Like:
- I could see this making a good movie.
- Different women and their personalities represented
- Recognize some of the POWs as future politicians
- A not too political look at the Vietnam War
Love:
- The feminism
- The wives went from shutting up, behaving themselves, and being good Navy Wives to forces of nature changing thoughts and minds during the Vietnam War #BadAssLadies
-
Dislike:
- Many parts are boring and drawn out - the first 1/2 of the book
Wish that:
- It was not as underwhelming
- Got to the interesting parts quicker
Overall, a good interesting book about the strong women whose husbands were POW/MIA soldiers during the Vietnam War. It’s a heartwarming story about a terrible event, but the details don’t interest me that much.
February 28, 2019
These women are the true definition of grit, grace, perseverance, and strength. In the future, every time I feel sorry for myself during a deployment, I'll think about these women and the trials they endured. It can not be underestimated how rare it was for women to speak up and step up to the plate with aplomb like these women did. The "Officer Wive's Handbook" is no joke. Still, to this day, we are encouraged not to do anything to interfere with our husbands' career trajectories, The actions of these women were epic and unprecedented.
I enjoyed learning the stories of "the league of wives" but I found the details difficult to slog through at times, and that's coming from someone who lives the military life!!
An interesting and eye-opening and inspiring story for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed learning the stories of "the league of wives" but I found the details difficult to slog through at times, and that's coming from someone who lives the military life!!
An interesting and eye-opening and inspiring story for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
December 8, 2023
I purchased the hard copy of this book and am reading it again. Such an important part of history!
July, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this interesting non-fiction book. As a daughter of an Air Force pilot in the Vietnam War, this was an especially interesting book to me, and one I highly recommended to my parents to read.
These brave, determined wives of POW and MIA men in Vietnam had to deal with so much that the general public never heard about, at least not for several years until the women went against the "keep quiet" instructions given to them for years by the government.
Great insight into what went on during the Vietnam War.
July, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this interesting non-fiction book. As a daughter of an Air Force pilot in the Vietnam War, this was an especially interesting book to me, and one I highly recommended to my parents to read.
These brave, determined wives of POW and MIA men in Vietnam had to deal with so much that the general public never heard about, at least not for several years until the women went against the "keep quiet" instructions given to them for years by the government.
Great insight into what went on during the Vietnam War.
April 25, 2020
While I appreciate that history is nuanced and complicated, I was very bothered that the author, as a historian, left so much of her personal perspective on the page. The author painted Nixon in such a positive light and failed to take a nuanced view of the antiwar movement. Additionally, the narrative was so repetitive, the book suffered from sense of redundancy. While the personal stories POWs and their families are fascinating, I was not invested in any of the personal stories described.
April 4, 2025
More of a focus on wives of POW and MIA during the war. Amazing to see how important being active in government can be.
February 27, 2019
The women in this book are true heroes - they took on their husband's roles and responsibilities in their marriages while they were POWs (not an easy task in those years) and charged ahead into unchartered territory as activists. Their activism may have saved the lives of their husbands and hundreds of other POWs. It is truly an inspiring story but I found it difficult not to skim through much of the detail in the middle third of the book. This is a really interesting topic that I knew very little about prior to reading this book but I felt there was simply too much detail to rate it higher than 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest and fair review.
February 27, 2019
League of Wives is a fascinating account of the changing role of POW/MIA wives during the Vietnam War. The wives initially remained by-the-book and kept news about their husbands and how they were being mistreated silent. However, there was soon a transition to them taking a more active role in aiding their husbands once they realized the LBJ and his administration was not doing all it could to help. While the focus of the book was on getting action to take place regarding the POWs, it also briefly covered the changing times within the U.S which I enjoyed. It was a cohesive, well-organized, and well-researched nonfiction piece. Kudos to those courageous women!
Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
May 20, 2020
I had two strong reactions to this book: wonder at the strength and courage these women expressed in fighting for their husbands' safe return, and sadness because a large number of women never were recognized by the US government as needing the same respect the wives received. These are the women who were engaged, but not yet married, to service members. We didn't count.
Heath Lee's book is a true tour de force. These women were polite, focused on their goals, and relentless in their pursuit of getting their men returned. If you've never read about the wives left behind and what they did to get the POW husbands home, this is the book for you. Uplifting. Thought-provoking. Astonishingly direct. I could not put it down.
Heath Lee's book is a true tour de force. These women were polite, focused on their goals, and relentless in their pursuit of getting their men returned. If you've never read about the wives left behind and what they did to get the POW husbands home, this is the book for you. Uplifting. Thought-provoking. Astonishingly direct. I could not put it down.
April 1, 2019
This book tells the empowering tale of life as a POW/MIA wife and the struggles they faced to get their government to listen to them and bring their loved ones home.
It was a good read, but there were parts that I didn't feel should have been included as they didn't fit with the story, just the time. Once you got past all that and things started happening, it was a quick read. I did struggle in other areas and it was hard to focus, but I learned a lot about how the government worked and covered up certain discrepancies.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
It was a good read, but there were parts that I didn't feel should have been included as they didn't fit with the story, just the time. Once you got past all that and things started happening, it was a quick read. I did struggle in other areas and it was hard to focus, but I learned a lot about how the government worked and covered up certain discrepancies.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
July 23, 2019
I have empathy for these women and was glad that they banded together for support and advocacy.
I wish the book focused on life with a spouse who is a POW rather than her political biases. The author is a right wing partisan who expresses her bias throughout the book. It is disappointing that she doesn't see the bigger picture of the issues of American war machine. She is openly hostile to the antiwar movement even as it supplies information and assistance to her cause.
I wish the book focused on life with a spouse who is a POW rather than her political biases. The author is a right wing partisan who expresses her bias throughout the book. It is disappointing that she doesn't see the bigger picture of the issues of American war machine. She is openly hostile to the antiwar movement even as it supplies information and assistance to her cause.
May 12, 2019
A great account of a tragic subject. At the time I was a protected mostly oblivious high school/college student. I have to admit to some skimming but the book was an eye opening read for me even in this late part of my life.
August 1, 2019
Great book. Did not know that the wives were the ones that got the government to do something. Government actually told the wives to be quiet about it. Highly recommend!
October 5, 2019
5 stars for the history. Rarely does a book make me mad...this one did. And kudos to those brave women!
December 9, 2019
I wore a POW bracelet in high school. I remember the campaign very well. Sadly, my POW didn’t make it. This story of the POW/MIA wives is something I never knew about. It’s an inspiring story.
December 18, 2024
This book is basically a synopsis of Jim and Sybil Stockdale’s book, In Love and War. SKIP THIS, and read that, it’s INCREDIBLE. I think of In Love and War as one of the best books of all time. This book also provides very little context and detail of what the men were going through.
Unfortunately I have to be a little cynical about this book, the League of Wives, because it feels like the reason this book exists is so that movie rights could be obtained. In Love and War was previously made into a movie. While I would love to see more people appreciate the story of Jim and Sybil, Jerry and Jane, and the other POWs, MIA, wives, and mothers, it does taint this book a bit to have it really feel like there’s this other, profit-seeking ulterior motive. The League of Wives is nearly a word for word retelling of Sybil’s writing, much of it are her quotes from In Love and War. If you dropped In Love and War into ChatGPT and told it to give you a summary, you’d get this book.
I hope Jane’s family publishes the diary she shared with Heath. I’m sure it’s deeply moving, as Sybil’s commentary was.
Unfortunately I have to be a little cynical about this book, the League of Wives, because it feels like the reason this book exists is so that movie rights could be obtained. In Love and War was previously made into a movie. While I would love to see more people appreciate the story of Jim and Sybil, Jerry and Jane, and the other POWs, MIA, wives, and mothers, it does taint this book a bit to have it really feel like there’s this other, profit-seeking ulterior motive. The League of Wives is nearly a word for word retelling of Sybil’s writing, much of it are her quotes from In Love and War. If you dropped In Love and War into ChatGPT and told it to give you a summary, you’d get this book.
I hope Jane’s family publishes the diary she shared with Heath. I’m sure it’s deeply moving, as Sybil’s commentary was.
December 15, 2024
Excellent account of the wives who had to fight against the tide to get their husbands home from Vietnam. The North Vietnamese held these men as POWs, ignoring the agreement of the Geneva Convention regarding treatment of the prisoners, the inspection of their camps by the Red Cross and the allowance of mail to be delivered as well as sent out. The wives also realized the apathy and bureaucracy of the US government on these issues left them to make their voices heard and inform the nation of the truth of the number of men who were claimed as MIAs and POWs. Their bravery and tenacity year after year was unwavering. This book taught me so much about what was happening in our country during those years. I have such a respect for these women.
May 1, 2025
This story is important to be told and I’m glad I read it. Heath Hardage Lee was very comprehensive in explaining the fight that the wives of the POWs and MIA in North Vietnam had to go through. The reason for the lower rating is that it was too detailed. The sheer volume of information kept the story from flowing and made me want to speed up the audio. I understand that is parallel to how the families of the POWs and MIAs felt, wanting to make progress in getting the men home. It was a long battle that continued for years. The women rose to the occasion to lobby for their husbands. Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration mostly ignored the POW issue because of the bad press and Nixon’s administration kept working on it until many of the men were brought home. Sadly some men had died before they could return.
This book describes the League of Wives and later the League of Families. It is an inspirational story and would have been amazing if it were properly condensed. 3.5 stars.
This book describes the League of Wives and later the League of Families. It is an inspirational story and would have been amazing if it were properly condensed. 3.5 stars.
April 10, 2020
Interesting view points that I did not know before. I wish the pictures had been put into the book where that part was being discussed. I love history and getting a new perspective on concepts that were glossed over even in my college history education. We all need to remember what women stood up for in history and be proud of that! What will our future generations say about us? What injustices have we fought- against societal norms- that will positively impact our nations future?
May 19, 2020
This was a great telling of history; one I was not completely familiar with. The women were forces in the POW return. The Richmond connection was fun too. However, it was far too tedious and too long. I am confident she didn’t want to leave anyone out but some of the stories were repetitive and could have been left out.
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