Getting Out of Saigon: How a 27-Year-Old Banker Saved 113 Vietnamese Civilians

Written by Ralph White

Narrated by Mark Bramhall

A “captivating” (The Washington Post) true story of “courage, resolve, and determination” (Christian Science Monitor), author Ralph White’s successful effort to save nearly the entire staff of the Saigon branch of Chase Manhattan bank and their families before the city fell to the North Vietnamese Army.

In April 1975, Ralph White was asked by his boss to transfer from the Bangkok branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank to the Saigon Branch. He was tasked with closing the branch if and when it appeared that Saigon would fall to the North Vietnamese army and ensure the safety of the senior Vietnamese employees.

But when he arrived, he realized the situation in Saigon was far more perilous than he had imagined. The senior staff members there urged him to evacuate the entire staff of the branch and their families, which was far more than he was authorized to do. Quickly he realized that no one would be safe when the city fell, and it was no longer a question of whether to evacuate but how.

Getting Out of Saigon is an “edge-of-your-seat” (Oprah Daily) story of a city on the eve of destruction and the colorful characters who respond differently to impending doom. It’s a remarkable account of one man’s quest to save innocent lives not because he was ordered but because it was the right thing to do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797142203

Ralph White

In 1973, Ralph White joined the Chase Manhattan Bank and worked as a business development officer in Thailand and Hong Kong; during his tenure in Thailand, he was temporarily assigned to Vietnam to close the bank’s Saigon branch as the city fell. Upon return to Chase’s New York headquarters in 1981, he worked in the International Strategic Planning Division and was a Vice President when he left. White subsequently worked as a business development officer with three foreign banks and earned an MBA at Columbia University. In 2009, he founded the Columbia Fiction Foundry, a writing workshop for alumni of Columbia University. Having served as the organization’s president for its first decade, White now serves as its Chairman. He lives in New York City and Litchfield, Connecticut.

Reviews for Getting Out of Saigon

[Debra Hunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have never left a review for any book. This review is for the audio file. It was intense. I truly enjoyed it. I was on college campuses, protesting the war of Vietnam when Mr. White was over in Saigon I have since watch documentaries on the war in Vietnam. The one by Ken Burns is excellent this came from Mr. White’s. I His own experience and I feel like he the reader or listener in my case the benefit of all his personal encounters truly captivating. I would recommend it. For the audio, his accents for each character put me right there on the street corner. We’ll done Mider Wite