Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Disappointed
While this book gives a good deal of information on the reginal animal and plant life, it is lacking the human history. How did this country come to be?

Wonderful explanation of species diversity
Authors clearly have a wonderful understanding of the science that explains continent formation, species dispersion, and Vietnam's diverse environment. Recommended read for any naturalist or scientist who plans to visit Vietnam and wants a quick but accurate overview that explains the origins of Vietnam's environment as it exists today.Read it!You will understand what you see!I have visited Vietnam 12 times and have been everywhere north to south, but I learned more of the country's origins from reading this book than in all my wonderful adventures. My thanks to the authors for the love of Vietnam reflected in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The authors expose phony heroes who have become the object of award winning documentaries on national television, liars and fabricators who have become best selling authors, and others who have based their careers on non-existent Vietnam service. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (246)

Vietnam Myths Exposed
This is a must read for those who want to learn the truth about those who reported massive war crimes by our brave soldiers who fought in Vietnam.It exposes the lies, fabrications, and propaganda of antiwar activists in portraying returning veterans as bloodthirsty war criminals.

Stolen Valor
My husband served in Viet Nam and he saw first hand what this book tells about.
Anyone who served in that war deserves all the credit possible. It was a horrible war and what did it accomplish? It just killed over 58,000 of our best young men and women and ruined the lives of countless thousands of others, along with the families.

A Wannabe Best Friend Lost
After almost two decades I still cannot bring myself to speak to the one person -- close friend and former Marine who was best man at my wedding after finding out that we fought back-to-back in hand combat in Vietnam. This revelation was disclosed when his companion's adolescent son related the story to the guests. Needless to say I was embarrassed but didn't want to refute this in public. What made this relationship even more untenable when his companion was puzzled when two former Marine Corps pilot neighbors suddenly stopped visiting and avoiding them.As it turned out she learned the pilots discovered numerous inconsistencies in my friend's claim to be a MarCorp aviator.

The next nail in the wannabe column involved a clinical psychologist's Army husband who was having difficulty obtaining VA benefits. He was part of the forward recon team in Argentina. Because of his "spook" ops, he could not apply for VA benefits until President George W. was out of office. That should have been the alarm. Stranger than fiction. This wannabe's downfall came at the Marine Corps birthday ball when he told the story of having been rescued by a single Seal team member and being carried 20 clicks to safety. Pinned on his -- the wannabe's chest was a Silver Star along with other fruit salad.

"Stolen Valor," could not be truer. And I had the unfortunate chance to experience it.

Amazing
This is one of the best books I have read in a while. Great reseach and written very well.

Stolen Valor
All Veterans should read this book.It will change your mind on how you perceive the alleged "war hero" who likes to brag about his/her accomplishments.
It will also cause you to have 2nd thoughts about that scungy guy at the stop lite, holding a sign, "Homless Vet"........
Because of this book, Congress passed a Stolen Valor law to make it a federal crime to impersonate a decorated vet. ... Read more

Product Description
The American experience in Vietnam divided us as a nation and eroded our confidence in both the morality and the effectiveness of our foreign policy. Yet our understanding of this tragic episode remains superficial because, then and now, we have never grasped the passionate commitment with which the Vietnamese clung to and fought over their own competing visions of what Vietnam was and what it might become. To understand the war, we must understand the Vietnamese, their culture, and their ways of looking at the world. Neil L. Jamieson, after many years of living and working in Vietnam, has written the book that provides this understanding.
Jamieson paints a portrait of twentieth-century Vietnam. Against the background of traditional Vietnamese culture, he takes us through the saga of modern Vietnamese history and Western involvement in the country, from the coming of the French in 1858 through the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Throughout his analysis, he allows the Vietnamese--both our friends and foes, and those who wished to be neither--to speak for themselves through poetry, fiction, essays, newspaper editorials and reports of interviews and personal experiences.
By putting our old and partial perceptions into this new and broader context, Jamieson provides positive insights that may perhaps ease the lingering pain and doubt resulting from our involvement in Vietnam. As the United States and Vietnam appear poised to embark on a new phase in their relationship, Jamieson's book is particularly timely. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Excellent
This is an excellent book which not only details the history of Vietnam but also shows how the people have developed to where they are today.

What makes the Vietnamese the people what they are?Why are the people from the North of the country so different to those of the South (political differences aside)?What is the lasting legacy of colonialism on this proud and strong people?

All these questions are answered as well a detailed historical journey from the earliest settlement of Vietnam through its many wars to the present day.

This book is a must for those who want to understand what makes Vietnam tick.

Highly recommended

Determined to Finish
The author freely admits this book is a result of his doctoral thesis in anthropology.It is not an easy read.I recommend making a list of Vietnamese terms and Jamieson's explanations, then using that as a bookmark.Slogging through the first 50 pages is tough.You have to be determined to read this book.I was.I wanted some insight into why I fought there.The book does shed some light on this.I drew my own conclusions from this work from what Jamieson did not say.Vietnam has been a country that was never really culturally united.It has been a country that has always struggled for identity.The French colonial system seemed to shine as a beacon for all that was wrong with Western imperialism.The U.S. venture into Vietnam brought a corruption of wealth and a disruption of economic processes which were exacerbated by the sudden withdrawal.Jamieson depends heavily on the printed word for his analysis.I'm not sure how valid that is, but it is revealing.The three star rating is for readability: maybe playing the Rocky soundtrack would help encourage one to keep going.
I would give it four stars for understanding.Meanwhile, I think I need some other perspectives to fill in the understanding presented in Understanding Vietnam.

Absolutely the best
Having lived and worked in Vietnam, on and off, for the past three years, (206 - 2009)I write from first hand experience.This book willexplain the mysteries of the Vietnamese people and their attitude.Do not attempt extensive travel, or doing business, in Vietnamwithout reading and understanding this book first.G. S. Page, Plano TX

Vietnam from the perspectives of Vietnamese
The literature on Vietnam is generally devoid of the Vietnamese perspective.This book tries to fix that generally with success.It traces Vietnamese history from two thousand years ago till the period of Western colonialization and then goes on to discuss the American war in detail.The debacle of the Vietnam war stems very much from a lack of understanding of how Vietnam itself.American foreign policy makers viewed it as a global war against the spread of communism.Yet, in Vietnamese perspective, the Americans were just another episode in their struggle to determine their own destiny.The main shortcoming of the book is its attempt to fit everything into "Ying" and "Yang", which islimiting and frankly somewhat comical.

A must-read for serious students
This is a superb scholarly work which is a must-read for anyone interested in Vietnam -- its past, present and future.Jamieson leads the reader forward from the beginnings of Vietnamese civilisation, illustrating the evolution of the culture with literature and poetry from each period, woven into a structure of competing demands for the loyalty of the people.

Of most impact to many readers will be Jamieson's assessment of the Vietnam War. He conclusively demonstrates that the jarring and overbearing presence of an alien U.S. administration inevitably shook to pieces the fragile and vulnerable society of southern Vietnam, which was then in no position to resist the more traditional and less conflicted society of Hanoi and the north.

Much has happened, both good and bad, in Vietnam in the decade or so since Jamieson published this book and yet his insights are as true today as they were of the war period, or even of the 19th century era of colonialism. Vietnam is changing rapidly on the surface, but the currents in society remain very much as Jamieson has described.

A remarkable and penetrating insight into an ancient culture which may become an important global player in the years to come. -- Maclean J Storer, author of Forward O Peasant. ... Read more

Product Description
The highly acclaimed book about the battle that doomed the French Empire and led America into Vietnam, The Last Valley is "a brilliant work of military history" -Boston Globe

December 1953 French paratroopers, who had been searching for the elusive Vietnamese army, were quickly isolated by them and forced to retreat into their out-gunned and desolate jungle base-a small place called Dien Bien Phu. The Vietnamese besieged the French base for five long and desperate months. Eventually, the demoralized and weakened French were utterly depleted and withdrew in defeat. The siege at Dien Bien Phu was a landmark battle of the last century-the first defeat of modern western forces by an Asian guerilla army.

The Last Valley is the first new account of the battle since the 1970s. The author has incorporated much new material from French and Vietnamese sources, including veteran interviews, making this the most complete account to-date. And Martin Windrow has received widespread praise from top historians such as John Keegan and Max Hastings (below), as well as reviewers on both sides of the Atlantic.

"Martin Windrow has eclipsed Bernard Fall [Hell in a Very Small Place] with this meticulous and magnificent account of the tragedy of the French war in Indochina.... Windrow is master of every detail.... His book makes gripping reading." -Max Hastings, New York Sun ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Outstanding book from the French side!
The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnamby Martin Windrow is, quite simply the best book I've ever run into on the French view of the military aspects of the battle of Dien Bein Phu. The book covers the entire siege at basically the company or when necessary the platoon level. It is lavishly illustrated with an absolutely huge variety of maps, 20 of them. The maps are all placed at the front of the book and numbered, then throughout the text, Windrow references a particular map when describing a specific action. It is the most comprehensively mapped book I've ever seen with the sole exception of Dave Powell's epic Maps of Chickamauga.

Another aspect of the book that is particularly useful is Windrow's description of mundane military tasks to put them in context for readers who lack background knowledge about military matters. One example deals with the plight of the gunners serving the French artillery. Windrow describes how crewmen had to open a cardboard tube, extract the 90 odd pound round, remove the warhead from the propellant case, discard a number of the charge bags, re-insert the war head, select, set and screw in a fuse all before the round could be inserted into the breach and fired. Windrow's point is the sheer physical exertion involved in a banal phrase such as "the French artillery fired an average of 500 rounds per gun that night". Windrow intersperses descriptions such as this, on a number of topics throughout the book, which makes it extraordinarily accessible for readers without a military background.

There are two caveats potential readers should be aware of. First, while Windrow has accessed all the existing French archives, accounts and military journals, he's done little or no research (at least none was listed in the bibliography) from the Viet Minh perspective. Second, the book doesn't cover the political aspects of the battle, essentially all the political matters are condensed into one chapter at the end. Readers could remedy the lack of political content by reading Morgan's Valley of Death.

Allowing for those two issues, I recommend the book very highly to pretty much anyone interested in Dien Bien Phu.

Wow!What a wonderful book!
This is how history ought to be written.A riveting subject, carefully placed in context, thoroughly and carefully studied, told in clear and elegant English, summed up with carefully weighed and evaluated and sensible conclusions.I hope for more from this author and soon.

Excellent resource well worth readins
This is the best account of this decisive and pivotal battle I have ever read.I have read all Bernard Fall's works on his work in Vietnam and for their time they are essential reading but this work stands in a class on its own.The research, the background work done and the way it is presented really illuminates the period in time and reveals why this was such a pivotal in history.

Better Than Hoped For
This book was chosen due to it's being written recently & having more accountable facts on the subject,to which the author did not fail to provide.Not being well-educated in military jargon did not prevent me from having a clear understanding of written events.The author provide a glossary & detailed maps to allow the reader a path to understanding all subject matter,& a thorough bibliography to account for the author's facts.There has been criticism about the author favoring the doomed French battalions but the idea was to teach the reader that this was a battle the loser lost as much as the victors won.Much praise was sent to the Viet men armies as was deserved.I find myself desiring to learn more about the battle,hopefully from first-hand accounts.Ths alone shows the impact this book has on its' readers.Recommended highly.

A Doctoral Thesis of the Battle
I agree that this book is THE authority on the battle of Dien Bien Phu. It is a great reference that documents every aspect, detail and statistic of the battle and the history preceding it. However, you can skip the first half of the book if you are interested only in reading about the battle itself. ... Read more

Product Description
The Vietnam War tells the story of one of the most divisive episodes in modern American history through primary sources, ranging from government documents, news reports, speeches, popular songs to memoirs, writings by Vietnam veterans (including coauthor John Fitzgerald), and poetry by Vietnamese and Americans on matching themes. The book begins in the 19th century when Vietnam became a French colony, and traces the insidious route by which the United States became involved in a war on the other side of the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Caveat Emptor
Living part-time in Ha Noi, Sydney, Seoul, and getting mail in Denver, I have taught about the American-Viet Nam War in all four countries from a multi-cultural perspective.Having read and reread the paperback version, the book unfortunately shows a limited view with significant design problems.

Detailed remarks have been submitted for publication elsewhere.More later.

a reviewer should read the book
As one of the authors of the book, The Vietnam War: A History in Documents, I take exception to the review from the reader in Colorado. I have seen his actual comments and he must know that we have shown them to be incorrect. He claims that we are incorrect on certain pages but in fact we had the facts correct. He is entitled to his own opinion but he is not entitled to his own set of facts. He seems to think that we should have written another kind of book. That is his privilege. It would be decent for any reviewer to comment directly on the book being reviewed rather than a book that he thinks we should have written. His comments are very close to being dishonest and seem primarily interested in disparaging the book. The controversy over the Vietnam War has not yet ended.Yours truly, John J. Fitzgerald

Myopic View of the War in Viet Nam
Unfortunately this is another myopic book about the �Vietnam War,� that would have you believe the US fought alone in Viet Nam.

Both the design and content are seriously lacking for the intended audience, grades 7+.Important facts are left out while other facts are pathetically incorrect; most captions are mislabeled, and many �documents� are indistinguishable from the narrative text.Sadly, even in 2003 it appears America still has Post Traumatic Stress Denial with parts of our own history.

The war in documents and artifacts
This book should be very popular with teachers who teach that wars are more than battles and dates, who want students to go beyond pop culture's depiction of the experience of the individual soldier in Viet Nam, and who want students to understand that even publicly confident leaders are often baffled, uncertain, ignorant of history, or wrong.No textbook on this complex war can even begin to cover everything, of course. Instead of details about military operations, this book concentrates on presidential decision-making, personal responses on both sides, and efforts (e.g. songs, posters, propaganda leaflets) to persuade public opinion one way or another. The material in this book on how to read documents and on propaganda by both sides should be especially effective in the classroom. In fact, the book's great strength is its inclusion of (and guides to understanding) documents such as the 1945 Viet Minh Declaration of Independence, a state department policy statement, the 1954 Geneva conference's Final Declaration, and various responses to that declaration. Defenders of U.S. involvement in the war will likely be unhappy with parts of this book, including the suggested bibliography, but no book on this war will please everyone, and probably no book on this war can truly be neutral. Fortunately the inclusion of essential primary documents allows teachers of any persuasion to use this book. The materials from the Vietnamese side are probably especially valuable here, because those materials are not familiar to American students. As a documentary history this book naturally includes no classroom activities; for that, teachers might want to consult Echoes from the Wall (a free curriculum distributed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund) and Lessons of the Vietnam War, by Jerry Starr's Center for Social Studies Education. A teacher might also want to supplement this history with a few disparate excerpts from Bill McCloud's wonderful collection, What Should We Tell Our Children About Vietnam?

Marvelous Introduction to the Subject
Because of my work I see a great many books on Vietnam and the Vietnam era but this one really stands out as something special. Not only is the book an excellent introduction --it is also full of material that is fascinating even to those who know the subject well!
Steven A. Leibo Ph.D.
author of _East, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific_ 2002 ... Read more

Product Description
Written in a no-holds-barred, from-the-gut style, this one-of-a-kind story of resilience and determination during the Vietnam War focuses on action with a long-range patrol (LRP) team. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

CYCLOPS WILL OPEN YOUR EYES!
I have written a number of successful books and some of them were Vietnam books, and some were autobiographical. I know Vietnam and I know soldiers. Dave Walker has created a very honest, action-packed book which is a very good read. It is the storty of a soldier's soldier who has been there, done that in the specops world as a Ranger and LRRP. It is the honest story of a man who put his life on the line in the cause of freedom, not just once, but even after losing an eye to enemy fire. It is a story of passion, courage, grit, and determination, written by a true American hero, about true American heroes. If you want to understand the Vietnam War, buy this book. Don Bendell

Excellent book from the first page to the end
"Cyclops In The Jungle" is a great real life story of what I would call the true definition of a hero. You would be hard pressed to find anyone with the determination and courage to go back to combat in Vietnam after the loss of an eye due to a wound that could have easily been fatal. Not only that, but to return to a LRP unit operating in 4 to 6 man teams where there is almost certain death if discovered by the enemy. I haven't met Dave Walker but would be most honored to shake his hand and say, Welcome home! No Hollywood fantasy here, real life adventure and courage.

A Warrior's Tale of Elite LRP Brotherhood
I am proud to call you my Ranger/LRP Brother-In-Arms.You have well written a lasting tribute to the heroic LRPs who served an ungrateful nation; all they had were each other.I am humbled by your feats of courage and dedication to your Brothers.Not pulling any punches, you wittily revealed the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Vietnam war plus the humorous anecdotes that always accompany the special elite LRPs, wherever they may be.I salute you for a riveting book.Well Done!RLTW
Gary "28" Dolan
Of Their Own Accord

Some Soldiers gave more than most and would not be denied!
This is the most gritty, down home realistic and yet enjoyable book I have ever read on Special Forces Combat in the Vietnam War! Dave also has a way with anecdotes that had me laughing harder than listening to Larry to Cable Guy. When I first met Dave at the local VFW in 2000, he was scrupulously vetting my DD214 and someone told me he was writing a book about his experiences in Vietnam as a one eyed LRP. I then thought I would ask a few questions myself since I was incredulous that the Army would ever allow anyone back into direct contact combat with only one eye. I was astounded to find out that local veterans, who had served with him, verified that he had in fact fought his way back to the front at Bong Son in 1970 to serve under Capt "Hog" Brown for 20 more months missing the eye he lost in 1967. While John Kerry was collecting purple hearts as fast as he could to get his ass out of combat, improve his political resume and return with Jane Fonda to denigrate the unselfish sacrifices Special Forces were making, Dave was fighting to get back over to the war that was the most important thing in his life to win! He has earned my eternal respect and a salute whenever I see him. All gave some and some gave all, and some, like Dave, gave more than most!

Thomas R. Charters
Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
429TFS, Takhli RTAFB 72-74

One Eyed Wonder
David Walker's book is the story of a true soldier. His call to duty superseded the limitations placed on him by his wounds and army regulations. Walker's grit and determination got him back to the elite units at the tip of the spear, to continue the mission that he started. His first person account of combat behind the lines is in the same spirit and descriptive manner as Gary Linderer's - spot on. It is an easy to read, compelling story, that describes recon missions in the harsh and deadly environment that was the war in Vietnam. His example, his knowledge, and his skill, were inspirational to many a young soldier. Rangers lead the way! Thank you for your service. ... Read more

Product Description
This book will firstly present the history of Vietnam from the 6th to 15th centuries, highlighting the clashes between the two major civilisations which are the foundation of modern Vietnam. The second part will deal with the archaeology of the sites whic ... Read more

Product Description
Hailed as a "pithy and compelling account of an intensely relevant topic" (Kirkus Reviews), this wide-ranging volume offers a superb account of a key moment in modern U.S. and world history. Drawing upon the latest research in archives in China, Russia, and Vietnam, Mark Lawrence creates an extraordinary, panoramic view of all sides of the war. His narrative begins well before American forces set foot in Vietnam, delving into French colonialism's contribution to the 1945 Vietnamese revolution, and revealing how the Cold War concerns of the 1950s led the United States to back the French. The heart of the book covers the "American war," ranging from the overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem and the impact of the Tet Offensive to Nixon's expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos, and the final peace agreement of 1973. Finally, Lawrence examines the aftermath of the war, from the momentous liberalization--"Doi Moi"--in Vietnam to the enduring legacy of this infamous war in American books, films, and political debate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

All sides of Vietnam
I thought this book does a good job of describing how the war in Vietnam started years before the US arrived, when the US was there and their stategies, and the aftermath. Also gives an perspective from not only the US, but other countries and Vietnamese citizens.

Solid, if overly careful, political summary of the war
For a whirlwind tour through the century of conflict in Vietnam, Lawrence's discussion is dry and clinical -- perhaps appropriate for such a volatile topic, but the work still reads like a book report.

The heart of the book is the discussion of the political war -- and the inability of the South to achieve any kind of political support that would legitimize it and therefore win the struggle. As long as the NLF withstood the bombing attacks above the 17th parallel, the US technological edge was rendered mute. As Lawrence states, this made the political outcome of the conflict that much more important, and the advantage tilted dramatically to the North. The South simply did not have the support of its people and perceived legimitacy, while at the same time the war became increasingly unpopular in the the U.S.

Surprisingly for such a short work, Lawrence ends with a chapter discussing the legacy of the war to the current day, and makes some fairly sweeping judgements about the recent use of military power particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't necessarily think these add to the book, and they are certainly not needed for the sake of any sense of completeness.

WORTH READING.
This is about the briefest history of the Vietnam War you're ever going to find. But that isn't to say it isn't worth reading, it is, especially if your a new student of Vietnam history. Just don't expect any depth.

I liked the book, and I liked the easy writing style of the author. But, as is the case with so many college professors it's definitely slanted towards the author's personal political ideology. And that means, of course, that the Republicans are the bad guys who always want war, and the democrats are the peace keepers who are just trying to do their job. One thing, however, is made crystal clear. While politicians from both sides worried more about their careers than getting the job done, a lot of honorable soldiers died. Anybody who lived through the sixties should remember the daily body counts announced by the media. All in all, though, I'd say this short book is a good way to get an overview of the entire Vietnam conflict from beginning to end---in two sittings. How can you beat that?

I give this book a thumbs up recommendation.

Good Concise History and Overview
Attempting to write a history of The Vietnam War in less than 200 pages of text (supported by good notes) is not an easy task. The keen student of Vietnam will find nothing new in this, but if you are looking for a generally well written concise history of this horrible conflict - read Lawrence's work.

Vietnam is a story of broken promises by world powers - United States, France, Soviet Union and China. After a brief exploration of the early history of the country, the author shows how Vietnam was but a pawn for the major powers. He paints quite clearly an inexorable slow drive to inevitable war as the US / Soviet Union / China perceive a country virtually unknown to the West as a key geo-political battle ground.

The tragedy for the United States is that Vietnam was also a domestic political football and US Presidents Kennedy and Johnson got deeper involved in the conflict "not because they were confident of victory but because they feared the consequences of defeat." The Vietnam War broke LBJ, a man who always seemed to only go half-way in implementing any advice from advisors.

I can't agree with a previous reviewer who castigates the author for his profile of Nixon. It is well documented that Nixon interfered with Johnson's peace overtures prior to the 1968 election which is a much more cynical act than his Watergate escapades. An excellent picture of Nixon and Kissinger is painted in Robert Dallek's book Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Powerand does neither of them little credit.

Very concise but good overviews of the Tet offensive and other key battles are provided. If you want a military history of Vietnam, this is not the book for you, but if you want a good general picture and understanding of how the most powerful nation got involved in one terrible mess, this is a short enjoyable read.

One qualm - author Lawrence suggests that from "January 29 to March 31 (1968), the NLF and the North Vietnamese army suffered as many as fifty-eight thousand dead," but later suggests that in the full year 1968 "the communists lost an estimated sixty thousand killed." Better proof reading needed here I think.

Still too soon.
Sadly this book proves that it is still too soon to write about this war objectively. The book begins very well, with a quick but clear review of the region's history that is usually lacking in other works. It is especially helpful to understand what went on between 1900 and 1960, specifically what happened during and just after WWII.

Moving to the US involvement, the author describes how the US began to become increasingly involved, but gives rather thin treatment to how Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson got us mired. Instead, it all becomes the fault of President Nixon, this author's anti-Christ. Nixon's personal flaws come front and center, and it seems nothing was too low for this man to stoop to doing for his own purposes. Not a word about JFK's many personal issues or his adventurism or how the Bay of Pigs played into his actions in Vietnam, and less is said about LBJ. Instead we get cheap swipes at Nixon that are simply mean spirited.

It is still too soon it seems for there to be a balanced recounting of this war. Perhaps when all the 60s radicals are dead and gone there will be hope. Until then, those of us who lived through this era and still reject the leftist interpretations will have to continue hoping that the truth will eventually be able to compete with the current "accepted" view.
... Read more

Product Description
Summer's inspired analysis of America's war in Vietnam answers the most pressing questions remaining from that terrible conflict more than a decade before Robert McNamara's painful admissions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Definitive
In On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Viet Nam War, Colonel Summers places the blame squarely on America's top military command, including the Commander in Chief and the bureaucracy of the Pentagon.The problems?Summers paints them in broad categories: a failure to understand the enemy, a failure to understand the nature of the war the enemy was fighting, a failure to appreciate the relationship between government, military, and populace, a failure to understand the difference between preparation for war (in which economy is a driving principle) and the conduct of war (in which victory is the driving principle), and many others.But above all, the failure to use what we should have known: the timeless principles enumerated by von Clausewitz, the plain evidence of the situation, and most especially the American experience of war over two centuries, two centuries in which the USA's effectiveness on the battlefield was unmatched.

This is as near a definitive treatment as we are ever likely to see, and every American should read it.

Ojective and Unity Of Command
On Strategy is a careful postmortem on the American phase of the Viet Nam War. Col. Summers analyzes why we failed in Viet Nam; as B. B. Fall did for the French. America forgot some of the basic principles of war.
Their was never a clearly stated Objective for our efforts. In Washington the President and Congress vacillated and compromised trying to judge the political ramifications instead of the military.
A second major fault was in the execution of the war. Their was no Unity of Command. The Commanding General in Viet Nam only commanded the Army. The Navy, Marines, and Air Force were consulting but not under his command.
The President and Sec. of Defense ran the war from Washington dictating tactical as well as strategic policy and targets, which could change from day to day.
Even with these crippling defects the defeat of South Viet Nam was only assured by passage of the Church Amendment, which promised North Viet Nam
that we would give the south no aid in any form no matter what. Thus North Viet Nam was able to reverse the defeat of 1972 Ester Offensive, and win in 1975 against a completely dispirited South.
I often wonder how Israel, or South Korea would have fared with a similar
Amendment.

Theory of Friction In War - Worth the Read Alone
A strategic examination based on the classic principals of war that provides insight into how a superpower with overwhelming conventional superiority can exhaust itself against a militarily sophisticated third world country.Clausewitz's theory and Summers explanation of "friction"in war ..."how even the simplest of tasks become difficult as countless minor incidents combine to lower the general level of performance"...is worth the read alone.

Summers makes clear there is no such thing as a "splendid little war," "a war fought on the cheap,"or"a slam dunk war."Contrary to popular mythology, maintaining public support for a war is always a problem.It was problem during the American Revolutionary War, World War II and as it is now during the fifth year of the war in Iraq. The enemy always has havens, political sanctuaries and brutal responses in every war:Apache Indians skillfully used Mexican territory to avoid capture, the North Viennese used tunnels and neutral countries to move troops and supplies, the Taliban hides in remote mountain caves, Al Qaeda rules from the lawless tribal regions of Pakistan and Iraqi insurgents use IED's andsuicide bombers.

Arrogance, superpower status and wishful thinking don't win wars...even winning every encounter doesn't mean you will inflict your will on the enemy or cause the enemy to beg for peace.If you want to know how to use an army wisely and understand the need to manage political expectations, On Strategy will get you started.

On Startegy is about the best thing I have read on Vietnam
The title of my review was actually made by Drew Middleton, The New York Times. Coming from that source with the agenda they have, it's a pretty compelling endorsement, and it is 100% correct.

The following are quotes from the book which should give you some idea how fair and objective Colonel Summers was. So, if you're trying to understand the Vietnam War (as I am), buying this book is an absolute requirement. And, ironically, it does not matter whether you were for or against this war. It's not one of those books where the ideology driven people will get all bent out of shape trying to defend the positions they took 30 or so years ago. Read the quotes; I think you'll agree that Summers was fair.

"In failing to press their military advice they [the military leadership] allowed the US to pursue a strategic policy that was faulty from the start."

Colonel Lung, Army of the Rrepublic of Vietnam: "The Americans had designed a purely defensive strategy for Vietnam. It was a strategy that was based on the attrition of the enemy through a prolonged defense and made no allowance for decisive offensove action."

"The confusion over [our political and military] objectives detailed above had a devastating effect on our ability to conduct the war."

"Our new "strategy" of counterinsurgency blinded us to the fact that the guerrilla war was tactical and not strategic."

"And the critics were right. It was a different. All of America's previous wars were fought in the heat of passion. Vietnam was fought in cold blood, and that was intolerable to the American people."

Unmitigated garbage
Read this when it first came out and cannot believe the gullibility of some of its present reviewers. Ah, we could have won if only (fill in the blank). Cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail? When? In 1965, when first the Marines and then the Army went ashore with barely enough manpower to defend their enclaves? What was the ARVN supposed to be doing, letting the merry-go-round of a government fall (as they were well on the way to doing when we showed up)?

Maybe in it would have been in 1966, when Westmoreland, by his own admission, barely had the logistical capability to maintain the troops at hand? Perhaps in 1967, the first year that MACV felt that it could conduct toe-to-toe operations with PAVN? Maybe post-Tet in 1968 (which would actually have been the strategic thing to do), when the American politicians (and people, lets not forget them) decided that enough spin by the government (and military) was enough and that one open-ended military commitment in Asia was plenty. Does Summer's forget that the Joint Chiefs themselves turned down the physical barrier concept back in '65 as a logistical and political impossibility?

And what were the North Vietnamese and NLF supposed to be doing while the U.S. threatened their logistical jugular? Sitting back, moping, and taking it? The only reason that they did not topple the Lao government and actually threaten Thailand (the great American boogy-man at the time) was that they did'nt have to. And God, let's not get into how the Soviets (who, like the U.S., were a guarantor of Laotian neutrality) and Chinese would have reacted to the expansion of the war into "neutral" Laos.

This sort of revisionist, post-historical "what if" works (i.e. Mark Moyar) has become quite the rage today. "Let us find some way to 'reexamine' the greatest American military and political fiasco of the second half of the 20th Century and see if we can't polish it up." Forget our mistakes, it was a glorious cause, all those millions of Southeast Asians died for their own good. Forget all those lessons - see how well it has worked? Just ask your average Iraqi.

... Read more

Product Description
Some of the films discussed in this book include:
Five Easy Pieces
Chinatown
Carnal Knowledge
Straw Dogs
A Clockwork Orange
Mean Streets
The Conversation
Nashville
Shampoo
Taxi Driver
Apocalypse Now ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Indispensable for Film Fans or Students
This is a fascinating text, worth five graduate courses on the subject. I'm amazed that it hasn't gotten more attention from reviewers here on Amazon. The text is light on critical discussions of the films of the decade, but that isn't really the point. Cook's objective is to examine the social, economic, and technical contexts in which films were made in the 1970's, and from that perspective he does an amazingly comprehensive job. From the impact of cultural and political movements, to the recession that almost crippled the industry in the early 1970's, to technological advances, to the rise of the auteur, to the major players and genres, to the emergence of the blockbuster mentality, Cook thoroughly reviews a decade that saw some of the greatest sea changes in how movies are made. Rather than a lot of theory or critique, you come away with an insider's sense of what filmmaking in the 1970's really meant. A must-read for anyone interested in this period in cinema history or who-like me-grew up in this decade.

Engaging history of cinema
The 70's is part of the landmark series created and edited by Charles H. Harpole.Each volume covers about a decade and was conceived as a readable scholarly history, each with the same coverage:the stylistic, technological, and economic factors of American feature, documentary, and avant garde cinema.The goal is to be comprehensive, judicious, and well researched without losing the love of the movies.The illustrations are particularily good in that they are often real frame enlargements or are not published elsewhere.The U.Calif. Press paperbacks are reproductions of the Scribner $70 hardbacks and thus are a bargain.
Look for the other 9 books of the Series and enjoy!

Excellent account of Seventies film
Of the volumes in the excellent History of the American Cinema series, this is the best by far.Cook provides a superb, balanced overview of the film industry in the 1970s, considering practically every aspect of the topic--from the economics of the industry to the production trends to even the distribution and innovations in film technology.For any serious student of film history, this is a must read!

Recommended for movie buffs and film historians.
David A. Cook's volume Lost Illusions contributes Volume 9 to the ongoing History of the American Cinema series, covering the period from 1970-79 when American cinema operated against the social conditions of Vietnam and Watergate. The rise of film conglomerates is charted along with newfilmmaking techniques. ... Read more

Product Description
A Los Angeles Times Best Books of the Year Selection
A San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller

An epic narrative that chronicles the experience of America’s Vietnam veterans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Subjectively skewed work on a marginal organization
In histories of the Vietnam Antiwar Movement, there is a clear, some would argue glaring demarcation between those who wish the antiwar movement was better than it was, and those who provide objective history. If one did not know where Gerald Nicosia stood on these matters, "Home to War" should remove any doubts: it is a decidedly subjective and inaccurate portrayal of VVAW's role in the antiwar movement.
The subjectivity of Nicosia can be readily ascertained by reviewing his treatment of Mark Lane's book "Conversations with Americans" starting on page 79. Lane was an attorney who enjoyed a rather close relationship with Jane Fonda who kept Lane in a leadership role in the Winter Soldier Investigation that she funded.Nicosia states that Neil Sheehan questioned Lane about his book and asked why he (Lane) did not cross check any of his interviewees' stories. Further down in the same paragraph, "As the War crimes heated up, Lane doubtless knew that his book would be challenged to it's authenticity and accuracy; so it was in his interest both literary and commercial, to have a group of veterans corroborate his stories". The implication being that Lane's work wasn't flawed but simply lacked cross checking.
This isn't quite what happened. Neil Sheehan, a New York Times Reporter and clearly antiwar in his views was asked to prepare a review of Lane's book for the "New York Time Book Review". Sheehan would soon break the Pentagon Papers story and win a Pulitzer Prize for later work.
Sheehan published his review of Lane's book on December 27, 1970 and he hammered both Lane and the publisher Simon and Schuster.
In case after case, Sheehan found the witnesses story were fabricated and that Lane hadn't bothered to cross check the facts.
One witness told Lane his father was an ex-Nazi tank commander and now commanding U.S. Troops in Vietnam. That Lane could simply accept that a Nazi Tank Commander was now in the US Army is scary. When the names were checked by Sheehan, the officer simply did not exist.
Tracking down the commanding officer of another witness, Sheehen discovered the witness wasn't anywhere near where he said he was.
Another witness a medic, refused orders into a combat area twice, then admitted to stealing morphine and committing a homosexual act resulting in a court martial and undesirable discharge. Lane accepted the man's claims to have been in combat and a witness to all kinds of atrocities without bothering to check.
Another GI who told Lane of atrocities went AWOL, was captured and then discovered to be wanted for a murder in Denver. He was then committed to a hospital for the criminally insane. And he had never been in Vietnam.
The publisher Simon and Shuster was embarrassed by their lack of due diligence and admitted they had failed to follow up on Lane's research.
Sheehan was upset as he believed that atrocities probably were being committed and that Lane's book did more harm than good. In short, Lane's book was thoroughly debunked. Hardly the impression one would get in reading Nicosia's account. But then Nicosia is trying to validate VVAWs Winter Soldier Investigations and Lane's work was an integral part of the build up to this investigation. Nicosia's treatment fails to debunk Lane's work which casts some serious doubts on Nicosia's work.
As to VVAW, there were 9.6 million GIs who served during the Vietnam War.VVAW had no more than 8,000 members and not all were even military. No VVAW protest ever garnered more then about 2,000 Vets and from experience, we know not all the vets were in fact vets. Hardly the voice of Vietnam Vets.

Home From The War
I started reading this book and in the first thirty minutes I had to stop.When a book starts off about Bush's spotty military career and Kerry's glorious heroism it makes me wonder if there is an agenda (I'm sure Kerry throwing his medals over the fence did a lot of justice for many Vietnam Vets#.The author goes on to talk to the parallels of the Iraq War and Vietnam and I got to say it started to sound like a load of crap.As a Marine that has deployed to Iraq three times and Afghanistan once it's not the war that is killing our morale it is the fact that we have mindless drones that voted to go to war and then all of a sudden have a change of heart (how come we elect and pay someone that doesn't have the courage to speak up but would rather go with the flow and cry later that they didn't know what was going on# that talk of how the military has failed this war.The only reason why men and women in the Iraq War may not be as bad off as the Vietnam Vets is because there are a large number of people, whether they are for or against the war, knows what a great job the men and women are doing.We aren't being spit at or being called baby killers by the likes of Jane Fonda and Sean Penn #YET).
If you are a liberal and want to enrage your hate for Bush this is your book however if you are in the military and understand the ways of the world then don't waste your money.

Useful history of the Veteran's Movement
This book offers a comprehensive view of the veterans movement, giving very detailed accounts of the forces that helped swing public opinion, force acceptance of PTSD, and began the investigation into the effects of agent orange.While some of the events are detailed far beyond their impact, this book presents a human face on the leaders of the movement.

Engrossing book despite some notable flaws
Nicosia provides a history of the Vietnam war veterans movements, particularly those concerned with ending the War. The reviewer who was surprised by the "leftward" tilt either didn't read the book cover, any of the published reviews or the book, itself.

The book has several significant flaws, which I'll get out of the way first. Like seemingly most contemporary nonfiction, it could have used assertive editing. The chronology of events in the book gets confusing particularly during the last third of the book, where one lurches back and forth in time and it's easy to lose track of where various people fit and how their actions are linked across time. A better organized text probably could have been a bit shorter. Another significant problem is that Nicosia's funding by the Vietnam Veterans of America is buried in the acknowledgments, although he appears to freely criticize the actions of that organization and its past leadership. Finally, Nicosia relies on secondary sources for his data on medical, social and psychiatric problems among Vietnam era veterans and it is unclear whether his interviews with relevant people like psychiatrist Arthur Blank would have helped in interpreting these data. As it is, correlation seems to get confused with causation and some of the data simply seem inconsistent or include studies which were well known to be "outliers". It's been said that journalists don't like numbers, unfortunately, concepts simple enough to teach in an introductory social science course seem to get by them.

Although I was too young to serve in Vietnam, I knew many who did, including some who died there. Some of them (including the dead) opposed the war but went into the military, anyway, for a variety of reasons. In my later life, I knew people who had been active in the antiwar movement. I also briefly worked in the VA system and with Vietnam vets in the Department of Defense, and later went to Vietnam as a tourist and as a consultant (under the supervision of a US Army veteran of the Vietnam War). As it happens, I've also crossed paths with a couple minor figures in the book, who played significant roles in the veterans peace movement (although I hadn't known about that part of their lives). So, despite my age and lack of service, the book deals with a world that is very real to me. I can recall the skepticism of claims about PTSD by VA clinicans (ditto the skepticism about Gulf War syndrome) and can easily identify with many of the controversies here. Despite my own work, my visits to Vietnam and my extensive past reading on the subject, I was moved anew by the stories of returning vets, what they had seen in Vietnam, and what they experienced in the US.

On a less personal and more journalistic/historical level, the book vividly describes the political schisms in the antiwar movement: veteran-related and otherwise. Despite Nicosia's obvious passsions, he recognizes shortcomings and destructive actions of many in the movement. For those of us who recall the stereotype of the "crazed" Vietnam Vet, he vividly describes how this evolved from slow emergence of PTSD and the various public faces of stressed and strung out veterans, as well as the grassroots efforts to address Veterans' needs. Nicosia also describes the courage and tenacity of veterans who worked tirelssly as advocates and as service providers to their peers. He points out the legislative contributions of Vietnam Vets such as Tom Daschle and John Kerry as well as the showboating of supposed friends of veterans such as Alan Cranston and Sonny Montgomery. There are poignant parallels to our own time as Nixon cut veteran's benefits to help pay for the war. Nicosia chronicles the tensions with traditional veterans' organizations and the ways in which organizations dominated by WWII and Korean War veterans fought against efforts to address Vietnam War veterans' needs, in part to protect their own entitlements. He also describes how veterans of the different wars began to come together over time and how one-time protesters like Kerry built bridges to more conservative politicans for the benefit of Vietnam vets. The book, thankfully, does not get bogged down in subjects that have been extensively treated elsewhere like Watergate's Vietnam-related events (e.g., the Ellsberg burglary) and the drama surrounding the Vietnam War memorial. OTOH, people unfamiliar with SDS, Another Mother for Peace (an organization where tv mom and ex-Republican Donna Reed, played a role) the Weathermen, etc. would benefit from a little more description of these organizations. One activist who plays an interesting role here is Jane Fonda, who seemed to take a genuine interest in the veterans concerns. Perhaps it was a penance for her reign as "Hanoi Jane" or maybe something else. I hadn't been aware of that side of her and the book contains enough little surprises like this to interest even the well read reader and overcome the shortcomings of the book.

At Times We VeteransWere OurOwn Worst Enemy
Well researched and documented book regarding the struggles and victories, mostly minor very few major,experienced by Viet Nam Veterans as they returned and attempted assimilation into the greater society. Describes in detail the politics that confronted them, the sham that was or may still be the Veterans Administration and other government agencies who all seemed to be operating in denial during the era.Must reading for all Viet Nam Era Veterans to understand and gain an appreciation for those who continued to fight for uson the home front not only to end the war but to be properly compensated by a government and politicians who would not accept responsibility for their actions of sending us to war. ... Read more

Product Description
Making sense of the wars for Vietnam has had a long history. The question "why Vietnam?" dominated American and Vietnamese political life for much of the length of the wars and has continued to be asked in the decades since they ended. This volume brings together the work of eleven scholars to examine the conceptual and methodological shifts that have marked the contested terrain of Vietnam War scholarship. Editors Marilyn Young and Mark Bradley's superb group of renowned contributors spans the generations--including those who were active during wartime, along with scholars conducting research in Vietnamese sources and uncovering new sources in the United States, former Soviet Union, China, and Eastern and Western Europe. Ranging in format from top-down reconsiderations of critical decision-making moments in Washington, Hanoi, and Saigon, to microhistories of the war that explore its meanings from the bottom up, these essays comprise the most up-to-date collection of scholarship on the controversial historiography of the Vietnam Wars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vietnam War
This book illustrates the importance of the courage of the men in the Vietnam War.The author was a journalist in the war, and he records everything he sees and hears.Your mind will be filled with detailedscenes from the actual war, you might even find yourself checking yourshoulder for mortars! ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents a kaleidoscope of personal experience from Australian servicemen and women from the Army, Navy and Air Force who saw active service in the second Indo-China War. "Vietnam Fragments" is a collection of the impressions, reactions, feelings and fears of those who went to this tragic theatre of war, revealing how these soldiers, sailors and airmen felt about and remembered their tours of duty. The author has conducted extensive interviews with over 100 veterans and their families to portray the many and varied experiences Australian veterans endured in Vietnam. Because of the breadth of views expressed, "Vietnam Fragments" should offer a balanced picture of the war; the book's contributors do not set out to judge or condemn but simply to present their stories. This book should appeal to those who want to know what went on in the daily lives of those who served in helicopters, hospitals, artillery batteries and armoured units in Vietnam. ... Read more

Product Description
"The best damned book from the point of view of the infantrymen who fought there."—Army Times

In 1967 Frederick Downs arrived in Vietnam as a green but determined twenty-three-year-old infantry lieutenant. In the months of brutal combat to follow, Downs was to face the most lethal and loathsome dangers, all the while following orders, keeping his men as safe as he could, and searching for the conviction and then the hope that the war was worth the sacrifice. He would leave with a shattered body, but a spirit still intact. The Killing Zone is his story, and it stands tall with the best books ever written about men in combat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Tells It Like It Was.....
An outstanding story of a young Army lieutenant who pretty much saw it all.And in less than six months.From the time he arrived, through his harrowing and agonizing encounters with Charlie, he tells it like it was.Anyone can write war fiction, but he was there.He wrote it as only a true vet could write it.You could feel his relief, after surviving a horrible fire fight.You could feel his joy when he was on a 3-day pass.And you could feel his pain when he was nearly blown to pieces by what every 'Nam vet knows of - a bouncing betty.
Cinch your helmet, grab your web gear, lock and load, and prepare for Viet Nam the way it was.I was there too.As we used to say, "there it is."

Page-turner
I bought this for my dad for Father's Day. He is a Vietnam vet and I thought he might like reading about the war from another infantryman's perspective. I decided to read it before I gave it to him. I couldn't wait to pick it up each night. I am interested in this war since my father fought in it, and fortunately lived to come home from it. It seems to tell the reality of this war and the treatment of the veterans by other "Americans" (I use this term loosely), but it doesn't dwell on the disrespect angle. It gave me a very good picture of what it was like to roam the Vietnam jungles, fight, and try to survive. The author painted a very good picture of the situation and the book ended with good closure. I found myself wanting to read on to see the author back to the USA. Great book for anyone wanting to know more about the Vietnam War.

Enjoyed this book very much.
I very much enjoyed this book. It was well written and well worth reading in the context of the world in 2010 and the current conflicts around the globe. I have not been in the military myself, but I felt like it was portraying the thoughts and emotions of joining the service, training, and serving fairly and accurately as far as I could tell.

The Killing Zone
A no appologies account of the soldier's struggle to do his job, stay alive, and make some sense of it all.

Great Book
The book really puts into perspective what the ground troops endured during the war. It is well written and makes you feel as if you are their with them in the heat of the battle. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book James Westheider explores the social and professional paradoxes facing African-American soldiers in Vietnam.Service in the military started as a demonstration of the merits of integration as blacks competed with whites on a near equal basis for the first time.Yet as the war in Vietnam progressed, many black recruits felt isolated and threatened in an institution controlled almost totally by whites.Consequently, many blacks no longer viewed the military as a professional opportunity, but an undue burden on the black community. ... Read more

Product Description
How Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger pursued their public vow to end the Vietnam War and win the peace has long been entangled in bitter controversy and obscured by political spin. Recent declassifications of archival documents, on both sides of the former Iron and Bamboo Curtains, have at last made it possible to uncover the truth behind Nixon's and Kissinger's management of the war and to better understand the policies and strategies of the Vietnamese, Soviets, and Chinese.

Drawing from this treasure trove of formerly secret files, Jeffrey Kimball has excerpted more than 140 print documents and taped White House conversations bearing on Nixon-era strategy. Most of these have never before been published and many provide smoking-gun evidence on such long-standing controversies as the "madman theory" and the "decent-interval" option. They reveal that by 1970 Nixon's and Kissinger's madman and détente strategies had fallen far short of frightening the North Vietnamese into making concessions. By 1971, as Kissinger notes in one key document, the administration had decided to withdraw the remaining U.S. combat troops while creating "a healthy interval for South Vietnam's fate to unfold."

The new evidence uncovers a number of behind-the-scenes ploys--such as Nixon's secret nuclear alert of October 1969--and sheds more light on Nixon's goals in Vietnam and his and Kissinger's strategies of Vietnamization, the "China card," and "triangular diplomacy." The excerpted documents also reveal significant new information about the purposes of the LINEBACKER bombings, Nixon's manipulation of the POW issue, and the conduct of the secret negotiations in Paris--as well as other key topics, events, and issues. All of these are effectively framed by Kimball, whose introductions to each document provide insightful historical context.

Building on the ground-breaking arguments of his earlier prize-winning book, Nixon's Vietnam War, Kimball also offers readers a concise narrative of the evolution of Nixon-era strategy and a critical assessment of historical myths about the war. The story that emerges from both the documents and Kimball's contextual narratives directly contradicts the Nixon-Kissinger version of events. In fact, they did not pursue a consistent strategy from beginning to end and did not win a peace with honor.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nam policy history
At less than 370 pages, THE VIETNAM WAR FILES / UNCOVERING THE SECRET HISTORY OF NIXON-ERA STRATEGY by Jeffrey Kimball is a small book, compared to the size of the ax which it is attempting to grind on how poorly American policy works in those areas of the world where a quick victory is not in the cards.The longer version of the story, told in NIXON'S VIETNAM WAR (1998) by Jeffrey Kimball attempted to cover the years 1953 to 1973.The events of those years were rather awesome in leading up to the final situation, which is covered in depth in this book, described in the Prologue as carrying the analysis onward "from 1969 to 1975" (p. 3) to show how events conformed to expectations in the way Robert McNamara had expected the odds to be about even already in December, 1965, when considering how the war was going to present even tougher choices down the road.

Those who were most interested in how awful Vietnam turned out as a big step on the road to American hyperpower status will not be surprised that Kimball's epilogue to this book begins with insights on `historical myth' and `mythical tale' from those times before declaring that Nixon's and Kissinger's memoirs "were self-serving, incomplete, and obfuscatory, and they took legal and administrative steps that delayed the release of relevant documentary evidence about their policies, strategies, and motives."(p. 297).There was no good reason to tell Americans that power could make us more hyper than we already had been, but Kimball is good at finding the secrets which show how hyper the drive for American power has become.

I like books which make secret policies a major quest in the historical area, and this one laments the fact that not much has been found yet about Cambodia.History is such a dynamic pursuit, with odd quirks popping out from weird angles, that I doubt any adequate explanation of that bit of secret policy will ever be forthcoming.People who thought that Americans needed to fight in Nam so San Francisco would be safe see that argument fail when it is applied to Cambodia, South Vietnam's only neighbor south of Laos, where a peaceful situation prior to 1970 rapidly turned into a victory for enemies of civilization in any form advanced enough to unleash a massive bombing campaign, as a demonstration of hyperpower capabilities when bombs were dropping like the cards in a game of 52 pick up.

This book is most game-like in its use of card terminology for the Nixon strategy, which even carries over to "Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders had coincidentally decided that it was time to rejoin the world of nations, play the American card against the Soviet Union, and, especially, use the opportunity to get U.S. forces out of Taiwan."(p. 299).That might seem like a bit much for the Chinese to hope for, but a tape on Nam reveals Nixon saying, "Oh, I don't mean to tell, tell Thieu we're getting out in the fall.But it's moot, because we are without question gonna get out . . ."(p. 168).That was from Oval Office Conversation no. 527-16, Nixon, Haldeman, Kissinger, and John Ehrlichman, 9:14-10:12 a.m., June 23, 1971, in which Kissinger said, "Now, our cards, starting now, our cards are going to start falling."(p. 167).Three weeks before, a press conference brought up antiwar sentiment `that American intervention was immoral' (p. 160) and a tape of the following morning, June 2, 1971, reveals that Nixon was "very agitated during the conversation.Pounding his desk at one point, he vowed, . . .He would use his `card' of massive bombing."(p. 161).Since American troops were there, "it is certainly immoral to send Americans abroad and not back them up with American power!"(p. 162).Nixon might be a bit unclear about what actually happened after the French left North Vietnam, but he was worried about allowing "the bloodbath in South Vietnam that they had in North Vietnam where 50,000 of our good Catholic [unclear] of Danang [a city shown on the map facing page 1 along the coast southeast of Quang Tri and Hue in South Vietnam] were murdered, 500,000 were starved to death in slave-labor camps [pounding his desk]."(p. 162).In the next page of the transcript, it is a footnote that describes "Nixon is shouting and pounding his desk, while Kissinger is trying to speak."(p. 163).Like Khrushchev taking off his shoe to pound on a desk at the United Nations, hyperpowers believe in their ability to emphasize what they say when considering options like "We're gonna take out the dikes, we're gonna take out the power plants, we're gonna take out Haiphong, we're gonna level that goddamn country!"(p. 163).

Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of the conversations contained in pages 127-294, from Le Duc Tho's observation "It will take an unlimited time.We don't know when, or whether, it will be done.If it does not work, you will have the choice to remain in Vietnam or leave."(February 21, 1970, p. 129) to "It is a tragic situation.I am deeply troubled by what has happened . . ." (a proposed response on April 3, 1975, p. 294).Nam was unique in being a country in which the United States found itself opposing an established government with a lot of half measures which Nixon didn't want to limit himself to:

KISSINGER:Mr. President, if you had been in office '66, '67--

NIXON:--The war would be over--

KISSINGER:the war would be over, and, and, they'd be fewer casualties--
(p. 162).In '67, even General Westmoreland thought we were winning, but he was never sure the war was over.As far as policy goes, Nam is like an intelligence test that never quits for people looking for vicious evidence of American cruelty.Even Osama knows about Nam.

New evidence
Kimball's Vietnam War Files is a followup book to his award-winning Nixon's Vietnam War (1998).Both books break new ground on the history of the Nixon-Kissinger phase of the Vietnam War inasmuch as they both draw on a treasure trove of declassified documents from both sides of the conflict, clarify controversies about Nixon-Kissinger strategy, and reveal new information about the Nixon administration's handling of the war and about Communist Vietnamese strategy.The Vietnam War Files is briefer than Nixon's Vietnam War, but it includes numerous additional documents that were declassified between 1998 and 2004.Many of these documents consist of Kimball's own transcriptions of conversations between Nixon and Kissinger in the Oval Office about key strategies and decisions.There is new information about Nixon's highly secret nuclear alert of 1969, the Madman Theory, détente with the Soviet Union, the opening to China, and many other issues, including the Nixon-Kissinger decent-interval exit strategy.All of the documents in The Vietnam War Files make fascinating reading.More importantly, they demonstrate how solid, smoking-gun evidence (here reproduced in the form of substantial excerpts from paper files and transcribed conversations) can help readers break through the long-standing, politically charged debate about Nixon, Kissinger, and the Vietnam War.This was one of Kimball's purposes in writing the book: to substitute good evidence and sound logic for biased argument.The Vietnam War Files is Kimball's third book about Vietnam.His past writings have also included articles and essays about war and diplomacy.He has also interviewed some of the key policymakers on both sides of the war.

Original thesis!
Much of this book is predicated on the newly released Nixon tapes; thus, it offers many new insights.However, on page 20,the author implies that the first draft lottery was held in 1971.The first draft lottery was held Dec. 1, 1969 and took effect in Jan. 1970. ... Read more

Product Description
A compact authoritative "Vietnam reader" featuring work by some of the best scholars who are now re-examining the war. Contributors to the volume include Richard Betts, Larry Berman, Douglas Blaufarb, Herbert Y. Schandler, Paul Miles, Edwin Simmons, Richard Hunt, George C. Herring, Peter Rodman, Stanley Falk, Bui Diem, Douglas Pike, Stanley Karnow, Alan Gropman, Allan E. Goodman, Vincent Demma, Samuel Popkin, Harry G. Summers, Jr., Russell F. Weigley, Robert E. Osgood, John Mueller, Lawrence W. Lichty and others. Co-published with The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. ... Read more

Product Description
In examining the influence of historical analogies on decisions to use--or not use--force, military strategist Jeffrey Record assesses every major application of U.S. force from the Korean War to the NATO war on Serbia. Specifically, he looks at the influence of two analogies: the democracies? appeasement of Hitler at Munich and America's defeat in the Vietnam War. His book judges the utility of these two analogies on presidential decision-making and finds considerable misuse of them in situations where force was optional. He points to the Johnson administration's application of the Munich analogy to the circumstances of Southeast Asia in 1965 as the most egregious example of their misuse, but also cites the faulty reasoning by historical analogy that prevailed among critics of Reagan's policy in Central America and in Clinton's use of force in Haiti and the former Yugoslavia.

The author's findings show generational experience to be a key influence on presidential decision-making: Munich persuaded mid-twentieth-century presidents that force should be used early and decisively while Vietnam cautioned later presidents against using force at all. Both analogies were at work for the Gulf War, with Munich urging a decision for war and Vietnam warning against a graduated and highly restricted use of force. Record also reminds us of the times when presidents have used analogies to mobilize public support for action they have already decided to take. Addressing both the process of presidential decision-making and the wisdom of decisions made, this well-reasoned book offers timely lessons to a broad audience that includes political scientists, military historians, defense analysts, and policy makers, as well as those simply curious about history's influence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very important read for leaders and citizens alike
I don't know if Jeffrey Record had the then-impending, now underway, war against Iraq in mind when he wrote this important book, but I don't think he could have made this any more timely if he had. From politicians to talk radio, the metaphors of "appeasement" and "avoiding another Vietnam" loom large in the debate over Iraq. I would suggest that this title be made required reading for anyone who dares send those metaphors into battle.

Record argues that Munich and Vietnam have been the dominant historical memes in White Houses deciding whether or not to employ American power around the world. For better or worse, what various Presidents and their advisors have taken to be "the lessons of Munich" and/or "the lessons of Vietnam" have been important, sometimes deciding, factors. Not surprisingly, Record finds that those "lessons" have often been misinterpreted and mis-applied by our political leaders, many times with serious consequences.

While this book is especially useful for anyone in, or who fancies themselves someday being in, a position of political influence, Record's work is also valuable reading for the rest of us. That's because he also analyzes how those same historical memes have been used by Presidents and their spokesmen to justify particular courses of action to the American people. It's important that we be able to recognize when that's being done, and equipped to decide whether the metaphor is valid. This title is a very useful tool in that process.

Duff Cooper, a British politician and contemporary of Winston Churchill, once wrote that one of the problems with democracy is that too few democratic leaders read history. The corollary of that, Record might argue, is that even the ones who have read history are apt to misinterpret it, or color their interpretations to justify actions they have already decided are desirable. An attractive metaphor can exert powerful force on decision-makers. Few things are more seductive ... or potentially more dangerous. Jeffrey Record is to be commended for helping the reader see though the seductiveness and apply the cold light of logical thought. ... Read more

Product Description

This best-selling text has now been updated to include previously unseen source material - it is an ideal companion for any student studying the Vietnam War.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for students 15-18 perhaps. Otherwise, useful if brief
The book introduces the reader to Vietnam, including a brief history of Vietnamese heritage and histories, through the Geneva Conflict into 1964. Here Hall divulges a little more, breaking up the conflict evenly, managing to retain some sence of proceedings in the hectic chaos. Most useful of all is the documents (23) at the end of the book, constantly cross-referenced. The book is perfect for an introduction for the vietnam war, and gives historical interpretations near the close. American faliure lies with the post-revisionists.

Perfect for studentsm like myself. Stimulates further reading. ... Read more