Product Description
Based on multiarchival research conducted over almost three decades, this landmark account tells how a few men set off a war that would lead to tragedy for millions. Stein Tønnesson was one of the first historians to delve into scores of secret French, British, and American political, military, and intelligence documents. In this fascinating account of an unfolding tragedy, he brings this research to bear to disentangle the complex web of events, actions, and mentalities that led to thirty years of war in Indochina. As the story unfolds, Tønnesson challenges some widespread misconceptions, arguing that French general Leclerc fell into a Chinese trap in March 1946, and Vietnamese general Giap into a French trap in December. Taking us from the antechambers of policymakers in Paris to the docksides of Haiphong and the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam 1946 provides the most vivid account to date of the series of events that would make Vietnam the most embattled area in the world during the Cold War period. ... Read more

Product Description
"In my year in Vietnam, I walked the booby-trapped rice paddies of the Delta, searching for the elusive Viet Cong, and later macheted my way through the triple-canopy jungle, fighting the North Vietnamese Regulars. . . . I sweated, thirsted, hunted, killed. Somewhere in all my experiences, I overlapped the situations of nearly every infantryman and many others who served."

Michael Lee Lanning's journal of his first tour of duty in Vietnam provides an unvarnished daily account of life in the field--the blood, fear, camaraderie, and tedium of combat and maneuver. Fleshed out with narrative and detail years later, the pages of this memorable book, first published in 1987, show an eager young recruit growing before the reader's eyes into a proud but bloodied combat veteran.

Subsequent volumes in his Vietnam Trilogy will detail Lanning's tour as a company commander and his post-war investigation into the mind of the enemy. Through his eyes, readers see the reality of a war that did not always receive glory but was, in his words, "the only war we had." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

I Was There
Lt. Lanning writes about an ambush on July 3rd.I was there that day.Mike Folland jumped on a grenade and saved our CO.He got the medal of honor.I was his squad leader that day.As far as I'm concerned, the book tells the story as I remember it.
Bob Manning

Excellent Book
This author put together an interesting book from his own journal keep at the time of the book. And augmented by the letters he sent home to his wife and family.
This book revolves around the portion of the authors tour up to his R&R to Hawaii. He has a second book that covers the second portion of his tour: Vietnam 1969-1970 A Company Commander"s Journal. I have the second book and I'm really looking forward to reading it.
Col Lanning style of starting by quoting his entry from his journal and then commenting on those quotes from the perspective of today, and including what was going on with his family mad this book very compelling,
As VN vet myself I found his experiences familiar, but as time has gone by I find myself more and more interested in hearing other vets experiences.
This is a very well done book about one man's experiences and reflections.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone.

One of the best books I've ever read
I've had these books for more then 20 years now - taking them with me through flood and fire. The first is the first 6 months of his tour and the 2nd is the second 6 months of his tour in Vietnam in 1968-1969.

M. Lee Lanning was the youngest person ever to lead an entire Company of 200 soldiers even though he was only a First Lieutenant, all at the age of 23.

I find these books truly fascinating - they show the horror, the boredom, the friendships made and the attempts at comedy used to stay sane during wartime. I never thought that a "War Memoir" would ever capture my attention, but this did it. Many (if not most) war books are written by the pencil pushers or REMF's and not someone who actually held a rifle and saw the enemy.

Each page is straight from the diary that his father gave him before he shipped out - then what follows is his memory of that day.

One of my favorite excerpts:

"Our move was delayed when one of the FNG's (F-ing New Guy), who had joined Bravo Co. at Crystal (their main base) a few days before, saw something in a clump of bamboo. Seconds later he approached me carrying a heavy, cone-shaped object that I immediately recognized as a 105mm artillery round. From it's shiny exterior, I deduced it was a "dud" from our fire before assaulting the bunkers.

The FNG, proud of his find, had no clue what he was cradling in his arms. As calmly as possible, I told the man to walk back into the jungle for at least 50 meters, gently place the object on the ground and return to my location. The tone of my voice, and the fact that all the others were scrambling for cover, definitely got the troop's attention.

Without a word, he followed my instructions. I braced for the expected explosion as he turned away and slowly walked towards the jungle..."

If you get this make sure you also get "A Company Commanders Journal" that is the second of this series - it contains his journal entries from the second 6 months of his tour.

This Book Is Excellent
I missed the Vietnam War by a year or two. I served as an 11B from 72-78. I always wondered what it would have been like to have been there in a rifle company. Plenty of books about SF and LRRPs, but not very many written by a real infantry platoon leader. I never had a tremensous desire to be an elite soldier in an elite unit (if I could have even made it). I only wanted to be a rifle squad leader. This book really made me feel what it would have been like. What I missed. It is a real world book. Not a battle every minute book filled with stories of great exploits. Just a real world grunt in Vietnam book. I highly recommend the companion book Company Commanders Journal.

A disapointing account of Vietnam.
This author misses the mark completely.His account gives none of the day to day feel of the misery and discomfort of living in the field in Vietnam and putting life on the line every day.His recollections are so stale andbased on one line journal entrys that they never live up to the promise.Iwas sorry to see him fall in to the I "I was the best" trap thatso many first hand accounts fall into. He clearly wasn't the best, nor washis platoon any better than most.His glee at hearing that a Col whochewed him out for getting too many men blown up in a booby trap had beenshot down and seriously injured was, to say the least, morbid!They aretoo many good first hand accounts available to waste time on this one. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A fine look at one of the positively changing nations in recent history
Vietnam has come such a long way since the notorious war. "Vietnam Rising: Culture and Change in Asia's Tiger Cub" takes a scholarly look at the economic rise of Vietnam in the recent years. William Ratliff discusses what led to this turn around, ranging from cultural influences, history, religion, and much more, changing Vietnam from a communist country to one of the freest markets on the planet. "Vietnam Rising" is a fine look at one of the positively changing nations in recent history. ... Read more

Product Description
Shedding light on an understudied form of opposition to the Vietnam War, Michael Foley tells the story of draft resistance, the cutting edge of the antiwar movement at the height of the war's escalation. Unlike so-called draft dodgers, who evaded the draft by leaving the country or by securing a draft deferment by fraudulent means, draft resisters openly defied draft laws by burning or turning in their draft cards. Like civil rights activists before them, draft resisters invited prosecution and imprisonment.

Focusing on Boston, one of the movement's most prominent centers, Foley reveals the crucial role of draft resisters in shifting antiwar sentiment from the margins of society to the center of American politics. Their actions inspired other draft-age men opposed to the war--especially college students--to reconsider their place of privilege in a draft system that offered them protections and sent disproportionate numbers of working-class and minority men to Vietnam. This recognition sparked the change of tactics from legal protest to mass civil disobedience, drawing the Johnson administration into a confrontation with activists who were largely suburban, liberal, young, and middle class--the core of Johnson's Democratic constituency.

Examining the day-to-day struggle of antiwar organizing carried out by ordinary Americans at the local level, Foley argues for a more complex view of citizenship and patriotism during a time of war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A slice of what the Draft Resistance movement was about
A very informative book on a era in which either you weren't alive at the time, too young, or couldn't believe that you went through all of what happened during the 1960's to early 1970's.

Wonderful Overview Of Vietnam War Draft Resistance Movement
Nothing inspires so much enduring controversy and strongly held opinions as the subject of active draft resistance during the Vietnam War.The draft resisters were composed of a relatively small segment of the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of young American men of draft age who avoided serving in the Army in one fashion or another. While most avoided active service in one or another fashion by enrolling in colleges or graduate schools, getting married and quickly having children, or by crossing the border into Canada, the draft resisters stood their ground and actively (and often quite dramatically) confronted the system by openly opposing the draft, burning their draft cards publicly, and serving themselves up for the legal and social consequences of refusing to serve in the military.

The author's approach is both appealing and effective; he uses a plethora of anecdotes and then places them in context by providing an overall history of the movement as well as an effective analysis of the effect of the movement both for the individuals choosing to participate in it as well as for the society at large.Author Michael Foley is a history professor at the City University of New York College of Staten Island, and he obviously has some personal experience informing his awareness of the phenomenon, which was in his estimation one of the most important and most progressively attempted efforts at defanging the war machine, a technique which comprising the cutting edge of young Americans opposition to the war in Southeast Asia. It found its inspiration in the Gandhi-like examples of the civil rights movement, and found widespread philosophical and legal support for a method that eventually forced the formal apparatus of government to sit up and take notice.

What I found especially fascinating about Foley's approach is his concentration on events transpiring in the greater Boston area, where I had many personal experiences, both with the active resistance against the war as well as the other related anti-war activities. So the author's cogent analysis and colorful anecdotes often churn up memories of people and the times from my own reservoir of such experiences some thirty-five years ago. What was so intriguing about the movement was the way it transformed what was initially a massive loathing for what was considered an unmanly and suspect strategy into one that was much more widely supported and endorsed by mainstream Americans. Thus, by placing themselves and their futures on the line (many resisters eventually served time in prison rather than serve in the military), the resisters did change public opinion and popular perception of the war itself and on the ways in which honorable young men could behave in response to it.

Eventually, such efforts actually helped to end the draft, as President Nixon foisted a lottery system as an interim approach to the patently unfair policies of the draft, and soon thereafter created an all-volunteer service in response to the public outcry over 'selective service'. The actions of the war resisters sparked a wide-spread recognition among their peers of the obviously unfair nature of the draft itself, and helped to legitimize the mass-protests against the war involving millions of Americans outraged by the racist and social class distinctions made in draft policies.Finally, Foley shows how greater civic awareness is required to ensure a more enlightened and informed understanding of one's patriotic duties to the country during time of war. Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
A powerful and vivid account of Vietnam, one of the most beautiful, ravaged, and misunderstood countries in the world

In Shadows and Wind, Robert Templer paints a fascinating and fresh picture of a country usually viewed with hazy nostalgia or deep suspicion. Here is Hanoi, an increasingly tense and troubled city approaching its millennium but uncertain of its direction. Here are people emerging from a long wilderness of malnutrition, discovering a new lifestyle of leisure and luxury. And everywhere are the anomalies that burst the bubble of optimism: a vastly expensive luxury hotel sitting empty in an unknown town six hours from an international airport; museums crammed with fake exhibits. And there remains the one-party Communist state, still wrapped in secrecy and corruption, and making for an uneasy bedfellow with the rapacious capitalism it now encourages.

Drawing on hundreds of interviews in Vietnam and years of research, Robert Templer has produced the first in-depth examination of the problems facing modern Vietnam. Shadows and Wind is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Vietnam that now has emerged from a century of conflict with both foreign powers and with itself.

"Groundbreaking. . . . In a convincing blend of colorful reportage and trenchant analysis, Robert Templer blows away the myths that have misinformed the world about this deeply troubled country."--Jeremy Grant, The Financial Times

"A meticulous and fascinating investigation.. . . For anyone interested in the real legacy of the Vietnam War, this book should be compulsory reading."--The Guardian ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Helpful context: A dated, but fascinating overview of Vietnam up to mid-90's.
Templer's Shadow and Wind is a bit dated, but fascinating view of Vietnam up to 10 years ago when it was beginning to shed the shackles of 30+ years of disastrous socialism and single-party control.Most of the population is now a younger generation (born after 1975) who have come of age at a time when they can embrace some free-market reforms, and take advantage of personal choices and a growing economy.This book explains what life was like for the older folks, the corrosive effects of corruption, communism and abusive state control, and many complex layers of Vietnamese history and culture.

I worked as a volunteer for a month in Vietnam, and found this book helpful in providing a broad context: identifying and breaking stereotypes; relating history to current culture and society; and understanding challenges involving HIV, corruption, literature, youth, etc.

Only Drawbacks:
Very detailed and wordy, but a reader can jump between many well-organized chapters.
Written before the widespread effects of open Internet access became apparent.

Engaging and Fascinating
There are so very many books about Vietnam, I was hesitant when I picked this up, and I expected to be disappointed. On the contrary - I was immediately engaged and found myself eager to get some time alone so I could keep reading.

The book really kept my interest, and has a unique view of modern Vietnam. I highly recommend this book for people who want to learn about modern Vietnam and the national psyche.

Contemporary Look At Vietnam
While in Vietnam I picked up an interesting book about contemporary Vietnam called Shadows and Wind by Robert Templer. Anyway, after my first trip to Vietnam I read Stanley Karnow's excellent history, Vietnam, which focuses on the cuses of the war and the aftermath and I felt this might be a follow up of sorts, picking up where Karnow left off. It's not as contemporary as I'd like-it was published in 1998, but the author has interesting insights to make about the myth of Vietnam, the culture, the generation gap, food, politics, Viet Kieu (exiled or refugee Vietnamese), religion, and everyday life. Albeit the chapters on politics were long and difficult to get through-they came in the middle of the book, which seemed to slow me in my progress. However, I found the opening and closing chapters the most interesting and informative about contemporary Vietnamese society and from what I saw on my last trip to Hanoi-it is still fairly accurate. The Vietnamese are slowing making their way to the usual global consumerism with their pursuit of Honda Dream motorcycles, cell phones, and other consumer goods, but the governement has kept economic expansion moving at a trickle compared to other countries. More than half of the population was born after the war and no one ever gave me grief because I was an American. It'll be interesting to see whether or not Vietnam develops an economic model like China.

One of Two Great books on Vietnam!
I read this book because it was recommended in the back of my favorite book on Vietnam: The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War

After reading this book I can understand why Mr. Graham recommended it in his book The Bamboo Chest, and why there are so many who've read both The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War and Shadows And Wind and consider them the two best books on Vietnam in recent years. As a Vietnamese-American I can definitely attest to the both authors' understanding of the topic of Vietnam: one author gained his through living and reporting on Vietnam for three years, and the other through living in Vietnam during the worst years of the War, and spending eleven months in a re-education camp, just like my uncle!

Get The Bamboo Chest and Shadows and Wind and you'll have a complete understanding of Vietnam and its people!

Get the facts behind the headlines!
This book and memoir "The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War" by Frederick "Cork Graham are the best books on Vietnam that my reading club and I have read in the last ten years. Both of them stories that have never been told by any other writers who appear only to be regurgitating the findings of previous writers many of them long since dead. If you really want to know what is behind the veil of secrecy in Vietnam then these "Shadows and Wind" and "The Bamboo Chest" are the books for you! Both are written by authors who spent more than a year in Vietnam. Graham spent eleven months as the first american political prisoner held in that country since the end of outright fighting. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the personal account of an army infantry platoon leader and commanding officer in the central highlands of Vietnam during 1967 and 1968 when he was 21 years old. These were the two bloodiest years of the war, a time when the army employed search and destroy missions with high casualty rates. The author provides a historical overview and casualty report of the Vietnam War, his military and officer training, and his return to civilian life after Vietnam. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

There Are Two Stories Here
I found the book to be well written, and a good read.It certainly does a fine job in delivering one infantry officer's "boots on the ground" view of the war, but that's not all that's here.It is also a wonderful snapshot of the era in general, and I think a most enjoyable tale of an interesting journey through life.

The description of the war provides all the value one would expect from the perspective of one who fought it.The reality of both the participants and the events is unassailable.That said, because of my own experience in a 30-year military career, serving in ranks ranging from enlisted to colonel, and in combat operations from Grenada to Iraqi Freedom, I have a bit of a critical bias.

Like so many memoires of those who served valiantly, devotedly, and superbly at relatively junior levels, this one too indicts to a degree the military and civilian leadership above.Let me be clear that I truly believe that with respect to our tragic involvement in Vietnam, such indictment is to a significant degree appropriate.

But because of my own experience, particularly as a senior officer, when I read such accounts, I find myself thirsting for the "other side of the story", i.e., why were things the way they were?, why were certain decisions made?Perhaps the perfect war book would be written about the same set of events by five authors simultaneously:a corporal, a senior NCO, a junior officer, a colonel, and a general.

That bias aside, I believe it is the narrow perspective of a "grunt" as presented here that can make this book such a valuable read in an academic environment.It is its very singularity that would allow it to serve so well to stimulate discussion and debate about what happened.Such discussion and debate would be equally well served at a college campus, or in our Armed Services war colleges.I'd enthusiastically endorse its inclusion in any curriculum.

A Personalized War Experience
I first learned about Albert Lawrence's book Crucible Vietnam from a close friend.I never understood much about the Vietnam War except that which has been represented in films and daily news broadcasts at that time; I understood even less about the war experiences of those close to me.I had only some partial accounting from my brother who volunteered for the Marines in the mid-60s and fought many front-line battles in Vietnam (fortunately, he returned home unharmed).

I decided to purchase Crucible Vietnam for him when I realized this book was a must read for all Vietnam veterans.
I was also very interested and read a copy of this book. I was moved by the personal accounts made by Albert Lawrence about Vietnam and his very personalized experience with combat. His personal accounts allowed me to sense what it must have been like to survive (and in many cases, die) in warfare.It also helped me to empathize more fully with my brother's hidden wounds and I learned to better appreciate others who fought in this controversial war.

Crucible Vietnam:a review
I was a student at UC Berkeley while Mr. Lawrence was putting his life on the line in Vietnam.What I found interesting in "Crucible Vietnam"was the combination of personal narration placed in a historical context.I felt I was getting an accurate, personal, and objective account of one soldier's experience told in a descriptive and dispassionate style.I couldn't help thinking while Lt. Lawrence was under fire in the jungle in '68, I was attending classes amidst occasional tear gas and helicopters circling overhead: two entirely different sides of the same coin.I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to get some idea of what war is really like and to any student who is interested in the Vietnam War, in particular.

Vietnam War Story hits the makr
Lately I have talked with several of my friends who served in Vietnam and although it is forty years past, they still have vivid recollections of these events and in some cases, trauma. One way to deal with trauma is to tell the story. Bert Lawrence has put his story on paper in a simple, straight forward manner. He has taken the time to research the battles he lived through and has tied them to the political, cultural and historical context of their time. Since my brother died in Vietnam forty-five years ago, I have read at least twenty of these stories and never found them redundant. Large events of history must be told by many people to get it right. And Bert gets this right, from the tedium of night patrols to the terror of battle, his story is fast moving and informative. For people who have never served in Vietnam, it is the ground level view of this war. For those who did serve in Vietnam, it is a detailed account of what really happened in the jungle.

What were You Doing in 1968?
There are many stark statistics offered in the book that evoke memories of this era.

Here's another:Feb 2nd 1972 the selective service lottery pulled my birth date at #141. The requirements for the military for 1973 didn't go beyond #95. I was not drafted.

So much of who we are comes from whatever lottery we are born into.If we are liberals, conservatives, rich or poor, our views are built on a foundation that is prepared for us by chance and without thought. We are launched in a preconceived direction, thinking we are always right without a real understanding of those who are, only by luck of the draw, slightly different experiencing vastly different things.

Here is a book that ignores the divisiveness of the period.Whether from the left or the right A. T. Lawrence allows us to better see the impact on people who were so easily dismissed at the time of their return.

This is a memoir of our collective experience. It helps bring us down the road to who we've become.

A fascinating read. ... Read more

Product Description
The Vietnam War, which dominated American life during the 1960s, helped to create, radicalize, and alter social and political life in the US. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Useless
The author is clearly biased in some cases. Moreover, there's some shoddy history going on with "maybe" this and referring to Ho Chi Minh as a "nationalist" over and over but never as Communist, which he was. Sure, he was both but the failure to ever refer to him or the VC as communist simply strikes me as an attempt to sway his readers into a belief that they were harmless. They weren't. And while I don't think Vietnam was the right course of action for the US to take, I fail to understand why the author would refer to troops in Vietnam as "stoned" and "demoralized" implying they were always so. Yes, this is true after about '68, but to imply that it was the case for all troops is dangerous and disrespectful.

It's also faulty his assertion that the majority of the US was against US intervention in Vietnam. The majority of American were in favor of the US's policy of containment.

Read Stanley Karnow's _Vietnam_ or Michael Hunt's _Lyndon Johnson's War_. This book is pretty biased and seems to be an exercise in language to make Ho Chi Minh an Asian Abe Lincoln.

A Review of Vietnam
Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life, is very interesting and informative. It was definitely worth the time and the effort reading and working on it. Audiences of all backrounds should benefit from theinformation, including those of who lived during that time period. Manyyounger generation kids are oblivious to what actually happened during theVietnam War, and should be educated about the historical importance of thewar. The book itself helped the audience, especially those of who are ofVietnamese decent, understand how their ancestors survived and what theywent through during the course of the war.

Review of Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life
Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life designates the aspects of the Vietnam War as well as the political and social movements of the American people during the 1960's. Dr. Buzzanco's main thesis that he istrying to convey is divided into two parts, the Vietnam War and the issuesof the 1960's. His first theme on the Vietnam War subject is the UnitedStates after World War II tried to become the world leader during theirforeign affairs in the Indochina region but failed. The second theme, whichdeals with the domestic problems in America during this time period, is howthe people of the United States erupted into its domestic problems and howthey are linked with the war in Vietnam. In the first half of the book,Buzzanco announces his thesis statement, letting the reader know that thefirst half was all the details of the war. Then he comes back in the secondhalf of the book and describes what was happening at home on American soil.In essence, he has written two documentaries and combined them quite well.He has two points that he is trying to convey, broken up into two halves.Dr. Buzzanco did an astounding job in proving his points. He clearly andstrongly showed examples that lead people to believe him. In every majorpoint in both parts of his book, he used clear and precise examples toprove his words correct. He used all second hand information due to thefact that he was born too late to participate in the actual war. But hisinformation was all very accurate and strong. He really did not use anypoints that criticized anything he was trying to convey in his book. Butthere could be some rival opinions on various subjects throughout the book.For example in the second part of the book, on page 202 he is trying toblame much of the domestic uprisings on Martin Luther King and the march onWashington. He claims that the march got the African-Americans to stronglydisapprove of the war. But the march was more or less strictly on the civilrights issues, not on the war. He was, however, extremely successful ateffectively using his sources in a convincing manner. Starting on page 104and continuing, he shows how American foreign policy on the countriessurrounding Vietnam essentially escalated the conflict even further. Hedoes not however; use any examples of others that would give evidence thathis points are not true or inaccurate. Some of his issues are controversialand he leads the reader to think that they are not. For example on page 68,he makes it clear to the reader that the war was inevitable even in theearly 1960's under JFK's policy. But in reality much could have been doneto prevent the conflict from escalating. More or less he is trying toconvince the reader that his points are one sided and are notcontroversial. He seems biased on the fact that he offers nothing on theopposite side of him. All good writers usually give points to satisfy bothfor and against. All of his points, especially the first half of the book,help to prove his thesis. He pretty much uses strong logical reasoning anduses evidence to support that. Due to Dr. Buzzanco's education level andhis astounding credibility and awards his information can be trustworthy.He uses strong examples to prove his thesis and also uses several otherpoints throughout the book.

Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life-Review
Vietnam and the Transformation of American Life is an intelligent and informative look into the Vietnam War and how it influenced American life. This book helps you understand better the people, issues, problems, andtimes of the 1960's and early 1970's and how Vietnam influenced the people,issues, and the problems of that time.If you are not knowledgeable aboutthe Vietnam War, this book explains in great detail the events leading upto the war and the repercussions of the war on Americans and American lifeand, it will make you understand and create your own opinions about thewar.

Thumbs up for Buzzanco
The first part of the book explains the war itself.It starts off with a brief explanation for the war, which was to "...preserve an anticommunist government in Southern half of Vietnam."Buzzanco doesa great job of telling both sides of the war in great detail.He spends alot of time explaining to the reader how Ho Chi Minh emerged into a greatwar and political leader of the DRVN and maintained his popular supportfrom most of the Vietnamese society.He also tells of the events which ledup to the Vietnam War from the US point of view starting with WWII to theunrevealing exception to defeat.Buzzanco also does an exceptional job oftelling why the US felt the need to be involved with the Vietnam conflict. He also talks about the US supporting the French, who were against Vietnam. He further explains that the US did this in order to maintain Frenchsupport in the European Cold War, to contain Communism in Asia, and toencourage economic development in the US. Throughout his book, he does thesame thing, which is to give an extensive informational explanation of theevents, and then get to the main point at the end with just a simplesentence or two.Buzzanco also goes into Vietnam's communities and thepeople's aspect of the war.He lets the reader know that the Vietnamesepeople were for the most part on Ho's side, letting the truth of the mattershine through.The truth being that the DRVN was corrupt, and theVietamese people knew it, thus they mainly supported the DRVN. Among thebest aspects of the book was the detailed explanation of military moves anddecisions on both sides.He explains why each side made each move in thelong war, as well as the political moves.Which brings us to the secondpart of the book, "The Movements of the 1960's."Buzzanco usesseveral sources throughout his book.He lists them all at the end, far toomany to list.He used books as well as papers.He even used comic stripsthat were published during that period of the war.He also lists hissources in a bibliography as well as a notes section. Buzzanco does notchoose sides in his book.He merely tells the story and the events howthey happened.He does not skip around either, and it was easy to followas well as to understand.For every point in the book, he marks it with asource, which only enhances what he has already said. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents opposing viewpoints on various aspects of the Vietnam War, including the reasons for American involvement, the failure of United States policy there, and the effects on veterans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

VietNam War Underestimated by Older Generation---GENERATION GAP
David Bender certainly leaves out a very important piece concerning opposing viewpoints of the Vietnam War.Those of us who were of military age during the mid 60's know the truth.The truth is our older male friends, relatives and neighbors thought that we were basically out of control and needed to learn a lesson. There was a very large generation gap in Values. This was based on how they viewed us.They certainly didn't like the fact that their music of the 40's and early 50's was rarely played on the radio.Rock and Roll was now king.They didn't like Rock and Roll and they thought we were out of control in terms of how we reacted towards it.They also did not like the way we dressed.Most of us dressed in similar fashion and they didn't care for it.They certainly hated the way we let our hair grow similar to the Beatles.They enjoyed crew cuts and didn't understand why we changed.At this time (64-65-66) the VN War was really starting up and they saw a Two-For on the horizon.They could get us all dressed up in a military uniform with our hair cut, no rock and roll and send us to do a man's job overseas.They felt that one battalion of marines would probably take care of the commies in a month and that we would suffer very few casualties before coming back home. When we returned home they "knew for sure" we would be more like them.Short hair, decent clothes, Respectful and No Rock and Roll.

The truth is that generation of Americans had seen their better days both physically and mentally.When we came back we didn't come back victorious because our own government did not allow us to "win the war".We still enjoyed Rock and Roll and our hair got even longer.We dressed as we pleased and decided that the old timers were full of you know what for sure.

For some strange reason David Bender didn't include the generation gap in his book.The generation gap gave the folks favoring the war a sizeable advantage during the early years of the fiasco in terms of support for the war.That should have been included in this book.Frankly I have not seen much written at all about this part of the early feelings about the VN War.It truly gave the war effort a popular advantage until the body bags started to pile up.It was then that the older generation began to realize that one battalion of marines would not win this fiasco in a month.

Vietnam War
This book is very helpful in helping you undersand how everyone felt about the Vietnam War. It gives you opinions from everyone, even if it's a small group that felt the way they did, they still included it. I was thrilled to find such a book because I had to do a research paper for the Vietnam War. It has the history to back things up completely to show why people felt the way they did. The only thing that I felt was left out was who wrote what. It gave pages of great writing, but you don't know who wrote it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

In The Combat Zone:An Oral History of American Women in Vietnam
I recieved this book in very good condition. I am reading it now and it is almost exactly what I was looking for. I like it anyway.

Remembering the women
Marshall's book is a wonderful addition to the oral history scholarship on women's experiences of Vietnam.It is especially significant in that it remains, to this day, one of very few books that directly address female vets in Vietnam.Though Marshall obviously has a hand in the shape the narratives take, it is important to remember when reading this book that these are not, for the most part, Marshall's words.She is not trying to make a unifying or generalizing statement about the female experience but rather seeks to let the diverse voices speak for themselves.In doing so, she uses twenty oral histories from women who served in varying capacities: as Army nurses, Red Cross recreaton workers, as volunteers for religious organizations, and as journalists.And what these stories speak of are incredibly diverse experiences in Vietnam, filled with both pain and joy, suffering and redemption.This may not be the be-all, end-all of scholarship on the subject, but it is important in that it fills a void.The histories in Marshall's book help us remain aware that Vietnam was not only a man's war.

Did She Check Out the Stories?
I thought this was a good concept for a Vietnam experience book - about 20 oral interviews with women of various Vietnam backgrounds.However, I couldn't get through it.As anyone familiar with Stolen Valor by B. G. Burkett knows, there's an awful lot of lies out there which are represented as true Vietnam experiences.I got to the story from the lady who said it most disturbed her that "her general" and six other generals and aides were killed in her area.I think the history shows that only one general in total was killed in Vietnam.So, I don't believe the author/editor did any fact checking and I don't believe she had much of a knowledge base.In another story she referred to a "gunny" sergeant as a "gunship" sergeant (although she got it right in a later story).

All in all I thought this was a pretty weak effort.The concept is still good, it just needs to be better handled. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides detailed information on the events leading up to and taking place during the Tet Offensive, a turning point in the struggle for the control of Vietnam. Includes source notes and timeline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Too Opinionated
I was looking for a detailed history of the conflict in this book. What I got was a very defeatist look at every aspect of the war. The book also does not organize things very well. Sections are divided by years(1965,1966,etc..)they were supposed to cover but the passages within them would talk about subjects that had no relevance to what was going on in the year it was in. The book did, however, have excellent photographs and its descriptions of tactics used by both sides were very good. The description of actual battles can only be considered mediocre.

Excellent
A very well balanced book (a rare thing indeed) which seeks to outline and present in both graphic and written senses the real truth behind the war. Particularly relevant was the perspective given by contributors from allsides - the press, the VC, the NVA, the MPs. Excellent photographs whichcapture the real sense of the conflict.

The book could have benefitedperhaps a little more by expounding on the history behind the causes andthe political reasonings of the war.

A good summary history with excellent weapons/tactics detail
This book is a British take on the American involvement in Vietnam.Originally serialized (much like the History of the Second World War series of the '70s), this work is distinguished by a large number of excellent photos, numerous sidebars detailing the major weapons used by both sides, explanations of tactics, and many eye-witness accounts from participants on both sides.

Perhaps because this is a British work, there is greater attention given to the non-American allies fighting in Vietnam, especially the Koreans and Australians.In addition, there are several articles written by members of the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army, providing an unusual perspective on the fighting.The history takes you from the first landings of U.S. Marines at Da Nang in 1964 through the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Vietnamese/Cambodian wars, and a brief overview of Vietnam in the mid-1980s.

The general slant of the text is somewhat defeatist -- the editors (who are Americans) clearly believe the American enterprise in Southeast Asia was doomed from the start -- and the tone may disturb many who do not share this particular point of view.

More useful are the hundreds of pictures, a very complete index, detailed diagrams, maps and drawings illustrating strategy and tactics, and the liberal use of explanitory sidebars.

You won't want to use this as your only reference for the history of the Vietnam War, but it is an excellent way to understand how the fighters on both sides did their jobs and how they used their tools of war ... Read more

Product Description
The first book to give equal weight to the Vietnamese and American sides of the Vietnam war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

An Eye Opener
If you look at many of the reviews of this book, you will find that the negative criticism concerning this work complain that it is biased and anti-American. The irony here is that these critics are biased themselves because they still, after all these years, do not understand or refuse to face the fact that might does not make right, that forcing others to do the right thing (turn to democracy) is not democratic at all but fascism. If you know your basic history about this war, The second Gulf of Tonkin "incident" illustrated that the U.S. was looking for an excuse to assert their authority (no evidence was ever produced to suggest there were NVN Torpedo boat attacks). In addition, the "domino theory" has been disproven. This book is not steeped in revisionist history as some would like to assert; rather, it's aim is to show the truth (which some people see, unfortunately as "biased" or "un-American." The author clearly documents more of the atrocities or lack of morals of the U.S. involvement because that is the point of the book, to show the wrongdoing our country committed not to document the war crimes of the North Vietnamese(The wrongdoing of the NVN is a given). The idea here is to show that while the NVN during this time is a large scale problem because people's civil rights are being violated, the United States is guilty of the same thing. What is documented here can be verified by research, specifically, the true corrupt and unethical motives behind the United States government involvement. To see these facts as a liberal or leftist agenda is an example of one's inability to see reality. To regard this great nation of ours as infallible is an exercise in blindness.

A New Look at an Old Archive
This book focuses on the American experience in Vietnam. Young's period delimits the period directly before and directly after American involvement in Vietnam. Her archive is vast. She gives the reader useful information to frames American presence in Vietnam. In this book, we read about discussion on the highest levels among American and Vietnamese leaders. As readers, we are more in her bias. Young argues that the American and South Vietnamese military and governments were responsible for the destruction of Vietnam. Young's focus, and this has been argued by several Cambodia scholars (such as Ben Kiernan, Kenneth Quinn, David Chandler, and Michael Vickery) that the U.S. bombing of Cambodia contributed to the anger of the Khmer Rouge resulting in the tragedy of the Killing Fields (Young 283, 305, 306, 312, and 329).

Young argues that the Vietnam War (from 1945-1975/1990) is not one homogenous war. Throughout the period, there are numerous "wars". The major markers are the French War, the period of advisors, the military build-up and the commitment of ground troops under Lyndon Johnson, the North Vietnamese victory. She argues that the war in Vietnam is a crucial part of the post-World War II reorganization of the world according to capitalist principles (Young, Vietnam Wars ix). Young contends that we need to re-examine the "Vietnam Syndrome" (Young, Vietnam Wars 314-315, and 328-329). According to Young, the term Syndrome should not be about the disinclination of the public to be involved in war. Young offers a counter we should stop insisting that resolution or making up for the loss in Vietnam is to engage in more war.

Young adds to a growing body of work on the US War in Vietnam. She examines the motives, justifications, and reasons that the US entered the war from a clearly anti-war perspective. She injects the moral dilemma into the discussion (i.e. sailors sending letters of protest to Truman about certain orders, etc.).

It is the first of its kind to engage in the Vietnam War giving equal importance to the Vietnamese and American perspective. Moreover, she attempts to dispel the myth that stakeholders have resolved the issue of the "Vietnam Syndrome" and, as previously stated, we continue to get militarily mixed up with other countries. Also, and it could be argued this is not new, that we suffered from a crucial misunderstanding in U.S. vis-à-vis our involvement in Vietnam - that for the Vietnamese this was a war of independence and sovereignty and not an internal conflict of a communist north versus a "free" and democratic south. Finally, she argues against the simplistic notion that U.S. foreign policy is well intentioned and that Communism is necessarily destructive.

Entering into a conversation with Stanley Karnow (Vietnam, A History) and Michael Maclear (The Ten Thousand Day War), Young argues that the scale of the massacres -- particularly the one at Hue -- as argued by `anti-war' critics like Noam Chomsky, were exaggerated and some continue to argue that the details of the event was propaganda intended to support the U.S. war effort (Young, Vietnam Wars 217-219). She relies too much I argue, primarily on previously published works. She uses published sources and does not provide new information.

Severely Biased, Deeply Flawed
This is a garden variety history of the Vietnam War from the hard left perspective. Aside from one's preferences, the book suffers from a couple of serious flaws. First of all, Young systematically highlights accounts of the waging of the war which make the US look like an awful country guilty of war crimes and atrocities--crimes that were a natural outgrowth of the kind of army the US sent there. But Young does not hold the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong to the same standard, and even downplays communist atrocities like the massacre at Hue. She refuses to deal honestly with the most substantive arguments of her ideological opponents. One of her premises is that the war in South Vietnam was a private internal affair between an illegitimate government in Saigon and the legitimate government of the people--that of the communist National Liberation Front. If that was the case, why did North Vietnam invade South Vietnam in 1972 and 1975? Why does she not condemn those acts of aggression and conquest? The implications of those invasions embarrass the American left, so Young does not fully deal with their meanings. Furthermore, if the South Vietnamese were so pro-communist, why did they fight the communists so during the Tet Offensive and the 1972 northern invasion? If they were so pro-communist, why did they run from the invading troops instead of embracing them as welcomed liberators? Young bypasses, dismisses, or ignores elements of the Vietnam War that do not support her thesis.

Part of the Problem
When I decided to write a serious historiography on the Vietnam War, in particulair the years 1969-1971,I chose a plethora of secondary sources to begin my study. While carefully noting that the Indochina conflict has garnered numerous polar opposits, amongst its ranks of historians, some still, despite being backed up by numerous sources( some questionable) seem to be 'over the top'. This book, "The Vietnam Wars" takes the crown for all time biased writing. I thought Michael Herr was bad, wow, what was I thinking.
The book is full, to the point of choking out any narrative genius, of biased information. I was especially disturbed by her inaccurate findings in regards to certain military actions, the " Tet offensive" being the most infamous.I also noted atendency of Mrs. Young to rely way too heavily on journalist interpetaqtions of the war. Anyone should know by know how warped the medias opinion was during that conflict. I am going to put this on my Vietnam War hall of shame bookshelf, right next to Stanley Karnow and Michael Herr.
I really feel that the war is still to young to have a clear & concise general history written. My suggestion would be to obtain some books by the likes of true scholars: Bernard B. Fall, Kenneth W. Noland and Dr. Mark Moyar. I would also reccomend " The Cat from Hue," although written by a journalist.

Propaganda Posing as History
Other reviewers have made it clear that this book is not really an attempt at history but is so biased that it is far more a polemicthan a history book . I would however expect that someone with Ms. Young's credentials get some basic facts straight . For example on page 3 Ms. Young states that the meeting that resulted in the unification ofthe Indochinese Communist Party was held in Hong Kong on 18 February 1930 . In fact , the meeting was held 3-7 February . This is not a difficult fact to get correctly as Vietnam commemorates 3 February 1930 as the birthday of the Vietnamese Communist Party . It is true that the Vietnamese themselves had this date muddled for quite awhile as they had trouble reconciling their lunar calendar with the Gregorian calendar. They had it as 6 January, but nowhere can I find 18 February having relevance to the founding of the ICP. Ms. Young also fails to tell us that Ho Chi Minh convoked this meeting in his role as Comintern Head for Indochina on behalf of Moscow. The author does give us all fair warning as to her mind set when in the preface she says" that the United States invaded Vietnam against our stated values and ideals and that it did so secretly and deceptively, fighting a war of immense violence in order to impose its will on another sovereign nation." In my opinion the fact that this book is used as a history text book in some schools is shameful.
... Read more

Product Description
As a specialist of Southeast Asia, I am often asked tointroduce a history of Vietnam that would treat evenly all of its diverse periods andalso would give equal importance to the culturalandartistic aspects astothepolitical or military events.As often, I am embarrassed to answer that there is no such workwritten in English. In effect,a comprehensive history of Vietnam is still lacking. That is why I am happy to introduce here a work of mine entitled A Story of VIÊT NAM.

I call ita storyand nota history,because I donot want my book to be the usual conventional textbook. While not a conventional text,my work can,nonetheless, provide a substantial reading material to students who are interested in Asian affairs. To the hyphenated Vietnamese in particular, --who have not been schooled in Vietnam-- it represents a convenient reference tool to unveil the historical allusions, cultural insinuations, mythical hints, literary suggestions, ethnic idiosyncrasies they encounter every day at home. Finally, this book can also be sought after by all those people who know so much already about Vietnam as a war but who still would like to know a little bit more about a Vietnam which is a culture, a country and a people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Story of Viet Nam
Even though I am over 60 and had lived 30+ years in Viet Nam, I found myself learning as I read A Story of Viet Nam.The author, Professor Truong Buu Lam, meticulously and comprehensively narrated the history, culture and people of Viet Nam.The book is worth reading, especially for those with a curiosity to explore Viet Nam. ... Read more

Product Description
The year 1945 was the most significant in the modern history of Vietnam. One thousand years of dynastic politics and monarchist ideology came to an end. Drawing on extensive archival research, interviews, and an examination of published memoirs and documents, David G. Marr has written a richly detailed and descriptive analysis of this crucial moment in Vietnamese history. 18 illustrations . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The August Revolution
David G. Marr scored a knock-out or at least a TKO with, "Vietnam 1945: The Quest for Power." David G. Marr launched the readers into Ba Ðinh Square, Ha Noi on that hot muggy Sunday afternoon, 2 September, 1945, to listen to Nguyen Ai Quoc, the founder of the Indochinese Communist Party, read the Vietnamese version of the Declaration of Independence for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the new name for a united Vietnam. The amount of research that David G. Marr put into this book was phenomenal making the readers drooling for more.

Wrong book for people who wants to know the truth
Along with Duiker, Marr is one ingorrant of history in Vietnam in its people. Ho Chi Minh was a thief, murderer and cruel dictator as the world has seen in Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and many others of the 20th century.
Ho Chi Minh was never a nationalist, he worried about his own persona and legacy to Vietnam as much as the dictators of the world worried about their image. He was a communist because no regular government would have listened to his crazy mind using it as a mean to his end. Just like Hitler, he was nothing until some desperates listened to his so called charisma. When he lead the Communists in Vietnam, he was a much as fault for the 3 millions killed during the war. He, himself ordered executions of countless civilians as they refused to follow him. He forced thousands of Vietnamese to labor and camps in the North. From the North through the South of Vietnam, people were scared of the Communists, that's why the exodus of millions to the South in 1954 when the country was divided. And again in 1975, millions more left the country because the communists took over the rest of the country.
Do you really think the Vietnamese wanted Ho to lead the country? Would they submit themselves to tyranny and death camps so they can enjoy the lives of a communist? No! They fled everywhere Communists appear. Because in the Communists' eyes, anyone who is educated was a traitor, anyone who had different ideas than theirs, anyone who had religion, land, some kind of assets, some kind of beliefs, who hold traditional values was a traitor to their cause, and therefore they must be dealt with with torture and death to the whole family, as an example for others. Please refer to the movie "Killing Fields" as an illustration of what was going on with Cambodie and Vietnam. It was never on the media because journalists were never allowed on the other side of the fence, weren't they? The only thing you could see is just what Americans and the South Vietnamese were oppressing to the poor farmers. And how Jane Fonda made herslef useful to the NVA.
So please explain to me where Ho was a nationalist and a liberator?
Thirty years after the fall of Saigon, Vietnam still struggles with poverty, corruption and Communism where the rest of the world around Vietnam has taken off. Thanks to Ho and his communists, all the intellectuals of the country are either in jail or fled out of the country, and 95% out of the 80M Vietnamese is in poverty and earn less than $500 per year. And you can vote and have some kind of freedon only if you were to join the Communist Party. The rest of the people won't be allowed to voice their fears and frustations.

What kind of freedom and democracy is that?

excellent background -- if one can bear it!
The title of this book is misleading.Marr's topic is not 1945 alone but the period beginning in 1940, when the Germans conquered France and the colonial adminisrators at the other end of the huge Eurasian landmass wereleft in confusion -- a period that reached a climax of sorts in 1945, withthe surrender of the Japanese and the inevitable manuveuring among thevarious contending factions within Indochina for power in the post-warpicture.

Back in 1940....some of the French colonials were happy tofollow the lead from the new Vichy govt in France (the puppets of theGermans) and so to co-operate with the Japanese.Others had more or lessopen Gaullist sympathies.One develops some sympathy, in the course ofthis book, for the Gaullists -- who must have thought, after the liberationof their country in Europe in 1944, that they were entitled to arestoration of the colonial status quo ante as their share of the post-warsettlement.

Early in 1945, the Japanese decided the French could nolonger be trusted to run Indochina in Japan's interests, and they placed itunder the control of their own military.This put the French and the VC inan odd alliance.It was also a very ineffective alliance -- the Japaneseremained firmly in control up to the time their god/emperor told them in aradio address the war was over and they must lay down their arms.

Inthese events, and much more (I can't convey the thoroughness of Marr'saccount in this review!), one comes to see the future, the next thirtyyears of it!, as so much inevitable misery, like a wound-up spring destinedto uncoil slowly and painfully for all concerned.

So read this book togive yourself the background for any understanding of those 30 years.Ifyou can bear to do so.

Summary of relevent issues in Marrs detailed history.
Scholar and Vietnam historian, David G. Marr has created a work of epic scope in his finely tuned account of the year that saw the end of World War II and defined the postwar world. The detailed study of Allied, Japanese,and Vietnamese involvement during the war and in the postwar maneuver fordominance in Vietnam, is essential for the reader who seeks to probe thepolitics of a cold war struggle that continued to rage for thirty years ofland war in Southeast Asia. France was occupied by Nazi Germany in thespring of 1940 while Axis power, Japan, prepared to invade Vietnam inSeptember. With its seaports, airbases, and overland transportation routes,along with its abundant natural resources and rice belts, Vietnam wascrucial to Japan's war errort. In Vietnam a French colonial governmenthad ruled its Indochinese Union, exploiting Vietnam's natural resources andmanipulating its economy for close to one hundred years. Fearful of losingits colonial possession entirely by force, the French collaborated withJapanese military forces that allowed a functional French colonialadministration to sustain the machinations of government in Vietnam from1942 to 1945. The Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of theCIA, began covert operations in Vietnam in the spring of 1943, workingdirectly with respected and admired communist-nationalist, Ho Chi Minh.Substantial research, eye-witness analysis, photgraphs, and extensivefootnotes support Marr's account of Ho's newly formed Viet Minh forcesworking with OSS "Deer Team" operatives to achieve Allied wargoals and oppose the Japanese war effort. The year 1945 is to Vietnamwhat 1776 is to the United States; it marks the birth of the DemocraticRepublic of Vietnam headed by Ho Chi Minh. Ho made it clear to his USfriends that his primary aim was not to promote communism but to achieveindependence and self-determination for Vietnam. All Americans who knew himpersonally saw him first as a nationalist and second as a communist. Japan seized power entirely in Vietnam from a French colonialadministration 9March1945. Vietnamese leaders saw the ousting of the Frenchas a window of opportunity. By the end of July with Japan on the brink ofdefeat, members of the Viet Minh, Indochinese Communist Party, andassociated nationalists seized history in what was termed the "AugustRevolution." A tidal wave of revolutionary and nationalist zeal forindependence swept the country. On 2September Ho Chi Minh proclaimed theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam in a public address to a nation unified inits desire for independence, quoting from the United States' Declaration ofIndependence, "these truths to be self-evident, that all men arecreated equal." Ho concluded his speech with: "Vietnam hasthe right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a freeand independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined tomobilize all their physical and mental strength, to sacrifice their livesand property, in order to safeguard their freedom and independence." Roosevelt opposed colonial aggression and returning Vietnam to France afterthe war stating that colonialism was dead. Before Roosevelt could enact USforeign policy regarding Indochina he died.The US State Department hadlittle knowledge of or policy regarding Indochina. France's ProvisionalPresident, Charles DeGaulle, stated that if the US did not help France inIndochina, then France might be forced into the Soviet orbit. Onlythe US had a solvent economy at the close of WWII. The US believing Franceto be crucial in Europe in opposing Soviet expansionism, fully fundedDeGaulle in taking back Vietnam from the Vietnamese. While DeGaulleorganized a French Expeditionary Force to land, US ships transportedBritish and Indian troops to seize control. Shipping, arms, uniforms, andprovisions were supplied by the US. Contrary to orders from AlliedCommand, British General Douglas Gracey upon arrival 6September, maintainedsurrendered yet armed Japanese troops for internal security. Great Britainhad her own colonies in Asia to put in order, hence, a vested interest inseeing colonial possessions regained. The newly formed government of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam was efficiently evicted from office.Eventually a French Expeditionary Force arrived and took over with businessas usual, imprisonment and massacre. Mr.Marr's text comes alive withfirst-hand accounts from participants in the extraordinary arena that was1945. Marr writes of the summer OSS "Deer Team" met with Ho andthe Viet Minh. Ho wanted to chat about the US, its history, politicalideals, and US support of free, popular governments throughout the world.Team member, Rene' Defourneaux, from New York recalls Ho's arguing inbroken English: "Your statesmen make eloquent speeches about helpingthose with self-determination. We are self-determined. Why not help us. AmI any different from Nehru, Quezon, even your George Washington? Was notWashington considered a revolutionary? I too want to set my peoplefree."With Ho Chi Minh's apparent affinity for the US, fordemocratic political ideals, and for American friends in the OSS, alongwith his desire and hopes for a US alliance and support in achievingVietnamese independence, Marr makes evident that the US had the future ofan emerging self-governing Vietnam in the palm of its hand at the close ofWWII. The subsequent French and US involvement in Vietnam remains one ofthe most misled and tragic affairs of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Product Description
Getting ready to tackle the AP U.S. History exam? AP U.S. History For Dummies is a practical, step-by-step guide that will help you perfect the skills and review the knowledge you need to achieve your best possible score! Discover how to identify what the questions are really asking and find out how to combine your history knowledge with context clues to craft thoughtful essays. Try your hand at two true-to-life AP exams, complete with detailed answer explanations and scoring guides.

You’ll find out how to put together a game plan, develop a study strategy, decode the Political – Economic – Social (PES) answer secret, and understand exactly what’s going to be on the stress. This easy-to-understand guide reviews all periods of U.S. history, from the country’s earliest inhabitants to the present day. Ease your mind on stress day and feel completely prepared by completing the two practice exams with answers and explanations. Find out how to:

• Prepare a study plan for the time leading up to the exam
• Decode your score and learn how to get the best score
• Put your knowledge to work
• Approach the different types of questions: multiple choice, document-based, and essay questions
• Navigate all exam topics, from the Native Americans to the present day
• Analyze and connect political, economic, and social themes
• Recognize trick words

Complete with lists of ten monster event topics AP wants you to know, ten unstoppable cultural trends, and ten key court decisions, AP U.S. History For Dummies will help you ace this test! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

One Happy Customer
Thank you.I was very happy when I received this book.It was like new and well-priced.

Great review though badly organized
I found this book to be very helpful when preparing for the AP US History exam. It was practically the only source I used the last two weeks before the test.However, I found its organization to be a bit illogical and somewhat confusing. Unlike most history books, this one does not seem to follow a linear timeline. It constantly jumps back and forth with dates.Most of the time this doesn't pose a huge inconvenience, but there were a few times when I felt a little unsure about the order in which events occurred.Besides chronology, I really did like this review book and would certainly recommend it.

a good review
Rather than trying to be a synopsis of a text, Velm captures the spirit and essence of each period covered as well as consistently helpful hints on test prep. It's kind of like having Alt. U.S. History version 2, the view from the left side of the fence.Entertaining as a stand alone 'read' even if you're not prepping for the test.

Well-written, comprehensive, engaging
I really enjoyed reading this book.It's not easy to make history come alive, especially with the looming threat of a major exam. This book doesn't just summarize facts that you might need for the exam.It takes the drudgery out of the exam review. I found myself forgetting that preparation for the exam was the focus and just enjoying the history that became truly compelling in this book. I really think that it would be helpful if this book were used in classrooms along with other methods of test prepration. It is comprehensive without ever being dull, and it's written with wit and compassion.If it's possible to take the stress out of preparation for an AP exam, this book accomplishes that task.
... Read more

Product Description
Vietnam was the US Special Forces most complex and controversial mission, one that began in 1957 and ended in 1973. Camp strike forces, mobile strike forces, mobile guerrilla forces, special reconnaissance projects, training missions and headquarters duty provided vastly differing experiences and circumstances for SF soldiers. Other fluctuating factors were the terrain, the weather and the shifting course of the war itself. Gordon Rottman examines the training, life, weapons and combat experiences of the Special Forces soldier in this challenging environment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good to go!
A goog solid effort on a very interesting subject for me. A good nuts and bolts book about the SF. A worthy addition for a library dedicated to Military History.

A good overview - highly recommended!
For those who already have a small library of books on Vietnam Elite Forces and Militaria the names Gordon Rottman and Kevin Lyles are no strangers.To my knowledge this is the first time they have collaborated together and the result is as could be expected - excellent!

Given the many roles SF personnel conducted during the Vietnam conflict, their 'bread and butter' was the 'advisory' effort and consequently, this is what the book focuses on.

The text is well indexed, concise and clear - covering items such as organisation, training, life in the A-camps and the weapons utilised.The majority of photos are new and well chosen for their relevance to points in the text.Kevin Lyles' colour plates are superb - clean and well detailed - his intimate knowledge of the items involved are apparent (such as the highly 'technical' method of squeezing extra transmission range from a PRC-25/77 radio!).They also illustrate the closeness that SF soldiers had with their indigenous charges - my favourite colour plate depicting a light hearted mortar lesson!

My only criticisms of the book are in the order of nit-picking .. The 'SSGT' depicted in Plate 1 is quite obviously SF officer and legend, Ed Rybat - why not give him his due rank?Also, SF involvement in MACV-SOG was only alluded too - but in the space limitations of this particular publication this is understandable.

Incidentally the cover depicted on the amazon page was illustrated by Ron Volstad and most likely a pre-production cover - it is NOT the actual cover of the book I obtained.

In summary, a must have book for those researching the life and look of the SF soldier of the period.It brings together in a clear, concise way information that one would otherwise have to obtain from more expensive or out-of-print texts. An authoritative bibliography is also supplied for those interested in further reading.Although a short book, it is a worthy companion to those other excellent Rottman and Lyles titles adorning the bookshelf of the SF aficionado.

Not sure how it was reviewed
This has not even been released yet. If it is like most osprey titles it should be good.

Dont have it but the cover stinks!
Looks stupid and the Navy Seals are way better! ... Read more

Product Description
Companion to the Vietnam War contains twenty-four definitive essays on America’s longest and most divisive foreign conflict. These historiographical and narrative essays by leading historians examine the war in its most important contexts. The broad thematic coverage of the book includes the political strategy of three American presidents, the American military tactics and their consequences, the adjoining wars in Laos and Cambodia, the American home front and antiwar movement, and the intersections of race, class, and gender in both America and Vietnam.

This volume represents the best current scholarship on one of the most controversial and influential episodes in modern American history. It also contains an expanded bibliography of hundreds of secondary sources to guide further research. For students, scholars, and general readers of Vietnam War studies, this Companion is a vital resource. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent portable seminar on the Vietnam War
This is a first rate collection of definitive, state of the art essays on just about all aspects of the Vietnam War. Buzzanco and Young have put together an outstanding collection of essays on the Vietnam War by an impressive cast of the leading scholars in the field. The war itself may have been created by the "best and the brightest" of the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations, but this book shows that the "best and the brightest" can be brought together to do justice to a complicated and controversial period of American and world history. This book should be on the shelf of every serious student of the war and it certainly deserves a place in every public and college library. Buzzanco and Young deserve our thanks for collecting such an excellent crew of scholars.
Yours truly, John J. Fitzgerald Longmeadow, MA
Vietnam Veteran and student of the Vietnam War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Resource
This book really helps in condensing the Vietnam War and has plenty of engaging and interesting material.The review quizzes and games are great and help so much in understanding and remembering.I was able to test out of my Vietnam war classes, some in part to this.Get It! ... Read more