Product Description
Mai returns to Vietnam, the land of her mother's birth, to discover both a new country and something about herself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A fabulous book
Highly recommended. A mother and daughter visit the mother's birthplace in Vietnam, learning the story behind the kite which means so much to the daughter and the facts of the mother's earliest years.Touching and meaningful, this book is terrific for children and adults from age 7 and up. Used in our school for discussions around Vietnam, war, and multiculturalism.

Touching story of a search for roots
This is a good story about an important topic - a woman's search for her birthfamily.Two small things bothered me: First, the narrator calls the American (grand)father the woman's "Foster Father".A child adopted from Vietnam would not have been a foster child; therefore the correct term would be "Adoptive Father".Second, the main character prays to a goddess in Vietnam.This is probably realistic but for my children it is not something I want to encourage.Aside from those small flaws, I found this to be a touching and important book.

Lovely story, beautifully illustrated!
This is a great book for all the children whose lives are touched by adoption.The wonderful illustrations accurately capture the beauty of Vietnam.We are thoroughly enjoying this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Fusion Cooking is taking the locally available ingredients & adjust it to their ethnic taste, it's a culinary method that integrates various regional cooking styles in order to create innovative new tastes, it's the art of mixing ingredients and preparation styles from different countries and cultures into a unique dish of flavour, and it's when you combine particular ethnic cuisines and fuse them into one. Fusion Cooking is about experimentation. Pushing the boundaries of cooking styles by combining ethnic ingredients and techniques. It’s about having fun with your food and the enjoyment you get from the taste of your food. Fusion Cooking is awonderful way to express yourself and enjoy delicious healthy meals!Some recipes included in this book include: Baby Corn and Kale Angoor, Wilted Beet Greens Bruschetta, Pear & Jalapeno Turkey Burgers, Thai Burritos, Marinated Tenderloin of Beef with Water Chestnut and Sesame Seed in GingerMirin Sauce, Hummus Guacamole, Three-Nut Crusted Pork Tenderloin, Steamed Sea bass, Chai Tea Tiramisu, and many more! Even though the names sound exotic, the dishes are easy to prepare and the recipes are very coherently and thoroughly written. This is a great book for anyone looking for new and easy to prepare dishes! ... Read more

Product Description
Through powerful personal narratives and photographs, this examination of the lives touched by the Vietnam War draws from the experience of those people, both American and Vietnamese, affected by the war on the battlefront and at home. Stories recounted include those of the soldiers, nurses, refugees, American Asian survivors, and of those who fearfully awaited the return of friends and family members. Ultimately, the stories reflect moments of history in the hope and despair that define individuals' lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A True Masterpiece
The author is gifted with both lens and pen...the vivid photos coupled with poignant stories drags the reader through a twisting maze of emotions.
I believe that this is one of the very best books concerning a generation that is still trying to find it's way or perhaps come to terms with themselves...so many stories, so many unanswered questions....so much pain...so much heartbreak...so many tears.
Each story is filled with a vast spectrum of emotions.
Charlene Edwards is simply gifted...I can say no more to describe her talent.
I am unable to add more for fear of becoming redundant...I lack the words to offer a review that is worthy.I can only say that 5 stars is inadequet.
Eddie Delezen..author of...
Eye of the Tiger
Thoughts Etched in Jade
Red Plateau

An Essential Journey
Even if you couldn't read the words, the stunning photographs alone in this work would reveal the depth and range of emotion endured by everyone touched by the Vietnam conflict.Each personal vignette carries a similar theme - why were we there, how did the atrocities of the war effect me, where am I today?Sadly, there are more tragedies than triumphs, as with all wars, but so poignantly true in this one.Yet, you must go back with these people, imagine what it was like for them, remember how you experienced those times, and hopefully emerge with a compassionate understanding of what it all meant.

There are other books out there titled Voices from Vietnam, but Ms. Edwards has listened to these particular voices and played them back as a ringing chorus that will move you to forgive but never forget the victims on both sides of this war.

"Voices From Vietnam"
Charlene Edwards has put together a wonderfully deverse and mosaic puzzle that refects the human side of the Vietnam War. She has captured the spiritual and emotional energies of those she interviewed and photographed in her book. The book not only has wonderful photos but the text bleeds with heart felt stories.

Her 10 year quest to share the feelings and images of those personal experiences was a gift to the rest of us. I found myself moved to tears at times, by the images and stories she has introduced us to in her book. I am richer for having had the experience of reading this book.

Understanding = Healing
Voices from Vietnam is a brilliant and riveting collection of images and essays that brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was born at its conclusion. It is a must-read for anyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, the stories in this book have been instrumental in helping me to understand some of the things my father experienced as a soldier in this war. This compelling book shares stories from every possible perspective, yet the themes of pain, suffering, survival and triumph are very much the same.This is a very personal, very human look at the affects of war. I highly recommend it as a tool for healing and for understanding.

Two Sides of The Same Face
Voices From Vietnam was written by someone who was very young when this war took place, but who was drawn to it and remained dedicated to the understanding of it for the rest of her life.This book is very special because it humanizes both sides and helps us to realize that it was a tragic mistake from the very beginning. Misguided but well-meaning Americans went into the abyss that was left behind by the French colonizers.The people of Vietnam were devastated by over 11 long years of fighting with the Americans .The most powerful nation in the world could not ultimately overpower the determination and tremendous courage of this tiny and poor country.One of the greatest and most profound lessons as demonstrated in this book is that the Vietnamese have forgiven us for the utter decimation of their country and are willing to help us heal the terrible wounds inflicted on both sides.The author introduces us to many people and their stories and shows us that it is possible to embrace your former enemies and work together towards a better future for all.For many Vietnamese the legacy of the war is saddness-the loss of time and place ,of family and friends ,of youth and innocence. If you turn the coin over you find once-young Americans burdened with those same loses.In the end we are a mirror image of each other. Perhaps we will never be able to fully make sense of what we endured on both sides for eleven years.The Vietnamese know they won the war but there was no real winner.The author shows us some of these people and how they have rebuilt their country and extended a hand to us in forgivness and friendship.The many beautiful photographs and interviews tell this story perfectly and for every one of us to understand perfectly.This is an outstanding testimony to the good we all have in us-if only we would try to remember it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ideal for art or history teachers
This is an ideal book to share with your class when discussing this chapter of history.There is a very wide range of reactions to the war, and an equally wide range of art styles and media.The short interviews with the artists, many of whom were combatants, are direct, not the usual elitist critical blather. ... Read more

Product Description
The North Vietnamese Army is often forgotten by the histories of the Vietnam War. Commonly mistaken for the locally raised Viet Cong guerrillas, the NVA was in fact an entirely different force for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. After first supporting the VC in the Republic of Vietnam in 1958, the NVA entered into their own violent armed struggle as the war escalated. Entire divisions and vast numbers of NVA troops were sent south, conducting large-scale operations in a conventional war fought almost entirely by the NVA, and not the VC, as is often believed. Despite limited armor, artillery and air support, the NVA were an extremely politicized and professional force with strict control measures and leadership concepts - soldiers were expected to be totally committed to the cause, and to sacrifice all to ensure its success. Gordon Rottman follows the fascinating life of the highly motivated infantryman from conscription and induction through training to real combat experiences. Covering the evolution of the forces from 1958 onwards, this book takes an in-depth look at the civilian and military lives of the soldiers, while accompanying artwork details the uniforms, weapons and equipment used by the NVA in their clash against America and her allies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A necessary reference for Vietnam War buffs.
If you are interested in the Vietnam War, you would probably find this a useful reference.

nva soldier
over all a good book. i wish it contained more photos. has drawings of equipment and uniforms. lacks info on some equipment, radios, web gear, and some other personal equipment. but over all a good reference book.

An in-depth focus on the NVA
Gordon Rottman's NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY SOLDIER 1958-75 provides specialty military collections with an in-depth focus on the NVA, a politicized, professional force with strict organizational concepts. From their training to combat routines, chapters survey uniforms, equipment, and strategies alike.
... Read more

Product Description
The Vietnam War actually began in December 1946 with a struggle between the communists and the French for possession of the country. Vietnam's strategic position in southeast Asia along with veiled economic concerns and a political agenda led to the involvement of other countries, including the United States. Written by an officer in the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, this poignant memoir seeks to clarify the nuances of South Vietnam's defeat. From the age of 12, Van Nguyen Duong watched as the conflict affected his home, family, village and friends. He discusses not only the day-to-day hardships he endured from forced relocation and eventual imprisonment but also the anguish caused by the illusive reality of Vietnamese independence. The various political forces at work in Vietnam, the hardships suffered by RVNAF soldiers after the 1975 U.S. withdrawal from Saigon, and the effect of reunification on the Vietnamese people are also discussed. An appendix contains a summary of the Eleven Point Program Accords of January 1962. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A View of the Vietnam War Seldom Seen
This is a book for someone who is deeply interested in every aspect of the Vietnam war and the cultural underpinnings of the communist forces there. The book's title is slightly misleading as it claims to be about the revolution and social change in the Mekong Delta from 1930 to 1975 whereas , in fact, the research and data presented is almost exclusively confined to Dinh Tuong /My Tho Province which had it's own set of circumstances which were quite different from other delta provinces such as Sa Dec or Cau MauProvinces . That said , the book is filled with exacting detail and rare interviews of communist party members . This book (I have the Concise Edition) should be a welcome addition to anyone who wants a fuller understanding of the dynamics of the social and political changes that resulted in such a tragedy for all involved.
Walter James (Mac) McIntosh
Former Chief Vietnam Operations
Clandestine Corps CIA

The triumph of micro-history
David Elliott's magnum opus, "The Vietnamese War: Revolution and Social Change in the Mekong Delta 1930 - 1975," is quite simply the best book there is about the Vietnam War.It is also one of the longest, at 1547 pages, which may limit its appeal to non-specialists.

The principal strenths of this work are two:

1) Where most scholars of the Vietnam War have focused their efforts mainly on American sources, Elliott draws the majority of his evidence from Vietnamese who fought for the Viet Minh or the NLF. In particular, he uses 415 in-depth interviews of prisoners and defectors conducted as part of a major RAND project during the war (Elliott himself worked on this project).He also relies on about 100 Vietnamese-language post-war histories.Together with a judicious selection of English-language works and some US government data, the Vietnamese sources provide an evidentiary base that overlaps very little with existing studies in English.

2) Although he does not ignore the larger strategic currents of the war, Elliott focuses like a laser beam on the local revolutionary processes of a single Vietnamese province.Although he carefully synthesizes his evidence into an overall narrative, Elliott allows the full complexity of events to shine through at every turn, often in the first-person recollections of the revolutionaries themselves.

My reservations about the book mainly concern the theoretical context in which it is situated.Elliott's intended audience appears to be a narrow group of Southeast Asia and Vietnam War specialists.He shows little concern with the far more interesting and recent generalist literature about civil war processes by e.g., Elizabeth Wood, Stathis Kalyvas, or Roger Petersen. Debates about, e.g., whether or not the Vietnam War "could have been won" are extremely stale, and a scholar of Elliott's magnitude shouldn't be wasting his time on them.

This is not a book for the casual reader, and it is not a book for someone whose main concern is about what Americans did in the Vietnam War.However, for anyone who takes a serious scholarly interest 20th century Vietnamese history or the systematic study of political violence and civil war, Elliott's book is indispensable. ... Read more

Product Description
When the Vietnam War ended with the North Vietnamese capture of Saigon on April 30, 1975—27 months after a cease-fire had been signed in Paris—the differences between the United States and Vietnam were far from being resolved. Mutual bitterness regarding the war remained. Newly unified Vietnam wanted normalization of relations and the subsequent economic reconstruction aid promised in the Paris Peace Accords. Understandably wary of such diplomatic relations, the United States requested information regarding soldiers listed as missing in action and assistance with the repatriation of military remains. A series of misconceptions and misunderstandings as well as changes from a regional to a global U.S. foreign policy left both countries bereft of an easy solution.

This book describes the negotiations during the late Ford and early Carter administrations (1975–1979) and discusses the repercussions the diplomatic stalemate had on the domestic and international politics of the United States and Vietnam, emphasizing the conflicting priorities and political goals of both countries, at home and abroad. This previously neglected period in United States-Vietnam relations deals with issues such as Hanoi’s constant exultation over the victory, American denial of responsibility, the division between the presidents’ public declarations and congressional policies, and both sides’ use of the MIA issue. Based primarily on recently declassified documents and former U.S. official Douglas Pike’s uncensored collection, the work also makes use of media press sources from America, Vietnam, Britain, France and China. Interviews with Vietnamese immigrants and former U.S. politicians provide insight unavailable in written histories. Appendices contain the February 1973 correspondence between President Nixon and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, six diplomatic notes from 1976, and a January 30, 1979, letter from President Carter to Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping. ... Read more

Product Description
A memoir commemorates the twentieth anniversary of the fall of Saigon and recalls the stories of women in the struggle against the French, from a young intellectual to an eighty-one-year-old peasant who stitched the national flag in 1940. 20,000 first printing. $17,500 ad/promo. Tour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A Deeper Look
Lady Borton lives with the Vietnamese people and tells their story with empathy and insight.She reveals the face of the enemy that the French and the Americans never saw during the liberation struggles to oppose colonial oppression.This book sheds light on the American failure to understand the hearts and minds of this nation of artists and poets.

utterly biased and misleading
this is one of the most biased, misleading books I have ever read.it reports all of the bad things that the south and the americans did, but totally ignores the atrocities committed by the north, like the 10,000 civilians killed in Hue during the 1968 VC offensive, including many who were buried alive.if the author is truly a pacifist, why are these not mentioned?

beyond that, it tends to be repetitive and self-congradulatory.

Long Winded But Essential
From her experience living together with the common people, Lady Borton is able to reveal to us the main reason why the Americans failed to win the war in Vietnam.In fact, the war is already lost even before it began.Vietnamese is those special breed of people that's enormously proud of their country & should Americans have learnt about Vietnamese history, then, they would have to think twice before deciding to chip in efforts in assisting the French, & subsequently, to fight against communism.It so happened that after interviewing the common people, they were not fighting the Americans for communism but they simply wanted to win the right to enjoy their lives, to live as a free person with their own people.We also learnt of women's significant contribution towards the cause.Along the way, they lost their loved ones, & many became victims to chemical warfare conducted by the Americans.Surprisingly, many Vietnamese don't have ill-feelings against Americans because they always regarded the American Government differently from the Americans.The book also gives us a glimpse of their cultures (celebration of Tet & New Year), difference beween North & South Vietnam.To make the reading more interesting, there were pictures taken of the author with her new found friends ie. villagers, drawing of villages layouts, map of Vietnam, outline of Vietnam history, description of Vietnamese terms, relevant poems to start every & each chapters written by Vietnamese nationalists & poets.I don't find the book particularly captivating to read as it's quite long winded describing every little details about domestic chores.For those that yearn to feel the essence of villagers' life, perhaps, it's worth the while.Still, this doesn't deter the author's goal of reconciling between the States & Vietnam, & thus, the title of the book, After Sorrow.

Another Point of View Rarely Noted in the US
Lady Borton holds some strong opinions as I have notedon a recent trip to Viet Nam.In this wonderful book howevershe holds them in check and expresses everything in the words, experiences and thoughts of others who presumably were there.Reading this in country and in fact in the exact places cited in the book was amoving experience.Borton does not actually take a view on agent orange here although she has one. In fact emphasising that a woman's statements in the text are annecdotal and without statisticalfoundation is more than fair to other opinions.Nor does she promote communism but rather separates it from the nationalism which won the war for her friends who only begin to thrive when a market economy arrives. This is a wonderful story reflecting what other war participants think and feel in contrast toour own long held ideas.

very thoughtfull
As a veteran of the war in Viet Nam, I can say that the thought of reading another book about the war was not appealing. Most of the books are so apologetic, jingoistic, or wrapped up in macho face-saving that they are of little use. This book was recommended by a friend who met Ms Borton in Han Noi, Viet Nam. He had not read her book, but was impressed by her enough to tell me about her. Unknown to my friend, I was in Quang Ngai City in 1969 when she was there (I in Air Cavalry, she with Quaker Services) and I knew of (and respected) the work of her organization from that time.I found 'After Sorrow' in my Colleges library and after reading it, have since bought several copies to give to friends, mostly fellow veterans. The reception has always been positive. It is an excellent book: personal and painfully revealing and very well written. It covers several extended visits by Ms Borton to various parts of the country over a span of some twenty years. I recommend it to anyone interested in the war, or the role of women in war, or really anyone interested in a good book. The beginning section, a visit to a village in the Mekong delta area, was particularly startling in the discussion of how effective the village women were as guerillas.My only complaint is the use of translated names without giving the Viet Namese original. The translated names are beautiful and lyric but I would like to know what 'Autumn' or 'River' or 'Second Harvest' are in their own language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Vietnamese Naval Officers War with the Communists.
Actually this was a pretty good book about one person's participation in the war.Unlike the other readers, I felt that this book got off to a slow start.His talk about his early life was interesting but I couldn't get a read about what he was trying to convey.Perhaps he was trying to state he was brought up as an upright moral person in his early years.His conflicts with the French and then collaboration with them was confusing.
I was miffed at his later righteous anger and wrath when confronted with the realities of the war.Other officers were crooked and could be bribed.Most of the American officers did not know their positions or behavior in Vietnam.Then he turns it back on them when he is adapted into an American community.You can't have your cake and eat it too Kiem.If you criticize how Americans adjusted in Vietnam, you can't criticize how you adjusted here in the States.In one passage of the book, he recounts an argument with his wife about his big ego.I think he showed that in his writings at some points.
If you can adjust for the above mentioned criticisms, this is a good book about a Vietnamese Naval Officer's War.It is important to get views from many participants in the war, and I think the South's officer core has not written much of the war.This is a good addition to Vietnam War library.

An excellent book by an honorable professional
The book covers experiences from childhood in Vietnam at the end of WWII to getting settled in the USA as a middle-aged refugee.

A superb book for every American!
As a "young" Vietnamese -American who did not participate in the war, I findthe book entertaining and educating. This is a book every family, especially Vietnamese American, should own because it is so well written with a sincere heart and offers an accurate realistic view from an ex Navy commander from South Vietnam.The more I read the more I admire and respect him for sharing all his invaluable experiences to subtly teach the American public as well as Vietnamese- American young generation about the truth of a major period in American history - the Vietnam war.I now clearly understand what our heroic South Vietnamese soldiers went through.Mr. Do Kiem was successful in restoring well -deserved honorto our patriotic South Vietnamese soldiers. It peaks my interest and leaves me wanting more whenI finish reading .This is truly an amazing account!Somehow, it brought back to memory a poem, learned many years ago in high school, belonged to our national hero Dang Dung in his noble fight against the Ming dynasty's fiendish invasion in Vietnam in 1400's.

Revenge is not yet fulfilled, my lord! and hair already turned white. Too many times whetted my precious sword,under the shining moon light!

Dong Nhac

An interesting personal perspective of the Vietnam War.
A very well written book, "Counterpart" is an interesting personal memoir of life in Vietnam and the ravaging affects of war.The book ends with his departure and fresh start in the United States. Having worked in the power industry with Kiem Do and Julie Kane for anumber of years in New Orleans, I'm glad he has finally published his longawaited memoirs.

Flawless, personal account of S. Vietnam Navy
Some books about the Vietnam War are basically worthless, filled with "blasting machine gun fire" stories similar to Rambo, etc.

However, this book is refreshingly different.Officer Kiem Do reveals astory unheard by most Americans.Not only did he battle the communists, heconstantly fought government corruption and bureaucratic interference fromhis (our) side.

This is a must read for anyone interested in Navalhistory. ... Read more

Product Description
"Prisoner of the Word" is a memoir of the author's six years in a Vietnamese re-education camp. A young lieutenant in the South Vietnamese army at the end of the war, he turned himself in to the new authorities when he was convinced that no harm would come to him or his family. He spent the next six years in a forced labor camp - what was euphemistically called a "re-education camp" - where prisoners were routinely starved and deprived of medical care, where some were shot and where they were worked to exhaustion and beyond. The title comes from the author's observations of the techniques of communication - rumors and misleading official pronouncements - the authorities used to control the prisoners and to give them false hopes of freedom. Eventually, after terrible tribulation, the author and his family escaped to the Untied States. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A five year diary as a Communist Vietnamese POW
To this Reviewer this book is an exhaustive detailed diary about being a Communist captive for 5 years. He was an ARVN Lt training in an Armor School in Long Thanh near Saigon. Story starts during the Fall of Saigon, April 27, 1975.

The book has 33 chapters covering a specific time, usually a month to a season. Much of it is the personal story, which is repetitious and usually concludes with one-liner "moral" at the end of each chapter.

This reads similar to and is mixture of Mao's Cultural Revolution, Red Guard, Great Leap Forward tactics and Soviet prison labor. Normal punishment and reward systems to get productive labor and prevent escape. Spread rumors to inspire hope for an illusion of quicker release.

There is no systematic examination in Vietnamese Communist re-education compared to other VN prison camps or for that matter to Chinese, Soviet and American systems.

A sad and humbling experience.
This book details the five-year ordeal of a former South Vietnamese officer through many reeducation camps in South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon.

It includes mind numbing details of beatings, starvation, hard work in the fields and pure harassment by the guards. The most interesting part is the description of how expertly the communists manipulated the prisoners' minds. The latter were tricked into believing they would be released earlier if they worked harder. And the "two week-reeducation" became a five year ordeal.

Those who would like to understand how the communist system works should read this book. The author is to be congratulated for bringing to us a detailed description of the communists' reeducation camps.

A sad and humbling experience.
This book details the five-year ordeal of a former South Vietnamese officer through many reeducation camps in South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon.

It includes mind numbing details of beatings, starvation, hard work in the fields and pure harassment by the guards. The most interesting part is the description of how expertly the communists manipulated the prisoners' minds. The latter were tricked into believing they would be released earlier if they worked harder. And the "two week-reeducation" became a five year ordeal.

Those who would like to understand how the communist system works should read this book. The author is to be congratulated for bringing to us a detailed description of the communists' reeducation camps.

A cautionary tale of the dangers of "spin control"
Prisoner Of The Word: A Memoir Of The Vietnamese Reeducation Camps is the chilling but accurate memoir of author Le Huu Tri's years as a prisoner of Vietnamese so-called "reeducation" camps, which were actually forced labor camps in which starvation, nonexistent medical care, and execution were all too common. Yet perhaps the most insidious facet of these camps was the authorities' ruthless control of information, rumors, and lies, which were manipulated to control not only the prisoners, but the general populace. Prisoner Of The Word not only describes a part of Vietnam's modern history; it is a cautionary tale of the dangers of "spin control" in any and every government of the world. Highly recommended reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Fought as fiercely by politicians and the public as by troops in Southeast Asia, the Vietnam War--its origins, its conduct, its consequences--is still being contested. In what will become the classic account, based on newly opened archival sources, David Kaiser rewrites what we know about this conflict. Reviving and expanding a venerable tradition of political, diplomatic, and military history, he shows not only why we entered the war, but also why our efforts were doomed to fail.American Tragedy is the first book to draw on complete official documentation to tell the full story of how we became involved in Vietnam--and the story it tells decisively challenges widely held assumptions about the roles of Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. Using an enormous range of source materials from these administrations, Kaiser shows how the policies that led to the war were developed during Eisenhower's tenure and nearly implemented in the closing days of his administration in response to a crisis in Laos; how Kennedy immediately reversed course on Laos and refused for three years to follow recommendations for military action in Southeast Asia; and how Eisenhower's policies reemerged in the military intervention mounted by the Johnson administration. As he places these findings in the context of the Cold War and broader American objectives, Kaiser offers the best analysis to date of the actual beginnings of the war in Vietnam, the impact of the American advisory mission from 1962 through 1965, and the initial strategy of General Westmoreland. A deft re-creation of the deliberations, actions, and deceptions that brought two decades of post-World War II confidence to an ignominious end, American Tragedy offers unparalleled insight into the Vietnam War at home and abroad--and into American foreign policy in the 1960s. David Kaiser, professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the Naval War College, is the author of many books, including Politics and War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Outstanding
Contrary to the single critical review by Mr. Hanlon, below, this book is truly outstanding.It's not intended as the be-all and end-all of our involvement in Vietnam; rather, it's a thorough and exhaustive account of the White House deliberative process that got us into a full-scale (and ultimately disastrous) involvement in that war.I haven't seen any book that covered that subject as thoroughly.It's obviously vastly superior to the self-serving accounts of the architects of that war, such as McNamara's, and it discusses recently declassified materials not found anywhere else.

Breathtaking!
It has been said that the study of history represents at once both an exercise in pure aesthetics and a practical guide to the understanding of the present.This volume, as thoroughly researched as it is spectacular in its presentation, is an apt illustration of that notion.

The author has done a magnificent service for those of us who have an interest in contemporary American and Cold War history.We owe a great debt to David Halberstam and those who came after him; this author goes far beyond and delves far more deeply than they did.After absorbing what I could from this work, I am far more enlightened about the origins of the calamity that American involvement in SE Asia represented.

This work is highly readable; the final chapter alone is more than worth the price of entry.

Excellent; 4.5
This is a very careful, detailed analysis of decision making in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations about the extent of American involvement in Vietnam.Based on meticulous and original archival research, Kaiser sets the decisions of both the Kennedy and Johnson White Houses against the background of the foreign policies of the Eisenhower administration.While a number of scholars have presented Eisenhower's Cold War policy as relatively cautious and non-confrontational, Kaiser argues that in many respects the Eisenhower era policies were relatively aggressive and rigidly confrontational.Kaiser account rings true.While Eisenhower was cautious about direct confrontations with the Soviet Union and China, in the Third World his administration pursued aggressive policies towards regimes that were suspected to have leftist elements, such as the Arbenz regime in Guatemala or the Mossadegh regime in Iran.When Kennedy assumed office, the State Dept. and Pentagon were imbued with and preferred to carry forward Eisenhower era approaches.The Kennedy administration also inherited the problem of South Vietnam and our less than satisfactory ally, the authoritarian and progressively corrupt Diem regime.By the early 1960s, the Communist regime of North Vietnam had reactivated their efforts to reunite Vietnam.Kennedy was pressed by many of his advisors to pursue an agressive course in Vietnam, up to and including a large US presence in Vietnam, invasion of the North, and even the use of nuclear weapons, all consistent with Eisenhower era policies.Kaiser's depiction of Kennedy is quite interesting.He shows him to be quite intelligent and knowledgeable about foreign affairs, skeptical about the policies suggested by the Pentagon and State Dept., and very good at encouraging diverse opinions among his advisors.At the same time, Kaiser presents considerable documentation that many of our diplomatic and military leaders fundamentally misunderstood events in Southeast Asia.From a diplomatic point of view, overemphasizing the importance of Vietnam and from a military point of view, completely misunderstanding the nature of the challenge posed by the insurgency in South Vietnam.Kennedy's confidence and skepticism led him to resist suggestions for major American involvement and Kaiser makes a good case he would have continued in this vein in a second term in office.
The case of Johnson is quite different.Johnson wanted to be a great domestic president, and almost achieved that status.Johnson, however, was less experienced in foreign policy, more doctrinaire in his anti-communism, and more deferential to the Pentagon and the State Dept., ultimately accepting the case for a major US involvement in Vietnam.Kaiser has a nice description of the relatively deceitful manner in which the Johnson administration went about proceeding to war, something that would have major consequences later on.
Kaiser presents the decision to make a major US commitment in Vietnam as a spectacular and avoidable error brought by doctrinaire anti-communism, refusal to consider quite a bit of contrary data and dissenting opinions, overconfidence in the value of military force, and excessive concentration on the problems of Southeast Asia.
My one criticism of Kaiser is that he tends to interpret actions of many of the major actors in terms of generational effects.Many of the major US decision makers were members of the GI generation whose experience with WWII had apparently taught them the power of American military power and the dangers of what they saw as appeasement.He looks at other actors from the point of view of their important generational experiences.This is a reasonable point but Kaiser tends to apply it in an excessively deterministic fashion.

Another incomplete rehash of Vietnam lore
The frightening aspect of this work is that it is simply another glazing over of what Americans call the Vietnam War.The sources consulted do not constitute anything resembling a full scope of available scholarship.Americans do not understand the Indochina conflict because they are only allowed to see one side.This book is simply another work in a long line of American political lore which has created convenient rationalization for complex events in Southeast Asia.There are significant scholarly works available for the reader who desires true understanding.This work is certainly not to be held among them.

A detailed account of the US entry into Vietnam
David Kaiser has accessed newly released documents to write an excellent book. He has chronologed the day by day decisions and opinions of the men at the upper levels of the government that led America into the Vietnam War.We see how Eisenhower's men wanted to commit troops to stop the expansion of communism in Southeast Asia, especially in Laos. Then we see how Kennedy's people continued these policies, while Kennedy reigned them in and wanted to move more carefully.
Kaiser shows us the different agendas.How Diem did not want to use his troops against the Viet Cong, but rather to keep him in power. Diem refused to give any of his military officers enough power to fight the Viet Cong for fear they would plot a coup. He only gave his officers enough force to show the governments strength, keeping Diem and his family in power.
After Kennedy was assassinated Lyndon Johnson inherited Kennedy's advisors, but did not keep a reign on them, so the government made commitments to sendtroops into Vietnam. Even after Diems death, the Vietnamese only wanted to continue their troops in their power plays instead of fighting the Viet Cong. McNamara and Rusk continued to lead us into war and Lyndon Johnson agreed with them. Ball continuously tried to slow the slide to commitment down, but Johnson and his advisors ignored him.
Kaiser argues that the opinions each man held depended on when he was born. He explains that some were born, and grew up during the 30s and 40s during what he calls the GI generation. Because of this they believed that the United States could achieve anything. Kaiser also points out that the arrival of World War 2 also affected their opinions. Rusk devoutly believed that we had to stop the communists in Vietnam, or there would be another World War. Johnson also held this all or nothing viewpoint. Kennedy on the other hand held a more sophisticated view, placing Vietnam behind other problems, unlike Johnson.
Kaiser shows how Johnson and his advisors refused to negotiate with North Vietnam unless North Vietnam gave us everything we asked for first. An unlikely event. Eventually Johnson and others lied about the problems to keep the commitments increasing. Johnson also tended to ignore other foreign policy problems.
Kaiser's writing usually moves easily so it is not as hard to read as it might have been, given the complexity and detail of the subject matter. ... Read more