جنگ ویتنام: تاریخچه‌ای از آغاز تا پایان

by Hourly History, نیلی انصار (Translator)

من هم مانند هر سرباز جنگ‌زده‌ای از جنگ بیزارم، چون بی‌رحمی، بی‌ثمریی و بی‌خردیِ نهفته در جنگ را به چشم دیده‌ام.»
دوایت دی. آیزنهاور

در آن دوره تمام روابط خارجی آمریکا حول محور جنگ سرد می‌چرخید. ایالات متحده به تئوری دومینو اعتقاد داشت و این تئوری در نهایت منجر به اتخاذ سیاست سد نفوذ شد. تئوری دومینو می‌گفت کمونیسم می‌داند که برای بقای خود باید مرزهای خودش را وسیع و وسیع‌تر کند و کمونیست‌ها به هر قیمتی این خواسته را جامۀ عمل خواهند پوشاند. این تئوری حکم می‌کرد که هروقت کشوری حکومتی کمونیستی تشکیل دهد، کشورهای همسایه‌اش هم در خطر «افتادن به دامِ» کمونیسم قرار می‌گرفتند. می‌گفتند این «تأثیر دومینووار» تا جایی ادامه خواهد یافت که کمونیست تمام جهان را تحت سلطه بگیرد، حتی ایالات متحده را. به همین دلیل هم آمریکایی‌ها و دیگر غربی‌ها لازم می‌دیدند که جلوی نفوذ کمونیسم در قسمت‌های دیگر جهان را بگیرند. در این کتابچه از مجموعۀ «یک ساعت تاریخ» به این پرسش‌‎ها پرداخته می‌‎شود: ریشه‎های جنگ ویتنام چه بود؟ تأثیر این جنگ خونین بر مردمان ویتنام و ایالات متحده به چه شکل بود؟ جنگ ویتنام چگونه قرن بیستم را تغییر داد و مسیر جنگ سرد را دگرگون ساخت؟

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Historical, War, Ebooks

79 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2023

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 or 4 stars or even 5 stars

This is a book that format is designed to be read in an hour. These series do not come with a reference due to it format. This book could be either 3 stars or 4stars or 5 stars. No lower then a 3 star. Why this rating?

This book is the type a person had to live during that time to really understand what was it was like. I rate this book bases on a few reviewers rating.

One of the 5 stars reviews is from a person who served during that time. Mahalo for your service and awards! One of the 3 stars is from a person who was in the Army during that time but not in Vietnam. Mahalo for your service! I will always trust veterans accounts.

One of the 4 stars is from a lady who boyfriend( at the time )served during that time. Mahalo for your boyfriend service! I did not read all the reviews but most of them. As history lovers know, the best way to learn history is through the eyes of one that been there. This is why I say this book could be a 3 star, 4 star, or a 5 star.

🇺🇸🦅

P. S I could have put the ratings in order. I am weird. That is me.

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

paint it black

This essay offers a fairly complete overview of the war and its tragic consequences for the Vietnamese, the US, Laos and Cambodia. In 2025, it will be 50 years since the war ended, but there is such a postwar culture of books, and films, and music it seems like it will haunt the veterans and survivors and the people of America and those overseas for many years to come.

In addition, between 20,000 and 40,000 Canadians crossed the border and enlisted. Some 12,000 saw combat. I met a Canadian who had served as a Navy Seal. There is the famous wall of combat fatalities in the US. There is another wall in southern Ontario. This was erected largely due to the financial contributions of US Vietnam War vets. So Canada not only served as a haven for draft dodgers (which this slim volume does not discuss) but was involved, through citizens who volunteered, in fighting that unpopular war as well.

I ain’t no fortunate son.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.” Richard M. Nixon
The Vietnam War, for many reasons, optimizes the destruction of the Cold War. It was originally waged against France that had colonized it in 1887 under the name French Indo-China. In the post-World War II era, many colonies used the disrupted state of the world to break away from European influences. Like Korea, Vietnam was politically separated and the north wanted to unite both halves under one communist government. When the French gave up the fight, western governments stepped in to avoid the then popularly perceived “Domino Theory.” This theory assumes that any state that falls it communism would affect all the surrounding countries; causing a “domino effect.” Like two children, the communist east and the capitalist west used this Southeastern Asian country as their playground; and play they did. Far away from the home front and often under a cloak of concealment, the war was waged and most of the citizens of this country were caught in the middle, with no means of escape.
Much has been answered since many governmental documents were declassified in 1989. This war, which was hitherto shrouded in secrecy and deception, slowly comes into focus. A war that lasted more than two decades can’t be summarized in a book of this size, but that isn’t its purpose. Its function is to inspire the reader to dig deeper by using other reference books. This book is up for that challenge.

I have always considered the Vietnam War, my war. I, like countless others, served in a war that I believed, at the time, to be in the best interest of both South Vietnam and the United States. Once in country, my only concern was not to go home in a body-bag. My stateside reception dug deeper and hurt more than my war experiences. I am not ashamed to admit that parts of this narrative, tears were in my eyes. I know firsthand what war is and I wish that one day its necessity will become redundant.

[Anil Swarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

The authors of Hourly History have mastered the art of writing on complex issues and historical events in an extremely simple manner. This book too falls in such category.

[Young Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This written product would be a gem if it were revised and edited thoroughly

The book opens with a pretty nice entr'/ intr'o-duct'ion.

And a fairly fine con-clos'/ -clus'ion ends the reading saving two more stars for this intelligence product.

Besides, many great lines are found throughout the read.

(Kindle Ed., location 475)
...The American Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. is an iconic symbol of America during the war. It is a long, black wall with the names of the Americans killed in action engraved upon it. It stretches over two acres. It is reflective so that those who look upon it see themselves behind the names. Its darkness symbolizes how dark and divisive this period in American history was, and the names remind visitors of the real human toll of war. A valid criticism of this memorial, however, is the fact that it does not acknowledge the impact of the war on Vietnam. Other memorials, though, exist in other places throughout the world, including more than two dozen in Vietnam.

(Kindle Ed., locs. 427-438)
At this point, after his re-election was secure, President Nixon decided to withdraw American involvement in Vietnam. Since the United States had never formally declared war, they did not need to be part of the negotiations or sign a peace treaty with either side. He declared victory because North Vietnam had asked for peace negotiations, and began troop withdrawal. Even though peace negotiations commenced, and even though both sides had agreed to negotiate, the U.S. withdrawal—as appropriate and necessary as it was for the United States—spelled disaster for South Vietnam. Two years later, in the spring of 1975, Saigon—the capital of South Vietnam—fell to the North Vietnamese. Americans were still stationed in offices and outposts in the city as they dismantled the war apparatus and worked to help South Vietnam transition. When the city fell, however, the last remaining military officials and diplomats were forced to flee and flee quickly. They packed into helicopters as desperate South Vietnamese citizens clamored to climb aboard, and these dramatic images of desperation became the symbol of the end of the Vietnam War, which was thus represented much as it had been all along: with chaos, suffering, and disorganization.

Déjà vu: Saigon was the same as the Afghan capital Kabul at the end of August 2021.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 209)
...most Americans supported their country’s involvement in the war, at least initially. As a whole, Americans very much believed in the Domino Theory and believed that containing communism was absolutely critical. Therefore, when their country became more and more involved in the war in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism there, most of them did not question it - at least at first. Therefore, as the war escalated during the early years of Johnson’s presidency, he believed that these actions reflected what Americans wanted, even though he was elected on the very opposite promise.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 223)
As the war escalated throughout 1965, Johnson became desperate to end it. It was distracting from his Great Society reforms. He actually made peace overtures to the North Vietnamese in early 1965: if they surrendered, the United States would invest in social and industrial programs throughout Vietnam. However, for obvious reasons, the North Vietnamese rejected these peace offers. In response...

(Kindle Ed., loc. 223)
...began the “Americanization” of the war. What this term meant was that the U.S. would not only act independently of the South Vietnamese military in the war, they would take the lead in the defensive against the North Vietnamese onslaught as well as launch more offenses against their strongholds. It was now as much an American war as it was a Vietnamese war, though many historians argue that it was long before this moment. At this point, though, the weakened South Vietnamese military and government took a backseat. They aided the Americans (especially in translating and communicating with villagers and guiding them through the country’s terrain), but the war became America’s fight.

(Kindle Ed., locs. 238-251)
...the Americans still believed that they could use their technologically superior military to defeat the Vietnamese fighting a guerrilla war. Under this policy and led by Westmoreland, however, the war deteriorated rather quickly. Because the American forces were so focused on the war of attrition and weakening the enemy at all costs, the measure of success on their end became the body count: the more Viet Cong and North Vietnamese dead, the less able they were to wage war against South Vietnam effectively. “Shoot first” tactics undoubtedly cost many innocent lives, including civilians. Another factor that very much worked against the Americans was the fact that they and their leaders were ill-equipped to fight a guerrilla war. Their most formative, modern military experiences had been in World War II, which was fought primarily on battlefields with large armies. Even in Korea, guerrilla warfare was not the primary means of fighting. However, in Vietnam, the North Vietnamese used small groups of fighters who knew the terrain and could slip in and out, and hide, more easily. They also made attempts to blend in and used sneak attacks and other similar tactics to not only inflict the maximum number of casualties that they were able to, but also to create an atmosphere of fear for their enemy... This sense of fear was one of the biggest factors that caused atrocities to be committed throughout the course of the war...

Very well-researched and introduced. The war had a huge impact and meaning in modern South Korean history as well. That would've been even better if the author had briefly introduced the allied involvement and the huge casualty numbers of these allied nations. It is interesting that most successful battles on the allied side, such as the Battle of Tri Bin Dong (in February 1967) were won by the S. Korean forces, not by the US forces.

(Kindle Ed., locs. 438-453)
Quite unfortunately, war protesters sometimes focused their anger on soldiers returning from war. They blamed them for the atrocities that were being committed in Vietnam. Coupled with the horrific, traumatizing experiences of fighting in the war, this anger directed toward them upon return would have devastating effects on the rest of their lives. Vietnam veterans suffered from alcoholism, addiction, depression, violent tendencies, suicide, and other issues in higher proportions than other wars.

Despite all these great points, the book cannot win more than a 3-star rate due to its incomplete quality as a product on the market with its price tag on it.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 23)
...The Vietnamese people (often referred to as the Siamese at the time), however, were not fooled by the rhetoric. Like others experiencing the same brand of colonization (the Chinese included), they knew that these excuses were a thin guise used to justify the exploitation of their land, resources, and most tragically, their people. As a result, the Vietnamese fought the encroachment of the French. A ten-year rebellion took place from 1885 to 1895. The Franco-Siamese War (a victory for the French) occurred in 1893 when the French sought to expand even further...

The book should explain that Siam was the modern-day Kingdom of Thailand, which was the dom’inant power and economic center of the whole so-called "Indochina" region. Then-French Republic won the war against the Thai Kingdom and took the regional dominance in its hands, but the Siamese were the people of Thailand, not the Vietnamese. As a result of the war, the French Third Republic took the territories of modern-day Laos and Cambodia from Thailand (then-Kingdom of Siam).

(Kindle Ed., loc. 36)
France maintained possession of Siam through the early decades of the twentieth century until World War II...

Oh no... Sounds like the author doesn't know Siam = Thailand. The book can't get more than three stars as the writer is not quite qualified to handle the history of Indochina.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 36)
...Fighting broke out in Indochina against the French; the Siamese sought to take advantage of the fact that France was fighting a desperate war against Germany in Europe. French Indochina faced bigger problems, though. In 1940, at the same time that they were attempting to overthrow the French, Japan invaded Indochina. Once France fell to Nazi Germany, the Vichy government that took over France was willing to negotiate with the Japanese.

An-other book of Hourly History, I reviewed before, exhibited the same lack of the writer's kn’owledge in the specific region. Like I mentioned in that old review "World War 2 Japan," the region called Indochina (located between [h]Indi’a and Chin’a) contains present-day Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. French Indochina only contained Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam, while British Empire ruled Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar with Kingdom of Siam (Thailand) remaining the only independent nation ex-cept/ -sauf/ -save during the Imperial Japanese o-ccup'ation (under the name of Thai-Japanese Alliance) from 1941 to 1945.

(Kindle Ed., locs. 62-72)
...foreign powers never actually left Vietnam. Chinese officials (who had been among the Allied forces), remained in what would become North Vietnam in order to help oversee the departure of the Japanese. As the Chinese entered the northern part of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh lost political control, but certainly not his popularity. He remained an important leader, even though the Chinese were able to wrest control of Hanoi. Meanwhile, south of the 16th parallel, Europeans were becoming more involved in Vietnamese affairs again, especially the French. The events of the First Indochina War are complex, and whole books have been written on it. Suffice it to say, for our purposes, that as France tried to re-take control of Vietnam, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, fought for independence throughout the following few years. France remained poorly equipped to fight a war or even maintain control over a colony as they struggled to recover from the devastation of World War II at home. Finally, in 1949, France was forced to acknowledge the independence of Vietnam. However, this did not mean that they exited: they maintained much political and military presence in the new country. Vietnamese independence was not the only major event in Asia in 1949. This was a momentous year, as it was also the year that China fell to communism, causing a global ripple effect in the Cold War going on between the United States and the Soviet Union.

So what happened to the Chinese in North Vietnam? What kind of poorly written book is this?

(Kindle Ed., loc. 169)
...there were more than fifteen thousand troops American troops deployed in Vietnam.

Correction: ...there were more than fifteen thousand American troops deployed in Vietnam.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 169)
...the U.S. also attempted to provide support in rural reform, recognizing that this was a major problem in the country. Even though the programs that the U.S. and South Vietnam implemented were meant to help the South Vietnamese people, they involved forcing people to relocate, which sometimes took people off of land that their families had inhabited for generations. Despite good intentions, these programs were fabulously unpopular and further engendered many South Vietnamese people against Diem and the United States, who were becoming more and more the same in their minds. Eventually, Diem was overthrown. The events surrounding the coup against Diem were complicated. As the initial years of Kennedy’s administration wore on, it became obvious that Diem did not have the ability to stop the North Vietnamese, which meant that he needed to be removed. Corruption within the South Vietnamese military was also a major factor. While the United States and its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were involved in planning the coup, we do not yet have evidence that they completely orchestrated it (in the decades since the end of the Cold War in 1989, the United States has been declassifying documents related to foreign affairs that have changed the way historians understand many events, including the Vietnam War). The CIA and President Kennedy and his advisers were well aware that a coup against Diem was planned. However, we have evidence that on November 2, 1963, after Diem was overthrown and executed, Kennedy himself was both shocked and troubled by Diem’s death, which came just weeks before his own assassination. Despite planning, South Vietnam did not become more stable without Diem...

Really? Ya wanna bet? You are saying that the US government intentionally forced the "Communist" policy upon the South Vietnamese people while the same was going on in North Vietnam with refugees from North were arriving in South for the same reason? Conduct one more thorough research work and rewrite the book the writer should.

And what a mish-mash! What is this the first draft of an elementary school book report written by an underachieving Communist kid?

(Kindle Ed., loc., 184)
...and what America should have done differently at this critical juncture to prevent the death and destruction that was to come...

Correction: ...and what America should have done differently at this critical juncture to prevent the death and destruction that “were” to come...

(Kindle Ed., loc., 184)
...Suffice it to say that the biggest problems the United States had involved seeing events in Vietnam through a Cold War lens only, rather than interpreting the events and actions they the witnessed based on Vietnamese interests and beliefs. Americans only thought about the choice between communism, and not why the Vietnamese might be leaning in that direction...

...they “the” witnessed... Seriously the book is like a first draft.

And “through a Cold War lens only...?” Again, y’all wanna bet?

Read my review of "Destined For War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?" by Graham Allison, if you wanna learn the “real” reason of the war in Vietnam.

(Kindle Ed., locs. 209-266)
...the United States Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This resolution granted the president unprecedented war powers: more war powers than had been allowed during World War II.[1] Johnson and his advisers had a blank check and a free hand: they could do almost whatever they thought necessary, despite the financial costs, to win the war, with relatively little oversight from any other governing bodies. Johnson himself was quoted as commenting that the Resolution was “like Grandma’s nightshirt, it covered everything.” Since Johnson was so focused on his domestic agenda, he left the day-to-day handling of the war to his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara...[1] Part of the ambiguity of this resolution revolved around the fact that the U.S. never actually declared war against North Vietnam. Therefore, constitutional laws that governed war powers did not apply, and Congress and the President could improvise, or at least work outside of these regulations.

And precisely that was the road to the failure. Does anybody believe the US would still have lost the war if she had put everything in the war efforts like she did for WWII? The recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan the same. It would have been totally different if the United States declared a war and fought an all-out war with both the countries at the same time.

(Kindle Ed., loc. 279)
...Evening television news started broadcasting footage from on the ground in Vietnam...

Pick one, from the ground or on the ground?

(Kindle Ed., loc. 336)
...They began by participating in protest rallies and marches, but they got stranger than that...

Correction: ...They began by participating in protest rallies and marches, but they got “stronger” than that...

(Kindle Ed., loc. 336)
...They held what came to be called “Be-Ins,” a play on the sit-ins that had been a popular means of protest in the Civil Rights movement. During a “Be-In,” hippies occupied public space, and would often do “abnormal” things in order to attract attention to themselves, like playing music or performing street theater. Other major aspects of the hippie movement were open drug use and promiscuous sex. These were two of the major ways in which they flaunted social norms. The Cold War “culture of conformity” had made this sort of behavior taboo, which was one reason that they engaged in it. However, in a more genuine way, they also sincerely believed that these activities would help them “free their minds” and discover more about themselves and their fellow human beings.

Are we really supposed to call these kinds of irresponsible animal-like behaviors "Human" behaviors? Where do we see in these behaviors any Human mind living in complex Human societies without “necessary” mature-discipline and self-control? Everyone does as they want, but who's gonna take responsibility for order and safety of the peopl'/ popul'ace? Why don't they just go live in the wild if all they want is nature?

(Kindle Ed., locs. 336-350)
The hippie movement, as liberal as it was, was not completely disorganized. The summer of 1967 came to be called the “Summer of Love,” in which one hundred thousand hippies converged on the city of San Francisco, California. This event more than any other attracted massive media attention and public fascination, as it was an unprecedented gathering of youths. True to their culture, they openly used drugs, embraced “free love,” and lived communally.

And what happened to the babies produced there? How could a real Human Being ever believe that being irresponsible is a cult'ure?

(Kindle Ed., loc. 350)
...Located actually nearly fifty miles from the upstate New York town of Woodstock, this was three-day music festival took place on a dairy farm in Bethel Woods, roughly one hundred miles north of New York City...

It’s like a first draft...sigh.

The book would be a gem if it were revised and edited thoroughly.

[Kavitha Sivakumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the massacre in Vietnam war in the name of protecting capitalism! Sigh.

Though I liked the concise and packed information this book provided, the book is written from American POV. More of American Presidents' involvement of military in starting, intensifying, and finally retracting troops from Vietnam.

Despite that I learned a lot. I did not know that Vietnam also shared similar history of Korea.

[Barry Jenkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I repeat my question AGAIN ????

Who is writing these Hourly History books????
On Amazon's site it has a section
"About the Author"
for every book, but there is never an author's name listed for any of these "history" books.

I totally disagree with much that is written in many of these books.......much of the so-called history in the books is opinion rather than fact. There are not even any references listed from which any of the information is taken.

It appears that much of the "history" in these books comes from the same place that info is printed in classroom history books...on other words, they print their opinion of what they want the public to read..... I believe the word for that is PROPAGANDA.

BEWARE of what you believe, just because it says ,"history', that doesn't make it so.

I'm totally disappointed in the "Hourly History" series of books.

Since I have requested authorship at least a dozen times and have had no reply, I won't be wasting my time buying or reading any more of these so-called history books.

[Rose Shayeghi · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب جنگ ویتنام: تاریخچه‌ای از آغاز تا پایان از نشر سفیر، روایت جمع‌وجور، روان و در عین حال جامعی از یکی از مناقشه‌برانگیزترین و پیچیده‌ترین جنگ‌های معاصر ارائه می‌دهد. نویسنده با نگاهی منصفانه، از ریشه‌های استعمار فرانسه در ویتنام آغاز می‌کند، سپس به نقش جنگ سرد و ورود تدریجی آمریکا می‌پردازد و در نهایت به سقوط سایگون در سال ۱۹۷۵ می‌رسد.

چیزی که برای من در این کتاب برجسته بود، نگاه بی‌طرفانه‌اش به رویدادها بود؛ نه طرفی را قهرمان جلوه می‌دهد و نه دیگری را شیطانی. کتاب به‌خوبی به اشتباهات سیاسی، رنج‌های انسانی و شکاف‌های ایدئولوژیکی عمیقی که سرنوشت این جنگ را رقم زدند، اشاره می‌کند.

اگر به دنبال شناختی کلی و قابل‌فهم از جنگ ویتنام هستید و نمی‌خواهید در پیچیدگی‌های نظامی یا تحلیل‌های آکادمیک غرق شوید، این کتاب انتخابی بسیار مناسب است.

[Gyau Kumi]

Vietnam: Behind the Scene Politics

One reason I love this piece is the background information it gives regarding the Vietnam war. The perception of the US, Communist take over of the Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh , domestic affairs in the US such as the civil right movement, Ngo Dien's tyranny in South Vietnam, the hippie movement - counterculture in the US. All these factors that affected the war have been woven so beautifully to give a very clear picture of the Vietnam War. That's why I give it a 5 star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating.

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of history titles is meant as the briefest of introductions to complex content. I see them as grade ten level outings. The accuracy is there but the brevity does not inform or allow for opinion. This book covers the Domino Theory, Americanization of the war, horrible stewardship of American forces, the (eventual) protests, political and military strategy, and the huge cost for no gain. It was a horrible folly. Soon, the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts will be similarly evaluated.

[Kathleen B Rybeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vietnam war history

Looked at the impact this war had on All sides and groups. The Vietnamese, the American soldiers, the American youth and also how it effected Vietnam's neighboring countries. An endless and frustrating attempt to curtail the spread of Communism that was never achieved. The saddest result of this conflict was the mistreatment of our troops upon their return home.

[Lenard Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Destruction of our innocence

The book showed the out reasons and failures by our country to hold up our end of a bargain also showing our countries lack of transparency nd the reasons for our citizens starting to distrust our leaders and government a bigger schism which we are faced with now basically the destruction of our innocence happened during the Vietnam War along with our embarrassment as a country

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good starting point for Vietnam War research

I've wondered for a while about The Vietnam War. Not so much about the fighting but about Why? What kicked it all off? How did America end up involved in a small country on the other side of the world? Especially a country that doesn't have OIL!?!
Although a quick read it does start to answer some of these questions

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A war I remember

Although I remember watching this war on TV and my boyfriend at the time served in Vietnam, what I did not know was the history that led to that war. I knew the French were there before us, but did not really understand America's Cold War ideals that led us and the Vietnamese people into such a hotbed of death and destruction. This book gives good background.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read several books by Hourly History, and this one is written particularly well. It is a brief overview of the major events of the war, and it left me wanting to learn more. It's a gut wrenching topic to read about, but Hourly History presents an objective account that can be read in about an hour. I would also reccomend Ken Burns The Vietnam War on Netflix.

[Ashwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic piece of history by hourly history.

Vietnam War was really a devastating war during the later half of 20th century. Lots of lives were lost and the United States has to finally withdraw its troops and accept defeat. Their policy of domino theory and containment had failed. Well researched facts.

[William O. Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good unbiased look at the Vietnam War. The book explains how the conflict arose, first with the French occupying and then departing and how the United States stepped in to what eventually became all out warfare between the north and south and the reasons why the United States became involved.

[Bruce K. Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Failure

This book nicely summarized the history and largely unknown issues leading up to the war in Viet Nam. The secrecy, deception, death and destruction, and atrocities all contributed to the American public's increasing opposition to the war. It also revealed inequalities that largely fell along class, racial, and socio-economic lines, which continue to resonate today.

[Neera Kapahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vietnam war was fought between the communist north and south Vietnam. It began as a war for independence from French Colonialism but impacted the neighboring countries as well as the US.

The book was very interesting and gives us the background, actual events and Americas involvement in the war.

[Bob Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good short overview

This is exactly what it purports to be. While there is certainly far more to learn about Vietnam, this concise piece lays out the basics of a turbulent event in World History in a balanced manner.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hourly History publications cover a broad span of historical topics. The condensed books are easily readable, with flowing prose, Editing is superior to other condensed history Kindle books, for example those available from Charles River Editors. I found this book provided understanding of geo-political dynamic in play in post-colonial SouthEast Asia, and Western nation's cold-war mentality, not just historical facts of Vietnam conflict.

[D. Mark Detrixhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent summary

Of course there are probably hundreds of books on Vietnam, if you want a short but complete summary, this book is for you.
Brings out the major issues an turning points in a nice form.
A good read

[George Luft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good look at confused war

Bottom line America should not have been involved. France was an Imperialist nation and we supported their actions, not the Viet Namese. The American troops were committed without a clear recipe for success.

[Mike Briley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A succinct review of the war which was a tipping point in US internal and external affairs. Although I knew some (most?) of the facts this review brought them together in a meaningful way which gave me a greater insight. Well done the editors.

[Anirban · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief and crisp introduction on the Vietnam War

For someone who wants to understand what was vietnam war was all about and how it shaped the world,this book is a wonderful introduction.

[jparvinjr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another summary of Vietnam.!!

The war in Vietnam was forth coming, because the United States didn't what the communists to over throw countries that the United States had interest in. I feel that now, that it was a waste of lived both sides.

[Jorge3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick read

This book is a good, quick read. Obviously, because of its brevity, many aspects of the war are not mentioned, or scarcely touched upon. But if you want to start somewhere, this is it.

[Prajakta Shikarkhane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not one wasted word...

[Swati Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite informative and interesting

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of the tumultuous era of the Vietnam war and it provides a good starting point for study.