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The Vietnam War: An Intimate History
**The New York Times Bestseller****The book of the landmark documentary, The Vietnam War, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick**The definitive work on the Vietnam War, the conflict that came to define a generation, told from all sides by those who were there.More than forty years after the Vietnam War ended, its legacy continues to fascinate, horrify and inform us. As the first war to be fought in front of TV cameras and beamed around the world, it has been immortalised on film and on the page, and forever changed the way we think about war.Drawing on hundreds of brand new interviews, Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward have created the definitive work on Vietnam. It is the first book to show us the war from every from idealistic US Marines and the families they left behind to the Vietnamese civilians, both North and South, whose homeland was changed for ever; politicians, POWs and anti-war protesters; and the photographers and journalists who risked their lives to tell the truth. The book sends us into the grit and chaos of combat, while also expertly outlining the complex chain of political events that led America to Vietnam.Beautifully written, this essential work tells the full story without taking sides and reminds us that there is no single truth in war. It is set to redefine our understanding of a brutal conflict, to launch provocative new debates and to shed fresh light on the price paid in ‘blood and bone’ by Vietnamese and Americans alike.
848 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2017
1260 people are currently reading
3735 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey C. Ward
113 books138 followersGeoffrey Champion Ward is an author and screenwriter of various documentary presentations of American history. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1962.
He was an editor of American Heritage magazine early in his career. He wrote the television mini-series The Civil War with its director Ken Burns and has collaborated with Burns on every documentary he has made since, including Jazz and Baseball. This work won him five Emmy Awards. The most recent Burns/Ward collaboration, The War, premiered on PBS in September 2007. In addition he co-wrote The West, of which Ken Burns was an executive producer, with fellow historian Dayton Duncan.
He was an editor of American Heritage magazine early in his career. He wrote the television mini-series The Civil War with its director Ken Burns and has collaborated with Burns on every documentary he has made since, including Jazz and Baseball. This work won him five Emmy Awards. The most recent Burns/Ward collaboration, The War, premiered on PBS in September 2007. In addition he co-wrote The West, of which Ken Burns was an executive producer, with fellow historian Dayton Duncan.
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October 9, 2017
This has been a profound and moving reading experience. I felt as if I was reliving major moments of my life as I read this documentary on the Vietnam War, the companion piece to Ken Burns' visual piece aired so recently on PBS. I have not yet seen any of that, saving it for my completion of this book.
I was a teenager when John Kennedy was elected president and when he was assassinated, not really very aware yet of Vietnam or the place it would have in everyone's life so soon. By the time I graduated high school in 1966, the reality of the draft and being shipped to Vietnam to fight was all too real for every male I knew, and every male of draft age in the country. Some managed to find repeated deferments (!!) but as the war and years progressed, most deferments didn't last either. More and more men were needed to fill the expanding need for boots on the ground.
One of the truly exciting aspects of this book is the fact that it provides input from all sides, and from many views on each side. There are memoir-like statements from men who served with the ARVN, the forces of South Vietnam - both supporters and despisers of the government. There are the same from the men and women of the army of the North, and from the communist forces in the South. There are multiple first-hand reports from American servicemen, reporters and some nurses--the only women who were near combat in this war. These first-hand stories are interspersed with historical sections throughout the book, timed to coincide with events on the ground.
There are also photographs throughout the text, some that were, and still are, famous and were seen throughout the world and on American television in the 1960s and 70s, but many that are new. Some of war, some of anti-war demonstrations, some political, some personal. They still have power.
There is much to be learned from reading this book. One of the major quotes I took from this is spoken by Haldeman, of all people, on the impact of the release of the Pentagon Papers: out of the gobbledygook comes a very clear thing, which is: you can't trust the government...can't believe what they say...can't rely on their judgment. And..the infallibility of presidents, which has been an accepted thing in America, is badly hurt by this, because it shows that people do things the president wants..even when it's wrong. And the president can be wrong.
This, sadly, is a lesson the the United States has learned in spades since. But Vietnam and various political and military leaders responses to it began a slide. I do strongly recommend this book to people of all generations. Even if you think you know all of the details, I think there are likely more than a few new ones that will make it worth your while. And along side the ignominious
actions of some, there are many heroes, some who lived, some who did not. For younger readers, there is the old adage of those who do not learn from history being condemned to repeat it.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I was a teenager when John Kennedy was elected president and when he was assassinated, not really very aware yet of Vietnam or the place it would have in everyone's life so soon. By the time I graduated high school in 1966, the reality of the draft and being shipped to Vietnam to fight was all too real for every male I knew, and every male of draft age in the country. Some managed to find repeated deferments (!!) but as the war and years progressed, most deferments didn't last either. More and more men were needed to fill the expanding need for boots on the ground.
One of the truly exciting aspects of this book is the fact that it provides input from all sides, and from many views on each side. There are memoir-like statements from men who served with the ARVN, the forces of South Vietnam - both supporters and despisers of the government. There are the same from the men and women of the army of the North, and from the communist forces in the South. There are multiple first-hand reports from American servicemen, reporters and some nurses--the only women who were near combat in this war. These first-hand stories are interspersed with historical sections throughout the book, timed to coincide with events on the ground.
There are also photographs throughout the text, some that were, and still are, famous and were seen throughout the world and on American television in the 1960s and 70s, but many that are new. Some of war, some of anti-war demonstrations, some political, some personal. They still have power.
There is much to be learned from reading this book. One of the major quotes I took from this is spoken by Haldeman, of all people, on the impact of the release of the Pentagon Papers: out of the gobbledygook comes a very clear thing, which is: you can't trust the government...can't believe what they say...can't rely on their judgment. And..the infallibility of presidents, which has been an accepted thing in America, is badly hurt by this, because it shows that people do things the president wants..even when it's wrong. And the president can be wrong.
This, sadly, is a lesson the the United States has learned in spades since. But Vietnam and various political and military leaders responses to it began a slide. I do strongly recommend this book to people of all generations. Even if you think you know all of the details, I think there are likely more than a few new ones that will make it worth your while. And along side the ignominious
actions of some, there are many heroes, some who lived, some who did not. For younger readers, there is the old adage of those who do not learn from history being condemned to repeat it.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 11, 2021
This is the companion volume to the monumental Ken Burns/Lynn Novick documentary series featured on PBS TV in 2017.
If anything, it is more visceral, containing horrifying interviews of the war’s participants on both sides of the struggle. The pictures on each page stare back at you. This meaningless war, for many long years, gave so much anguish to this long, suffering country. But in the end, after thirty years, despite the French and then the Americans, unity was achieved
The war became existential and violent.
Page 431 Private Tim O’Brien, 1969
“There was no sense of mission. There was no sense of daily purpose. We didn’t know why we were in a village, what we were suppose to accomplish. So we’d kick around jugs of rice and search houses and frisk people, not knowing what we were looking for and rarely finding anything. And somebody might die, one of our guys, and somebody might not. Then we’d come back to the same village a week later or two weeks later and do it all over again.”
Page 238 (my book) Karl Marlantes
“One of the things that I learned in the war is that we’re not the top species on the planet because were nice.”
Page 370 Herman Conley, 1969
A couple of guys threw someone down a well – an old guy. No reason for it – I knew he couldn’t get out of that well. We weren’t the best people when we went over there.”
We are provided with the history of how the United States became ensnared in the Vietnamese quagmire.
Page 58. December, 1961
One December afternoon, Stanley Karnow, a Time correspondent, was having coffee with an Army press officer … when an enormous American aircraft carrier came around the bend in the Saigon River and began steaming toward them, its deck crowded with forty-seven brand-new helicopters.
Karnow was astonished. “Look at that carrier!” he said.
“I don’t see nothing,” the Army man answered.
There were so many warning signs from so many levels of government to refrain from intervening and committing to a South Vietnam that was not interested in democracy and was corrupt.
Page 125 Under Secretary of State George Ball in 1965
“Before we commit an endless flow of forces to South Vietnam, we must have more evidence than we now have that our troops will not bog down in the jungles and rice paddies – while we slowly blow the country to pieces.”
The draft in the United States was not egalitarian. If you had the money there were various ways to avoid it. The combat soldiers were largely made up of the poor and under-privileged.
There was an interesting essay on whether President Kennedy would have escalated the war like Lyndon Johnson. Kennedy had a better grasp of the world outside the United States than Lyndon Johnson. However, he was shocked by the Diem assassination which his government had instigated. The Kennedy administration had tired of the nefarious Diem regime and gave the go-ahead for the coup, naively thinking that no violence would be set in motion. Kennedy would have felt a need to aid the new government – who knows how far this would have gone.
I was enthralled by the essays of the Vietnamese (both North and South); it is a viewpoint we seldom hear of.
There is not much on agent orange whose affects are still present in Vietnam. There is nothing on the thousands of children fathered by American soldiers – except to say that a few hundred were adopted.
Nevertheless, this is a powerful book. The last chapter on the last days of the American presence in Vietnam in 1975 were apocalyptic.
Page 191 Martin Luther King, 1967
“If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”
Page 463 Bao Ninh in North Vietnamese Army
“My generation, the people who lived through the Vietnam war, learned a great deal from our miserable and tragic experience. I wonder whether the lessons we absorbed at such tremendous cost are being past onto future generations? If they are not understood, or if they are forgotten, are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes, commit the same crimes, repeat the same disasters, spread the same sorrows?”
Page 551 Frank Snepp, April 28/1975
“But something happened to me in that moment. I realized I had done what Americans had often done in Vietnam. They had forgotten that they were dealing with human beings. My experience in Vietnam had often been like a B-52 strike from on high. I never had to confront the consequences of my action. I could just let the bomb doors open and still remain detached. This experience changed all that – I realized I was no longer better than many of the other Americans who had been in Vietnam.”
If anything, it is more visceral, containing horrifying interviews of the war’s participants on both sides of the struggle. The pictures on each page stare back at you. This meaningless war, for many long years, gave so much anguish to this long, suffering country. But in the end, after thirty years, despite the French and then the Americans, unity was achieved
The war became existential and violent.
Page 431 Private Tim O’Brien, 1969
“There was no sense of mission. There was no sense of daily purpose. We didn’t know why we were in a village, what we were suppose to accomplish. So we’d kick around jugs of rice and search houses and frisk people, not knowing what we were looking for and rarely finding anything. And somebody might die, one of our guys, and somebody might not. Then we’d come back to the same village a week later or two weeks later and do it all over again.”
Page 238 (my book) Karl Marlantes
“One of the things that I learned in the war is that we’re not the top species on the planet because were nice.”
Page 370 Herman Conley, 1969
A couple of guys threw someone down a well – an old guy. No reason for it – I knew he couldn’t get out of that well. We weren’t the best people when we went over there.”
We are provided with the history of how the United States became ensnared in the Vietnamese quagmire.
Page 58. December, 1961
One December afternoon, Stanley Karnow, a Time correspondent, was having coffee with an Army press officer … when an enormous American aircraft carrier came around the bend in the Saigon River and began steaming toward them, its deck crowded with forty-seven brand-new helicopters.
Karnow was astonished. “Look at that carrier!” he said.
“I don’t see nothing,” the Army man answered.
There were so many warning signs from so many levels of government to refrain from intervening and committing to a South Vietnam that was not interested in democracy and was corrupt.
Page 125 Under Secretary of State George Ball in 1965
“Before we commit an endless flow of forces to South Vietnam, we must have more evidence than we now have that our troops will not bog down in the jungles and rice paddies – while we slowly blow the country to pieces.”
The draft in the United States was not egalitarian. If you had the money there were various ways to avoid it. The combat soldiers were largely made up of the poor and under-privileged.
There was an interesting essay on whether President Kennedy would have escalated the war like Lyndon Johnson. Kennedy had a better grasp of the world outside the United States than Lyndon Johnson. However, he was shocked by the Diem assassination which his government had instigated. The Kennedy administration had tired of the nefarious Diem regime and gave the go-ahead for the coup, naively thinking that no violence would be set in motion. Kennedy would have felt a need to aid the new government – who knows how far this would have gone.
I was enthralled by the essays of the Vietnamese (both North and South); it is a viewpoint we seldom hear of.
There is not much on agent orange whose affects are still present in Vietnam. There is nothing on the thousands of children fathered by American soldiers – except to say that a few hundred were adopted.
Nevertheless, this is a powerful book. The last chapter on the last days of the American presence in Vietnam in 1975 were apocalyptic.
Page 191 Martin Luther King, 1967
“If we do not act we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”
Page 463 Bao Ninh in North Vietnamese Army
“My generation, the people who lived through the Vietnam war, learned a great deal from our miserable and tragic experience. I wonder whether the lessons we absorbed at such tremendous cost are being past onto future generations? If they are not understood, or if they are forgotten, are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes, commit the same crimes, repeat the same disasters, spread the same sorrows?”
Page 551 Frank Snepp, April 28/1975
“But something happened to me in that moment. I realized I had done what Americans had often done in Vietnam. They had forgotten that they were dealing with human beings. My experience in Vietnam had often been like a B-52 strike from on high. I never had to confront the consequences of my action. I could just let the bomb doors open and still remain detached. This experience changed all that – I realized I was no longer better than many of the other Americans who had been in Vietnam.”
March 29, 2022
As a reader who loves history, I turned to this book by Geoffrey C. Ward about the Vietnam War, an indelible mark on the American psyche. Pulled from some of the notes on a massive television documentary, Ward explores the war in new and engaging ways. His primary thesis, that Americans still argue and fight over the facts the war, shows that the largest military embarrassment in US history to date is highly divisive and multi-faceted. Ward takes an extremely detailed look at the war through the lenses of military campaigns, politics, and social reaction to provide the reader with something well worth the time invested. While I am no expert, I can say that I was enthralled with much of what Ward had to say, lapping it up and adding to my knowledge of events surrounding this time in American history. A superb piece that covers many of the bases for the history buff.
Ward chooses to explore the Vietnam skirmish, not only from the time that American entered the war, but rather the kernel of the issue in the region. He explores the French presence in the area, as well as how the Southern Asian actors all played their own role in building up tension. Vietnam was a Japanese plaything by the Second World War and soon became a hotbed of Cold War tensions, pitting the Communist North against the democratic South. The Americans saw an opening to push back the Red Wave and began pouring weapons and soldiers into the area. As Ward explores, those supporting the North did so with their own weapons and military prowess, but kept troop numbers to a minimum. Using talk of military decisions throughout, Ward shows how the Americans sought to treat this as another Korea, seeking a quick strike to make an impact, which failed miserably. This was not to be another swift battle, but rather one in a part of the world soldiers were not used to fighting. This was a new and unique military approach, which could have gone south on many occasions.
Exploring the Vietnam War through the political lens, it was a hot potato issue for the Americans that would simply not settle. As mentioned above, there was a significant push to make this another quick strike to quash Communist sentiments in Asia, a Cold War clash to flex political muscle. However, things were not as cut and dry, as Ward explores. The war served as a lodestone for many American politicians, especially presidents from Kennedy through to Ford, all of whom saw it as a thorn in their sides. Ward explores detailed decisions and sentiments made by those in the political arena, many of whom sought to distance themselves from the growing animosity the electorate had of the war. What might have been a ‘saving mission’ soon turned sour and there was no turning back, which only created more animosity. Ward effectively shows how things in Asia turned the tables repeatedly and left politicians to scramble to find the right side, which would connect them with the growing resentment of the public.
Ward’s greatest exploration throughout the book would have to be the social fallout. What began as a ‘war on the other side of the world’ soon became a means of dividing the American populace. The deeper the America investment in the war, the more resentment rose by the American people, particularly the young, who were on the list to draft. While it is no shock that the country’s fabric was torn apart by the war, Ward really gets to the root of the matter with repeated discussion around the blowback by the people, through marches, protests, outright defiance, and violence. The social divide was not only found within US borders, but there was a larger reaction around the world, as Ward mentions throughout. As the world watches on, many shake their heads.
While it is hard to synthesise such a subject in a short review, I would be remiss if I did not try to offer some sentiments that arose as a reader. Geoffrey Ward draws on so many sources to really make a difference as he explores the nuances and blunt reactions about the war. He offers sensational analysis and commentary, with first-hand accounts from those who were there or spoke as members of the media. The strains in the political realm became a constant theme of the book, showing just how troublesome things became, as politicians scrambled to cobble together support when their name appeared on a ballot. Impossible to compartmentalise, the Vietnam War would be a real blight for America and, it would seem by the details of the narrative, that it remains an issue four decades later.
To write something like this, Geoffrey C. Ward surely had to open the floodgates to offer a well-rounded piece. His narrative is full of well-documented sentiments on both sides of the arguments, without offering up too much on any single point. The detail provides a guide for how to following the detailed history that led to strong divisions within the American psyche. Long, thorough chapters provide the impetus for the reader to see just how much there was to consider, without getting too tied down into minutiae. I needed this depth to give me a better sense of what was taking place and how American truly well into an abyss, both political and social, with trying to show that their military might had not been decimated. While I have read a few books on the subject matter, I was unable to pull myself away from this book, lapping up everything that Ward had to offer. I will have to see what else he’s penned, both on this subject and others, to see if I might feel the same sense of education and entertainment in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Ward, for this stunning tome. I hope others take the time to educate themselves on such an important subject matter from the latter part of the 20th century.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Ward chooses to explore the Vietnam skirmish, not only from the time that American entered the war, but rather the kernel of the issue in the region. He explores the French presence in the area, as well as how the Southern Asian actors all played their own role in building up tension. Vietnam was a Japanese plaything by the Second World War and soon became a hotbed of Cold War tensions, pitting the Communist North against the democratic South. The Americans saw an opening to push back the Red Wave and began pouring weapons and soldiers into the area. As Ward explores, those supporting the North did so with their own weapons and military prowess, but kept troop numbers to a minimum. Using talk of military decisions throughout, Ward shows how the Americans sought to treat this as another Korea, seeking a quick strike to make an impact, which failed miserably. This was not to be another swift battle, but rather one in a part of the world soldiers were not used to fighting. This was a new and unique military approach, which could have gone south on many occasions.
Exploring the Vietnam War through the political lens, it was a hot potato issue for the Americans that would simply not settle. As mentioned above, there was a significant push to make this another quick strike to quash Communist sentiments in Asia, a Cold War clash to flex political muscle. However, things were not as cut and dry, as Ward explores. The war served as a lodestone for many American politicians, especially presidents from Kennedy through to Ford, all of whom saw it as a thorn in their sides. Ward explores detailed decisions and sentiments made by those in the political arena, many of whom sought to distance themselves from the growing animosity the electorate had of the war. What might have been a ‘saving mission’ soon turned sour and there was no turning back, which only created more animosity. Ward effectively shows how things in Asia turned the tables repeatedly and left politicians to scramble to find the right side, which would connect them with the growing resentment of the public.
Ward’s greatest exploration throughout the book would have to be the social fallout. What began as a ‘war on the other side of the world’ soon became a means of dividing the American populace. The deeper the America investment in the war, the more resentment rose by the American people, particularly the young, who were on the list to draft. While it is no shock that the country’s fabric was torn apart by the war, Ward really gets to the root of the matter with repeated discussion around the blowback by the people, through marches, protests, outright defiance, and violence. The social divide was not only found within US borders, but there was a larger reaction around the world, as Ward mentions throughout. As the world watches on, many shake their heads.
While it is hard to synthesise such a subject in a short review, I would be remiss if I did not try to offer some sentiments that arose as a reader. Geoffrey Ward draws on so many sources to really make a difference as he explores the nuances and blunt reactions about the war. He offers sensational analysis and commentary, with first-hand accounts from those who were there or spoke as members of the media. The strains in the political realm became a constant theme of the book, showing just how troublesome things became, as politicians scrambled to cobble together support when their name appeared on a ballot. Impossible to compartmentalise, the Vietnam War would be a real blight for America and, it would seem by the details of the narrative, that it remains an issue four decades later.
To write something like this, Geoffrey C. Ward surely had to open the floodgates to offer a well-rounded piece. His narrative is full of well-documented sentiments on both sides of the arguments, without offering up too much on any single point. The detail provides a guide for how to following the detailed history that led to strong divisions within the American psyche. Long, thorough chapters provide the impetus for the reader to see just how much there was to consider, without getting too tied down into minutiae. I needed this depth to give me a better sense of what was taking place and how American truly well into an abyss, both political and social, with trying to show that their military might had not been decimated. While I have read a few books on the subject matter, I was unable to pull myself away from this book, lapping up everything that Ward had to offer. I will have to see what else he’s penned, both on this subject and others, to see if I might feel the same sense of education and entertainment in equal measure.
Kudos, Mr. Ward, for this stunning tome. I hope others take the time to educate themselves on such an important subject matter from the latter part of the 20th century.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 18, 2017
“The lesson of history is that no one learns.”
― Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates
4.5*'s.
This was as compelling a documentary as I have read/watched/listened to in a long time.
The first reason why is that the narration moves between micro and macro in an effective manner showing the high level decisions and actions of the participants and then takes that down to the trenches, streets, political conventions, embassies and college campuses to show how the affected parties reacted.
The second reason is there are no sacred cows. The French, North and South Vietnamese, other WWII participants who could have changed history if not for the greed of colonialism, the Russians, Chinese, Cambodians, the Lao and especially both the Democrats and Republicans are all called to task. In the US the different counter culture movements are also not held above reproach and neither are actors such as Jane Fonda and John Wayne. If you're going to tell this story you need to take on everybody.
The next reason is that the story doesn't just start with Kennedy's involvement. It goes back and touches on the French colonialism and all the way back to Woodrow Wilson. If the different nations had just listened to his world order reforms this might have all be avoidable but the French after both wars insisted on maintaining their empire.
Then we see the mistakes made by the likes of Truman, Ike, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford and all the other big players of that day like Mcnamara, Rusk and others. So many saw this war as unwinnable long before it was ever fought.
The actions of the anti war movement hurting their own cause by being too militant and causing support to go back to the government by not embracing the middle class and then the government using scare tactics and if you don't agree with the country you're not a true American.
The Vietnamese and their torture of prisoners and then exclusion through racial bigotry towards have Vietnamese half American born children is equally reprehensible. Their own colonialism in Cambodia not far removed from French and American actions.
And the worst part? Mr Erikson's quote says it all. Nobody learned a damn thing. You still have the government lying to the public. You still have the agenda of the rich. You still have racial divide. You still have scare tactics and patriotism used as weapons of control. This war and era encapsulated everything in American history that keeps repeating itself. The social divide and extremism of both the left and the right is growing even worse today.
― Steven Erikson, Deadhouse Gates
4.5*'s.
This was as compelling a documentary as I have read/watched/listened to in a long time.
The first reason why is that the narration moves between micro and macro in an effective manner showing the high level decisions and actions of the participants and then takes that down to the trenches, streets, political conventions, embassies and college campuses to show how the affected parties reacted.
The second reason is there are no sacred cows. The French, North and South Vietnamese, other WWII participants who could have changed history if not for the greed of colonialism, the Russians, Chinese, Cambodians, the Lao and especially both the Democrats and Republicans are all called to task. In the US the different counter culture movements are also not held above reproach and neither are actors such as Jane Fonda and John Wayne. If you're going to tell this story you need to take on everybody.
The next reason is that the story doesn't just start with Kennedy's involvement. It goes back and touches on the French colonialism and all the way back to Woodrow Wilson. If the different nations had just listened to his world order reforms this might have all be avoidable but the French after both wars insisted on maintaining their empire.
Then we see the mistakes made by the likes of Truman, Ike, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford and all the other big players of that day like Mcnamara, Rusk and others. So many saw this war as unwinnable long before it was ever fought.
The actions of the anti war movement hurting their own cause by being too militant and causing support to go back to the government by not embracing the middle class and then the government using scare tactics and if you don't agree with the country you're not a true American.
The Vietnamese and their torture of prisoners and then exclusion through racial bigotry towards have Vietnamese half American born children is equally reprehensible. Their own colonialism in Cambodia not far removed from French and American actions.
And the worst part? Mr Erikson's quote says it all. Nobody learned a damn thing. You still have the government lying to the public. You still have the agenda of the rich. You still have racial divide. You still have scare tactics and patriotism used as weapons of control. This war and era encapsulated everything in American history that keeps repeating itself. The social divide and extremism of both the left and the right is growing even worse today.
August 30, 2017
My thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
During the Fulbright Hearings in early 1966, George Kennon, a respected writer on American policy concerning the Soviet Union, echoed John Quincy Adams advice that Americans should “…go not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” These were followed up with a warning that while America could win the war in Viet Nam, he did not wish for the country to be responsible for the high degree of damage and loss of civilian life it would require. At the same time, there were those who felt exactly opposite. Many were uncertain of the best course of action to follow.
It was these myriad opinions that produced what is now the history of Vietnam and America, events that enveloped the lives of most people in both countries. “The Vietnam War,” co-authored by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, presented an account of everything leading up to the war, the war itself, and its aftermath. The authors dug deep, interviewing people who had been a part of the conflict in one way or another.
What struck me at times was the mindless futility of it all, and how people who meant well got caught up in the moment and even with the facts hitting them right in the face, still continued to push for more involvement. One instance involved General Westmoreland in April of 1967 arguing that with another 200,000 troops, he might be able to end the war in two years. President Johnson’s answer was simplistic, yet neatly described the problem: “…when we add divisions, can’t the enemy add divisions? Where does it all end?” At the same time, there were voices of reason, such as Robert McNamara’s, whose private memo to Johnson pointed out the thousands of non-combatants being injured or dying every week, and the picture of a superpower “…trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission on an issue whose merits are hotly disputed, is not a pretty one.”
About a third of the way through the book, I began to notice a disturbing trend. More and more, the reasons for not being in the war were being trumpeted, even when the majority of people still favored America’s participation. For instance, after the Tet Offensive in 1968, a poll showed just less than half of the people said America should never have become ensnared in Vietnam. The following long paragraph was filled with negative opinions about American participation. It is true the country was divided at that time, but the book seems to slant the viewpoint as if this was the majority viewpoint that the Johnson Administration was ignoring. My comment is not an argument for the Vietnam War, but I had been hoping to see more of the reasons from both sides as to the split within America that caused violence in the streets. In other words, this is history. We have the ability to step back and look at it from all sides. Only looking from certain angles is a disservice to the reader.
That said, even though there were more examples to sway a reader’s thoughts, these were still facts, presented in the form of quoted statements, letters, documents, pictures, and so on. More and more people did grow disenchanted with the war as it dragged on, there were race issues within the armed services as well as back home, and sometimes (as with all wars) there were simply some foolish decisions made that resulted in the deaths of soldiers. One cannot come away from this book without a new perspective, or at least a lot of fresh fodder to chew on.
Most interesting was the ability to learn about the thinking of people from America, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam (including those in the Viet Cong). While it seemed that most eventually saw the futility of a continuing war, many in the different governments had their own agenda. Getting them all to agree was an impossibility. The question asked by many soldiers, “What are we doing here?” gains momentum when placed against that backdrop. This unquestionably contributed to the increasing number of American deserters. A diary found on the body of a North Vietnamese soldier asked “How many more lives will have to be sacrificed before this country will be liberated?” Apparently, soldiers on both sides had similar thoughts.
This book is a great addition to anyone wishing to gain more understanding about the Vietnam War. I would suggest that one might experience greater enjoyment with a hardcover or paperback copy, as there are many sidebar stories that relate personal experiences connected with the historical text. Four-and-a-half stars.
During the Fulbright Hearings in early 1966, George Kennon, a respected writer on American policy concerning the Soviet Union, echoed John Quincy Adams advice that Americans should “…go not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.” These were followed up with a warning that while America could win the war in Viet Nam, he did not wish for the country to be responsible for the high degree of damage and loss of civilian life it would require. At the same time, there were those who felt exactly opposite. Many were uncertain of the best course of action to follow.
It was these myriad opinions that produced what is now the history of Vietnam and America, events that enveloped the lives of most people in both countries. “The Vietnam War,” co-authored by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, presented an account of everything leading up to the war, the war itself, and its aftermath. The authors dug deep, interviewing people who had been a part of the conflict in one way or another.
What struck me at times was the mindless futility of it all, and how people who meant well got caught up in the moment and even with the facts hitting them right in the face, still continued to push for more involvement. One instance involved General Westmoreland in April of 1967 arguing that with another 200,000 troops, he might be able to end the war in two years. President Johnson’s answer was simplistic, yet neatly described the problem: “…when we add divisions, can’t the enemy add divisions? Where does it all end?” At the same time, there were voices of reason, such as Robert McNamara’s, whose private memo to Johnson pointed out the thousands of non-combatants being injured or dying every week, and the picture of a superpower “…trying to pound a tiny backward nation into submission on an issue whose merits are hotly disputed, is not a pretty one.”
About a third of the way through the book, I began to notice a disturbing trend. More and more, the reasons for not being in the war were being trumpeted, even when the majority of people still favored America’s participation. For instance, after the Tet Offensive in 1968, a poll showed just less than half of the people said America should never have become ensnared in Vietnam. The following long paragraph was filled with negative opinions about American participation. It is true the country was divided at that time, but the book seems to slant the viewpoint as if this was the majority viewpoint that the Johnson Administration was ignoring. My comment is not an argument for the Vietnam War, but I had been hoping to see more of the reasons from both sides as to the split within America that caused violence in the streets. In other words, this is history. We have the ability to step back and look at it from all sides. Only looking from certain angles is a disservice to the reader.
That said, even though there were more examples to sway a reader’s thoughts, these were still facts, presented in the form of quoted statements, letters, documents, pictures, and so on. More and more people did grow disenchanted with the war as it dragged on, there were race issues within the armed services as well as back home, and sometimes (as with all wars) there were simply some foolish decisions made that resulted in the deaths of soldiers. One cannot come away from this book without a new perspective, or at least a lot of fresh fodder to chew on.
Most interesting was the ability to learn about the thinking of people from America, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam (including those in the Viet Cong). While it seemed that most eventually saw the futility of a continuing war, many in the different governments had their own agenda. Getting them all to agree was an impossibility. The question asked by many soldiers, “What are we doing here?” gains momentum when placed against that backdrop. This unquestionably contributed to the increasing number of American deserters. A diary found on the body of a North Vietnamese soldier asked “How many more lives will have to be sacrificed before this country will be liberated?” Apparently, soldiers on both sides had similar thoughts.
This book is a great addition to anyone wishing to gain more understanding about the Vietnam War. I would suggest that one might experience greater enjoyment with a hardcover or paperback copy, as there are many sidebar stories that relate personal experiences connected with the historical text. Four-and-a-half stars.
April 16, 2022
A monumental work - looks great, reads great, and it's written with care and compassion for everyone involved in a war that divides people to this day. It's highly readable - it reads like a novel in many ways. The main narrative is interspersed at times with snapshots including personal accounts, photos and lesser known facts. These snapshots make the book a lot more real and personal and not just a description of battles and political decisions. The photos are fantastic, the structure is very good and easy to follow. All an all I wish more books were like this one.
As a Romanian living in 2022, with no connection whatsoever with this conflict I can say I am much more informed now. So big props to this book for putting it all together.
As a Romanian living in 2022, with no connection whatsoever with this conflict I can say I am much more informed now. So big props to this book for putting it all together.
January 11, 2018
This book is not perfect. But it is important. And if more people knew more about the Vietnam War and how it came about, we might be able to avoid making the same tragic mistakes over and over again.
September 1, 2023
This book is a companion piece to the Ken Burns documentary by the same name. It’s an extensive, engrossing and very moving account of the war in Vietnam and America’s involvement. The statistics are staggering: 58,000 Americans dead, at least 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers killed and more than a million from the North, two million citizens perished across the country and countless millions of refugees who had been forced from their homes and villages.
For me, reading this brought back a flood of memories from that time: anti-war and civil rights demonstrations; violence in the streets and on college campuses; “body counts” on the nightly news; the assassination of Martin Luther King and two Kennedys; images of terrorized Vietnamese children who had been burned by napalm; Watergate; Woodstock; soldiers being airlifted from the roof of the American embassy after the fall of Saigon and so much more. It was clarifying to look back and see how these events occurred chronologically and from the perspective of intervening time.
In addition to reportage, the book contained many images as well as personal, first hand accounts gleaned from journals, letters, and interviews from soldiers, government leaders, and everyday citizens from both sides of the conflict. It seems fair to say that no one could have foreseen the cruelty and ferocity of this war as it eventually played out. There was bravery and compassion reflected in many accounts as well as cruelty, greed, and exploitation. There were plenty of bad actors in positions of power on all sides but I found Nixon’s private comments and behind the scene actions to be especially calculated, crass and loathsome.
It’s difficult to adequately review a book of this length, scope, and significance. I think it’s well worth the time and effort to read it, especially for anyone who would appreciate a book about Vietnam that goes beyond military battles and maneuvers to reflect the human impact of war. Highly recommended.
For me, reading this brought back a flood of memories from that time: anti-war and civil rights demonstrations; violence in the streets and on college campuses; “body counts” on the nightly news; the assassination of Martin Luther King and two Kennedys; images of terrorized Vietnamese children who had been burned by napalm; Watergate; Woodstock; soldiers being airlifted from the roof of the American embassy after the fall of Saigon and so much more. It was clarifying to look back and see how these events occurred chronologically and from the perspective of intervening time.
In addition to reportage, the book contained many images as well as personal, first hand accounts gleaned from journals, letters, and interviews from soldiers, government leaders, and everyday citizens from both sides of the conflict. It seems fair to say that no one could have foreseen the cruelty and ferocity of this war as it eventually played out. There was bravery and compassion reflected in many accounts as well as cruelty, greed, and exploitation. There were plenty of bad actors in positions of power on all sides but I found Nixon’s private comments and behind the scene actions to be especially calculated, crass and loathsome.
It’s difficult to adequately review a book of this length, scope, and significance. I think it’s well worth the time and effort to read it, especially for anyone who would appreciate a book about Vietnam that goes beyond military battles and maneuvers to reflect the human impact of war. Highly recommended.
June 13, 2021
50th anniversary of the Pentagon Papers
Somebody had to show some courage....
“Yes, everybody was lying but for different reasons and for different causes. In particular, a very large range of high-level doves thought we should get out and should not have got involved at all. They were lying to the public to give the impression that they were supporting the president when they did not believe in what the president was doing.
“They did not agree with it but they would have spoken out at the cost of their jobs and their future careers. None of them did that or took any risk of doing it and the price of the silence of the doves was several million Vietnamese, Indochinese, and 58,000 Americans.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...
========
Like Robert McNamara, Henry Kissinger concluded in 1965 that the Vietnam War was hopeless. But like McNamara before him, still asserted: “we have to escalate in order to prove we aren’t impotent, and the more impotent we prove to be, the more we have to escalate.”
This article summarizes the huge price so many paid for that folly....
https://thebaffler.com/civilification...
===================
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but human nature remains the same.” (Ken Burns)
Great companion read to the documentary. The documentary itself is Burns' greatest work. A masterpiece.
Somebody had to show some courage....
“Yes, everybody was lying but for different reasons and for different causes. In particular, a very large range of high-level doves thought we should get out and should not have got involved at all. They were lying to the public to give the impression that they were supporting the president when they did not believe in what the president was doing.
“They did not agree with it but they would have spoken out at the cost of their jobs and their future careers. None of them did that or took any risk of doing it and the price of the silence of the doves was several million Vietnamese, Indochinese, and 58,000 Americans.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...
========
Like Robert McNamara, Henry Kissinger concluded in 1965 that the Vietnam War was hopeless. But like McNamara before him, still asserted: “we have to escalate in order to prove we aren’t impotent, and the more impotent we prove to be, the more we have to escalate.”
This article summarizes the huge price so many paid for that folly....
https://thebaffler.com/civilification...
===================
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but human nature remains the same.” (Ken Burns)
Great companion read to the documentary. The documentary itself is Burns' greatest work. A masterpiece.
June 11, 2018
This nonfiction book was well done.....and it was an education of sorts. I picked this one up for two reasons. One is because it had great ratings on GR and the other is because of the controversy that has plagued this particular war. I was very young when this took place and because it was so recent, it wasn't in our history books in school.
This book laid it all out. The research was well organized. I liked the attention to detail. This contained a fair amount of tragedy and sadness, but I loved how the author handled it. This book was long...the audio is over 30 hours, and not once did this feel long. I could only listen for a few hours each day, but definitely worth it. So 4 stars.
This book laid it all out. The research was well organized. I liked the attention to detail. This contained a fair amount of tragedy and sadness, but I loved how the author handled it. This book was long...the audio is over 30 hours, and not once did this feel long. I could only listen for a few hours each day, but definitely worth it. So 4 stars.
November 18, 2021
I feel the miniseries was much better in part because of the interviews with Tim O'Brien and the film of the horrors of war that just aren't captured in this book.
This was one of the few books on Vietnam that delved into the history of the French colonialists.
Some notes:
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 cost the French and Vietnamese 10,000 lives. The French finally surrendered and Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel.
ARVN (Army Republic of Vietnam) troops were in the South and were allied with the Americans. They fought the Vietcong.
30,000 tons of napalm bombs were dropped on Vietnam during the war.
Dr. Phan Quang Dan was a political rival of Diem and was thrown into a cell beneath the Saigon zoo for "treason" and then sent to Con Son Island prison, famous for its tiger cages.
Diem was assassinated on November 2, 1963.
Bombing of North Vietnam caused retaliation against American P.O.W.s. The bombing was also unpopular back in the United States.
42,000 Native Americans served in Vietnam, the highest rate of any ethnicity.
Things fell apart in 1968. The Battle of Hue took place in the old colonial city which was completely destroyed. It was an ARVN victory but nearly 10,000 troops were killed and more than 5,000 civilians were executed by the North Vietnamese.
In 1969 Life magazine published the photos and names of all those military members killed in a week. It had an enormous effect on the American public.
4 stars
This was one of the few books on Vietnam that delved into the history of the French colonialists.
Some notes:
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 cost the French and Vietnamese 10,000 lives. The French finally surrendered and Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel.
ARVN (Army Republic of Vietnam) troops were in the South and were allied with the Americans. They fought the Vietcong.
30,000 tons of napalm bombs were dropped on Vietnam during the war.
Dr. Phan Quang Dan was a political rival of Diem and was thrown into a cell beneath the Saigon zoo for "treason" and then sent to Con Son Island prison, famous for its tiger cages.
Diem was assassinated on November 2, 1963.
Bombing of North Vietnam caused retaliation against American P.O.W.s. The bombing was also unpopular back in the United States.
42,000 Native Americans served in Vietnam, the highest rate of any ethnicity.
Things fell apart in 1968. The Battle of Hue took place in the old colonial city which was completely destroyed. It was an ARVN victory but nearly 10,000 troops were killed and more than 5,000 civilians were executed by the North Vietnamese.
In 1969 Life magazine published the photos and names of all those military members killed in a week. It had an enormous effect on the American public.
4 stars
March 25, 2025
I lurrrrv history but I don’t lurrrrv military history as at a certain point it all becomes mush in my brain. Nevertheless I made it out of this one relatively unscathed because the political bits and human testimonies around it were so engaging and that was the main focus overall. I will say I thought the epilogue was a bit weak but admittedly, it was a monumental job they had to do there. It also still managed to make me cry. At other times reading this I felt so furious, especially because so many of the mistakes of US foreign and domestic policy have been repeatedly echoed for the next 50 years and continue to do so now with the craziness of Trump’s American exceptionalism and the continued US (and UK) support for the Israeli government’s killing of civilians. Mostly, I’m glad I read this book as I was pretty ignorant on the actual details before. I struggle with the ethics of tourism functioning in many ways as a neo-colonial enterprise and I feel like learning more about the places I’m visiting is at least something.
December 12, 2017
This massive book is a monumental achievement, even without the documentary series that it accompanies. It provides a context for the American involvement, providing the history before and after. I was touched in so many ways by this book. I was ready to cry when reading about the parents learning that their child had been killed, and how a serviceman told his mother that he was probably not coming back. (His mother told him that he would not die because he was "special", and he responded that every mother thinks her child is "special", and he was putting "special" people in body bags.) I was angry when reading about how our leaders, like Johnson and Nixon, lied to us, and about how a celebrity like Jane Fonda betrayed us.
This is a hard read, but an important, and, I think, necessary one. Invest your time in this one.
This is a hard read, but an important, and, I think, necessary one. Invest your time in this one.
May 9, 2024
This is a superb, detailed look at the Vietnam War which contains the perspectives and details of both the Vietnamese and Americans.
The illustrations so completley detail the content of the work that I was not fully relying upon my envisaging the battles but was able to see detailed and unedited full page pictures of what I was reading of.
This is the work to get if a comprehensive, detailed look at the war, its participants, and the politics that shaped the events on both sides is what one desires to know about. I would give it six stars if it were possible!
The illustrations so completley detail the content of the work that I was not fully relying upon my envisaging the battles but was able to see detailed and unedited full page pictures of what I was reading of.
This is the work to get if a comprehensive, detailed look at the war, its participants, and the politics that shaped the events on both sides is what one desires to know about. I would give it six stars if it were possible!
December 13, 2021
Conscription is slavery.
War is mass murder.
- Murray N. Rothbard
What an unnecessary catastrophe. The Vietnam War is among the most pointless of the United States' foreign escapades. Waged under the guise of an anti-communist crusade, the Vietnam conflict began with U.S. support of French imperialism and devolved into an political and martial quagmire that killed roughly a million people and ended the careers of two presidents. This multi-decade, fruitless conflict should have been a lesson against American adventurism abroad, but as modern escapades in the Middle East show, the U.S. government has unfortunately learned nothing.
As for the book itself: Ward is an excellent writer, and he has crafted an outstanding narrative here. The intimate stories of soldiers and civilians (American and Vietnamese) involved in the conflict were incredibly moving. But it was also frustrating to read about the incompetence, corruption, and callous disregard for human life demonstrated by all governments involved. This is my first book on the Vietnam War, and I am glad I started here. Easy recommendation.
War is mass murder.
- Murray N. Rothbard
What an unnecessary catastrophe. The Vietnam War is among the most pointless of the United States' foreign escapades. Waged under the guise of an anti-communist crusade, the Vietnam conflict began with U.S. support of French imperialism and devolved into an political and martial quagmire that killed roughly a million people and ended the careers of two presidents. This multi-decade, fruitless conflict should have been a lesson against American adventurism abroad, but as modern escapades in the Middle East show, the U.S. government has unfortunately learned nothing.
As for the book itself: Ward is an excellent writer, and he has crafted an outstanding narrative here. The intimate stories of soldiers and civilians (American and Vietnamese) involved in the conflict were incredibly moving. But it was also frustrating to read about the incompetence, corruption, and callous disregard for human life demonstrated by all governments involved. This is my first book on the Vietnam War, and I am glad I started here. Easy recommendation.
September 5, 2017
‘The Vietnam War’ is the companion volume to the 10-part, 18-hour Ken Burns PBS documentary series of that name but like other books co-authored by him and Geoffrey C. Ward, including ‘Jazz’, ‘The War’ and, most recently, ‘The Roosevelts’, it stands in its own right as a richly illustrated work which utilises evocative primary sources to the full within a strong narrative framework.
There are ten chapters and an Epilogue, punctuated by five essays by other authors. The most controversial of these is undoubtedly Frederk Logevall’s ‘Kennedy and what might have been’ pondering whether had he survived Dallas and won a second term, Kennedy’s scepticism regarding the wisdom of military action in Vietnam would have triumphed over the felt need to be seen to be tough on communism and prevent toppling dominoes.
After judiciously reviewing the contradictory evidence Logevall comes down against the Oliver Stone school of thought that JFK had already sanctioned ‘incipient withdrawal’ before his death, arguing that the President was sensibly keeping his options open but that on balance “JFK most likely would not have have Americanized the war, but instead would have opted for some form of disengagement, presumably by way of a face-saving negotiated settlement.”
In the event, of course, Johnson allowed himself to get progressively drawn into the war (although it is rightly pointed out that he enjoyed very limited room for manoeuvre) and it was left to Nixon to find a superficially honourable way out.
America’s formal exit from south-east Asia was humiliating and Vietnam casts a very long shadow so that it is still capable of exciting extreme emotions (note, for example, Trump’s disgraceful characterization of former POW McCain as a “loser”).
Personally I would have liked more on the war’s legacy but one cannot have everything and what one does have here is a superb one-volume history of the war which is much more substantial than the coffee-table book which it appears to be at first sight.
There are ten chapters and an Epilogue, punctuated by five essays by other authors. The most controversial of these is undoubtedly Frederk Logevall’s ‘Kennedy and what might have been’ pondering whether had he survived Dallas and won a second term, Kennedy’s scepticism regarding the wisdom of military action in Vietnam would have triumphed over the felt need to be seen to be tough on communism and prevent toppling dominoes.
After judiciously reviewing the contradictory evidence Logevall comes down against the Oliver Stone school of thought that JFK had already sanctioned ‘incipient withdrawal’ before his death, arguing that the President was sensibly keeping his options open but that on balance “JFK most likely would not have have Americanized the war, but instead would have opted for some form of disengagement, presumably by way of a face-saving negotiated settlement.”
In the event, of course, Johnson allowed himself to get progressively drawn into the war (although it is rightly pointed out that he enjoyed very limited room for manoeuvre) and it was left to Nixon to find a superficially honourable way out.
America’s formal exit from south-east Asia was humiliating and Vietnam casts a very long shadow so that it is still capable of exciting extreme emotions (note, for example, Trump’s disgraceful characterization of former POW McCain as a “loser”).
Personally I would have liked more on the war’s legacy but one cannot have everything and what one does have here is a superb one-volume history of the war which is much more substantial than the coffee-table book which it appears to be at first sight.
April 3, 2020
The Vietnam War: An Intimate History wow just wow, so much to digest the long and violent historical trauma that was Vietnam. All the sleazy politics the enraged political protests all the big wigs top brass stories. Just a complete and utter waste of human life, the sadness of families losses both sides American and Vietnamese. Cold war antics by over zealous politicians believing they were right and superior to all others, really now looking back they were all caught in a trap and dragged a lot of inoccent lives down into their futile ambitions. We should never ever let ourselves get caught like that again, and really know who we vote for. This story just had so much information just mind boggling it covered the common ground soldier from both sides letters of bitterness sadness and hope, this just got my emotions going and I really felt moved by these stories, that's what was so great about this. Leaves a lot to contemplate and powerful emotions welling up inside me. Just a powerful and a must read. Be strong always, and hope for a time when we won't war against each other. Just hard out competition to do better.
March 28, 2021
Griping, moving, saddening. The book is a mix of ‘big pictures’ and personal accounts. From both sides, from many levels.
The narration splendid, one of the best books I have yet read/listened to about the The Vietnam War
The narration splendid, one of the best books I have yet read/listened to about the The Vietnam War
May 30, 2018
This book is a very comprehensive look at the Vietnam War as it covers the military missions and policies, the political landscape and how it affected five US presidential administrations from Eisenhower to Ford, and the social scene back in the United States. Hearing the accounts of people involved, from a nurse in the field to former POWs to A young lady who lost her brother and took up the anti-war movement made the audio book a better experience than I believe I would have obtained from reading a print or e-book
October 11, 2017
Some may think it redundant to watch the Ken Burns mini-series on Vietnam and to read the book. Each complemented the other. Any project that Ken Burns is involved in has been superlative. In the early 90's when Burns did the Civil War Series I became hooked on history and have since read hundreds of books on all different periods of history.
The Vietnam was even more personal because I was at the perfect age to have fought at the time of the Tet offensive. Fortunately, a failed physical kept me out. Unfortunately, that means someone else went in my place.
Regardless of your views on the war, we all agree that it was a horrible chapter in our history and one that accomplished little other than killing almost 60, 000 of our soldiers. And that doesn't count the many thousands that had their lives destroyed in other ways.
In both the mini-series and the book the most emotional aspects came from the interviews of those who fought, those who protested, and those who fought against us.
I am not sure if we will ever get peace from the memories of that time. But I do know this is Ken Burns has come the closest so far.
The Vietnam was even more personal because I was at the perfect age to have fought at the time of the Tet offensive. Fortunately, a failed physical kept me out. Unfortunately, that means someone else went in my place.
Regardless of your views on the war, we all agree that it was a horrible chapter in our history and one that accomplished little other than killing almost 60, 000 of our soldiers. And that doesn't count the many thousands that had their lives destroyed in other ways.
In both the mini-series and the book the most emotional aspects came from the interviews of those who fought, those who protested, and those who fought against us.
I am not sure if we will ever get peace from the memories of that time. But I do know this is Ken Burns has come the closest so far.
Read
January 24, 2025this is a book i would have never picked up to read years ago but i really learned so much about vietnam and the tragedy that was the vietnam war. i feel that i didn’t learn about the vietnam war when i was in middle school and high school. it makes me sad to see how many americans and vietnamese had to die in a war that was ultimately pointless. and it makes me more sad knowing how many innocent people became casualties of the war. a lot of what happened in vietnam is shockingly similar to conflicts in gaza and ukraine and it makes me wish, like the anti-war protestors, for there to be peace and no more war.
September 26, 2017
While I did not think this work gave sufficient or fair consideration to the Vietnamese side of the story, it did a good job chronicling the American turmoil, unfairness and attempt at nationwide reconciliation. From the Ken Burns docseries.
January 20, 2020
History.
September 25, 2024
I chose this book because I realized I didn’t know much about the Vietnam War and I wanted to change that. Turns out I knew even less than I thought I did! I won’t say this book is a breeze to read if you’re (like me) not regularly reading about military strategy, but I wanted a deep dive and I got what I was looking for.
I did lots of research on which book to read on this subject, and I made the right decision. I appreciated how it was inclusive of perspectives on all sides, including north and south Vietnamese civilians, POWs, refugees, and military families. Also, it was written relatively recently. The distanced perspective is helpful, and time has revealed a lot that is necessary to fully understand the Vietnam War.
I’d like to end by saying that Richard Nixon is, at least professionally, and pardon my language, a punk ass bitch. I knew he didn’t go down as a crowd favorite after Watergate, but it turns out he did many things WAY worse than that. Sorry to be 50 years late to this party but I’m here now 🫡
I did lots of research on which book to read on this subject, and I made the right decision. I appreciated how it was inclusive of perspectives on all sides, including north and south Vietnamese civilians, POWs, refugees, and military families. Also, it was written relatively recently. The distanced perspective is helpful, and time has revealed a lot that is necessary to fully understand the Vietnam War.
I’d like to end by saying that Richard Nixon is, at least professionally, and pardon my language, a punk ass bitch. I knew he didn’t go down as a crowd favorite after Watergate, but it turns out he did many things WAY worse than that. Sorry to be 50 years late to this party but I’m here now 🫡
September 27, 2025
I feel like my knowledge of this war was super sketchy. For some reason, after reading First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, a memoir, I became more interested in learning about the region. This book was a companion piece to the Ken Burns documentary. It was definitely an education. I find history to be tough to absorb - - it's like I never have quite enough context. But this book did a good job of introducing the subject to someone like myself (curious, but not super informed).
Now I am watching the documentary itself, and it definitely helped to have read the book first.
Now I am watching the documentary itself, and it definitely helped to have read the book first.
November 21, 2025
my cousin is one of the 58k+ names on that wall. the things i would do to have a conversation with him. he died in 1968 at 25 years old and his mom was never the same after it. i was going through my grandma's photo albums one time and i came across his picture and asked her who it was and she told me everything.
the vietnam war is one of my greatest interests and i've been looking for a good comprehensive book about it and this was just that.
the vietnam war is one of my greatest interests and i've been looking for a good comprehensive book about it and this was just that.
January 27, 2023
We never learned. Afghanistan 1.0.
Great book. Just sad lessons.
Great book. Just sad lessons.
April 29, 2023
This book was an exhaustive overview of all aspects of the most controversial war in the history of the United States. Though the book offers no conclusions, it details the impact the war had on all that were involved. It details the decisions of Presidents, the harrowing experiences of soldiers on both sides of the conflict, and the lives of citizens from Vietnam and the US. Though the book does not give any conclusions, it makes one thing clear: the Vietnam war still colors the way many Americans view global conflict and the role of the US military.
May 18, 2024
Thoughts soon.
December 11, 2023
Very detailed. Nearly too detailed
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