Vietnam Wars 1945-1990

Book Description

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

Customer Reviews:

Leftist Vietnam War History.......2007-02-15

There is a left wing bias to this book--and it is obvious, so it shouldn't irritate a reader who wants to hear the hippie version of the Vietnam War.

However, the most treacherous thing we did was to abandon South Vietnam--financially and militarily-- while the Soviet Union continued to supply military aid to the North. A conventional Russian supplied North Vietnam Army made the final invasion of South Vietnam in 1975. South Vietnam had no chance.

Negative stars.......2006-05-10

Contains every trendy lefty misconception there ever was about the war. Totally and hopelessly untrue.

"Bias"? Please . . ........2006-01-11

Young's book is the best single volume detailing the American interventions in Vietnam. Unlike many, Young actually knows something about Vietnam as a country, and unlike many, she meticulously supplies references for her facts almost all of which are to accessible and checkable sources. But my real point in writing this is the idea, put forward by so many outside the profession of history (I am a University prof in a big state school history department) that grasping the disaster of Vietnam for what it was is an example of "bias." Is Young against killing peasants? You bet. Does she think US operations were failures? Sure. They were. It is hard to think rosy thoughts about fighting communism and so forth if you grasp how things went down in Vietnam itself, which is what this book supplies. BTW Young is not pro-North Vietnam and in my opinion feels (rightly) that the US destroyed the NLF ("VC"), a southern-based mass movement, with brutal means, which was a disaster. That and the support for dictators and not elections created the country we see today: run from the north, beholden to the north, yet (of course) ready to tackle capitalism. Will we repeat our inane dry-up-the-sea policies in Iraq?

A good (but biased) popular history.......2005-03-03

You'll notice that the reviews posted so far for Marilyn Young's "Vietnam Wars" are quite polarized (1 star vs. 5 stars). Some complain of Young's agenda and anti-American viewpoint, while others find her tone appropriate and the book revealing; all of these points are valid. This book is biased, frustratingly so at times, but it is also informative and a good read.

"Vietnam Wars" covers the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France, the war with the US, and the war with China, naturally focusing on the American war. The substance of the book is a mix of details of the actual war and the politics concerning it, with ample, though not exhaustive, footnotes and plenty of fascinating anecdotes. The level of detail is perfect for a popular history.

The tone of the book is distinctly anti-American, partly because of the author's own bias, but also partly because of the information available. The details of North Vietnam's motivations, actions, etc. are lacking, I imagine because there are so few sources. As a result, the viewpoint is American, and the mistakes made by the US are on full display; I found these to be the most interesting aspects of the war, e.g., the astounding naiveness of Psy Ops.

The author's bias is irritating, though thankfully clear. While she does not engage in outright revisionism (her facts are supported by references), she does selectively emphasize information. For example, while civilian deaths inflicted by US firepower are mentioned repeatedly, over many pages, atrocities commited by the North are downplayed, in oneliners along the lines of "Only 15-thousand Vietnamese civilians were executed by the VC, not 500-thousand, as claimed in US propaganda!". Despite this selectivity, sufficient facts are presented to convey the moral ambiguity that surrounds the conflict.

Read skeptically, Marilyn Young's "Vietnam Wars" is an excellent starting point for understanding Vietnam.

One of the BEST books on Vietnam i have ever read. .......2004-10-16

The book has a bias. i will agree to this, however the book does show the reader patterns in the conflicts that need to be seen by a student of history. if you are looking for a book about battles and generals look somewhere else. this book is about vietnam its people and the policys that killed millions of them. i hope and pray by reading this book it will never happen again.

Defense Relations Between The United States And Vietnam: The Process Of Normalization, 1977-2003

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All Foreign Policy is Local
Required Reading

Defense Relations Between The United States And Vietnam: The Process Of Normalization, 1977-2003
Lewis M. Stern
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786421681

Book Description

Although the hostilities of the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the diplomatic repercussions lasted for several more decades. Eventually, however, the dedicated perseverance of diplomats on both sides paid off. In November 2003, Major General Pham Van Tra, defense minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, met with U.S. defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the halls of the Pentagon, signaling a new era in U.S.-Vietnamese defense relations.

This book traces the development of that relationship in the years since the Vietnam War. It focuses especially on the 1990s, a decade in which the author served as country director for Indochina, Thailand and Burma in the Office of the Assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. His experience adds a personal perspective to the historical and political record. Multiple facets of the relationship between the two countries are addressed, including trade, immigration of Amerasian children, and POW-MIA concerns. Through this honest depiction of the sometimes fractious and confusing policy-making process, Stern shows how both parties came to agree, in the words of Major General Tra, that we "should not allow the future to repeat the past."

Customer Reviews:

All Foreign Policy is Local.......2006-08-11

As reviewed in May 2006 Foreign Service Journal:
"From time to time a book comes along that illustrates a truth familiar to the professional diplomat: domestic parameters within interacting countries often explain the goals and conduct of foreign policy. A classic in this genre, Dr. Stern's "Defense Relations" should be required reading for every advanced class in International Relations. Beyond a meticulous review of the policy process in both countries, Stern's analysis highlights the private and public actors who are part of the policy process, including American legislators who block initiatives and Vietnames generals and bureaucratics who are disparaging, feaful and unimaginative."

Required Reading.......2005-09-02

My boss made me buy this book.
My boss made me read this book.
Thank GOD for my boss! Only the author himself could possibly know more about the subject than my boss.

This book is required for a complete understanding of the dynamics of this once troubled relationship.

Invisible Enemies: The American War on Vietnam (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War)

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Invisible Enemies: The American War on Vietnam (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War)
Edwin A. Martini
Manufacturer: University of Massachusetts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Beginning where most histories of the Vietnam War end, Invisible Enemies examines the relationship between the United States and Vietnam following the American pullout in 1975. Drawing on a broad range of sources, from White House documents and congressional hearings to comic books and feature films, Edwin Martini shows how the United States continued to wage war on Vietnam "by other means" for another twenty-five years. In addition to imposing an extensive program of economic sanctions, the United States opposed Vietnam's membership in the United Nations, supported the Cambodians, including the Khmer Rouge, in their decade-long war with the Vietnamese, and insisted that Vietnam provide a "full accounting" of American MIAs before diplomatic relations could be established. According to Martini, such policies not only worked against some of the stated goals of U.S. foreign policy, they were also in opposition to the corporate economic interests that ultimately played a key role in normalizing relations between the two nations in the late 1990s.

Book Description

Trevor McCrisken examines the influence of the belief in American exceptionalism on the history of U.S. foreign policy since the Vietnam War. He analyzes attempts by each U.S. administration both rhetorically and by pursuing foreign policy supposedly grounded in traditional American principles. He argues that exceptionalism consistently provided the framework for foreign policy discourse but that the conduct of foreign affairs was limited by the Vietnam syndrome.

Exiting Indochina: U.S. Leadership of the Cambodia Settlement & Normalization With Vietnam

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Exiting Indochina: U.S. Leadership of the Cambodia Settlement & Normalization With Vietnam
Richard H. Solomon
Manufacturer: United States Institute of Peace Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Includes a foreword by Stanley Karnow. For most Americans, the "exit" from Indochina occurred in 1973, when the last U.S. soldiers were evacuated from the roof of the embassy in Saigon. In fact, the final exit did not occur until two decades later, after the collapse of the Republic of Vietnam in 1975, the Cambodian revolution, and a decade of Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. Only in the early 1990s were the major powers able to negotiate a settlement of the Cambodia conflict and withdraw from the region.

Customer Reviews:

I refused to read this dung based on the title alone........1999-04-26

The concept that the Gulf War never occured is preposterous. I was an Attlerry Scout with F/2/2 USMC and can personally vouch for the following facts: A) the conflict happened and was contested. B)There were instagators imported from less Arabic countries to punish the local citizens. My service in SouthWestAsia was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.

The Last Eleven: The Story of the Post-War Vcs

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The Last Eleven: The Story of the Post-War Vcs
Mark Adkin
Manufacturer: Leo Cooper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Politics of Readjustment: Vietnam Veterans Since the War (Social Problems and Social Issues)

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The Politics of Readjustment: Vietnam Veterans Since the War

The Politics of Readjustment: Vietnam Veterans Since the War (Social Problems and Social Issues)
Wilbur Scott
Manufacturer: Aldine Transaction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

The Politics of Readjustment: Vietnam Veterans Since the War.......1999-12-04

Wil Scott tells in highly readable, well organized prose, of the politics and controversy surrounding veterans of America's war in Vietnam. The Wall, Agent Orange, combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He identifies major players on both sides of the battle for equitable benefits and honors for Vietnam vets.

Book Description

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Native peoples inhabiting the Lower Mississippi Valley confronted increasing domination by colonial powers, disastrous reductions in population, and the threat of being marginalized by a new cotton economy. Their strategies of resistance and adaptation to these changes are brought to light in this perceptive study.

An introductory overview of the historiography of Native peoples in the early Southeast examines how the study of Native-colonial relations has changed over the last century. Daniel H. Usner Jr. reevaluates the Natchez Indians’ ill-fated relations with the French and the cultural effects of Native population losses from disease and warfare during the eighteenth century. Usner next examines in detail the social and economic relations the Native peoples forged in the face of colonial domination and demographic decline, and he reveals how Natives adapted to the cotton economy, which displaced their familiar social and economic networks of interaction with outsiders. Finally, Usner offers an intriguing excursion into cultural criticism, assessing the effects of popular images of Natives from this region.

American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.(Review) (book review): An article from: Canadian Journal of History

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American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.(Review) (book review): An article from: Canadian Journal of History
Nelson Ouellet
Manufacturer: University of Saskatchewan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on April 1, 2000. The length of the article is 935 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.(Review) (book review)
Author: Nelson Ouellet
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: April 1, 2000
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Page: 177

Article Type: Book Review

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American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.: An article from: Journal of Southern History

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American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.: An article from: Journal of Southern History
James Michael Foret
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008J6NRC
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on November 1, 2000. The length of the article is 481 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: American Indians in the Lower Mississippi Valley: Social and Economic Histories.
Author: James Michael Foret
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2000
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 66 Issue: 4 Page: 850

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on December 1, 1998. The length of the article is 861 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Calculus and Analytical Mechanics in the Age of Enlightenment.(Review) (book reviews)
Author: Peter Hilton
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1998
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Page: 495

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy, published by Kluwer Law International on September 1, 2003. The length of the article is 6051 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Message of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress to the Convention on Biological Diversity.(International Union for the Conservation of Nature )
Publication: Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: Kluwer Law International
Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Page: 277(19)

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