First published 2017
Geoffrey C. Ward and his collaborators examine the Vietnam War through the voices of those who lived it. The authors conducted extensive interviews across America and Vietnam, gathering perspectives from soldiers on both sides, their families, high-ranking officials, antiwar protesters, and prisoners of war. The book explains how America entered the conflict and why it remained engaged for years. It captures the brutal reality of combat while exploring the political decisions that shaped the war's trajectory. Rather than choosing sides, the authors seek to understand the war's complex causes and consequences. The work serves as a companion to the major PBS documentary series. More than four decades after the war's end, Americans continue debating its purpose, conduct, and meaning. The conflict created political divisions that persist today. This comprehensive account draws from multiple viewpoints to illuminate why the war unfolded as it did and examines its lasting impact on American society.
Genres: history, 20th-century, war, non-fiction, military-history, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: complex-causation, multiple-perspectives
Setting: America, Vietnam
Period: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s
612 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: violence, war