True, his harvard undergraduate thesis on the meaning of history was an. Oct 08, 2015 perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. Y in addtion to the war in vietnam, 1964 was an election year, and johnson was determined to get elected on his own merit, not riding on the coattails of jfks death. The origins of the vietnam war seminar studies in history. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. World war ii set the stage for vietnam war, the longest and bloodiest world conflict during in the second half of the 20th century, logevall said. Michael herr was a war correspondent for esquire between 1967 and 1969. Now in its second edition, the encyclopedia of the vietnam war. The fall of an empire and the making of americas vietnam 2012. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations.
The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. The war had a profound and lasting impact on the politics and society of vietnam and the united states, and it also had a major impact on international relations. Ia drang the battle that changed the war in vietnam by harold g. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. Its been 67 years since the controversial korean war, sometimes called americas forgotten warsandwiched between wwii and vietnam, began. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. By fredrik logevall on november 4, 2016 books, research. Hdiplo roundtable xxi3 on the vietnam war documentary series. Excellent study of the vietnam war looking at a far wider range of topics than in most books on this war, and with contributions from american, north vietnamese and south vietnamese authors and participants in the war. All our physical stores and our online store are temporarily closed.
The vietnam war lasted more than a decade, was the longest war in u. Now that ken burns pbs documentary has concluded, were rereading the classics of the vietnam wars literary canon. His coverage of the war in dispatches was groundbreaking for its presented a type of journalism that traded monotonous details for visceral descriptions. The th valley by john del vecchio there have been a number of excellent books about vietnam. Why did the us make a commitment to an independent so. The early years of the united states army in vietnam, 19411960 1985 ronald h. Fredrik logevall born 1963 is a swedishamerican historian and educator at harvard university, where he is the laurence d. A concise international history by mark atwood lawrence. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
This book provides a short, accessible introduction to the origins of the vietnam war. This new book sets in context the conflict from the end of the indochina war in 1954 to the eruption of fullscale war in 1965, and places events against their full international background. It escalated from a vietnamese civil war into a limited international conflict in which the united states was deeply involved, and did not end. Feb 05, 2008 a rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Kennedy, johnson, and the origins of the vietnam war. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. The origins of the vietnam war harvard kennedy school. The viet minh, ho chi minhs revolutionary organization, emerged from wwii much stronger and better. The inclusion of the book in the roundtable was proposed by novick and ward.
In vietnam, all us forces were ordered to cease fighting and that included air assets as well as the ground troops. The origins of the vietnam war 1st edition anthony. This study examines the origins of the vietnam war itself, going back to the nature of french colonial rule in the early 20th century. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u. Kennedy school of government and professor of history in the harvard faculty of arts and sciences. We would be organized militarily, but we would have to break the bad habit, of trying to fight a conventional war in a guerrilla warfare environment. Drawing on the vast and largely complete documentary record of the escalating u. This pushed him to start the more flags campaign, to get more allies to commit troops and aid to the conflict and make this a more international war. Containing a guide to characters, chronology and detailed bibliography, the origins of the vietnam war provides an indispensable introduction to one of the most important events in recent history. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. The fall of an empire and the making of americas vietnam.
Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. It investigates the original conflict between france, as well as the united states, and the forces of vietnamese nationalism and communism. The origins of the vietnam war by fredrik logevall, 20. Sep 09, 2012 fredrik logevalls excellent book choosing war 1999 chronicled the american escalation of the vietnam war in the early 1960s. Beyond that, on the fiction front, we quickly traipse into forgettable territory. The war began soon after the geneva conference provisionally divided 1954 vietnam at 17 n lat.
The origins of the vietnam war edition 1 by fredrik. Booktopia buy vietnam war books online from australias leading online bookstore. The viet minh, ho chi minhs revolutionary organization, emerged from wwii much stronger and better positioned to fight frances return to indochina. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. Buy the origins of the vietnam war seminar studies in history 1 by logevall, fredrik isbn. Embers of war tells the deeply immoral story of the vietnam wars. The sentiment was given voice in numerous protest songs, perhaps most poignantly by credence clearwater revival in. The lessons learned from this tragic conflict continue to have great relevance in todays world. The two booklength studies of kennedys vietnam policy are william j. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry vietnam declassified by thomas l. A history of americas involvement in and extrication from the vietnam war henry a. 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.
It situates the developments from the french colonial period. Buy choosing war by fredrik logevall online at alibris. Critically acclaimed since its release in 1977, dispatches was one of the first books which offered an insiders account of the vietnam war to the general public. He was previously the stephen and madeline anbinder. This article draws from, and builds upon, my book choosing war. The vietnam war this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as. The korean war was short and bloody, resulting in the deaths of 5 million people, more than half were civilians. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. The origins of the vietnam war by fredrik logevall goodreads.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, i often heard the expression rich mans war, poor mans fight in the context of the vietnam war but gave little thought to the expressions origins. Logevall won the pulitzer prize for history with his magisterial telling of. Among these is linds book, which says the liberal cold warriors like lyndon johnson, mcgeorge bundy, and dean rusk were right about vietnam. In january of 1973 we in the defense attache office in the american embassy, phnom penh, cambodia, found ourselves in an unusual situation. Logevall won the pulitzer prize for history with his magisterial telling of the backstory to. This volume provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to the origins of the war.
Seeing the pilot is having a hard time keeping up, one of the chinese mercenaries called nungs, says to the team leader, lets kill the dai uy. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. Complete organized chaos for the new guys would begin as we landed in vietnam. Mar 06, 2015 dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Lawrence freedman takes a different approach in kennedys wars. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Why did the us make a commitment to an independent south vietnam. Books in this seminar studies in history series bridge the gap between textbook and specialist survey and consists of a brief introduction andor background to the subject, valuable in bringing the. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. The war in vietnam was a seminal event in post1945 world affairs. The conflict had a profound and lasting impact on the politics and society of vietnam and the united states, but also shaped the larger international system in critical ways.
Fredrik logevall is associate professor of history and codirector of the. Dog soldiers won the 1975 national book award for fiction, the first vietnam war novel to do so. Feel how this story takes you back in time during carsons experiences. An impressive piece of work that gives a good overview of the vietnam war and the wider issues that surrounded the conflict. Belfer professor of international affairs at the john f. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. Fredrik logevalls excellent book choosing war 1999 chronicled the american escalation of the vietnam war in the early 1960s. Readers interested in the history of southeast asia, or the vietnam war. Perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. Oct, 2017 its been 67 years since the controversial korean war, sometimes called americas forgotten warsandwiched between wwii and vietnam, began. The kennedy legend is ably analyzed in thomas brown, jfk.
Heres an admittedly subjective list, posted on the military history now website, put together by mark masse, a ball state university literary journalism professor. Readers interested in the history of southeast asia, or the. The origins of the vietnam war 1st edition anthony short. Knight professor of international studies at cornell university, is a specialist in u.
Embers of war, by fredrik logevall the new york times. Logevall, a professor of history at cornell university, has drawn from many years of. The origins of the vietnam war 1st edition fredrik. Vietnam and the question of what might have been springerlink. Fredrik logevall provides a concise, comprehensive and accessible introduction to the origins of the vietnam war from the end of the indochina war in 1954 to the eruption of fullscale war in 1965, and places events against their full international background. Fredrik logevall is associate professor of history, university of california, santa barbara. This is a peoples history of the vietnam war, he declares, long on the. May 20, 2011 the vietnam war lasted more than a decade, was the longest war in u. The vietnam war is the companion volume to the 10part, 18hour ken burns pbs documentary series of that name but like other books coauthored by him and geoffrey c. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. This is a hilarious tale of an air force combat fighter pilot in vietnam who goes out on patrol with a special forces team he has supported many times from the air. Organized chaos, seemed like a contradiction in terms, but after a few weeks in vietnam, it seemed plausible.
Choosing war is a powerful and devastating account of fear, favor, and hypocrisy at the highest echelons of american government, a book that will change forever our understanding of the tragedy that was the vietnam war. A wave of new books on the vietnam war, based on fresh archival evidence, is beginning to break. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. Jun 10, 20 world war ii set the stage for vietnam war, the longest and bloodiest world conflict during in the second half of the 20th century, logevall said.
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