In essence, we got into the war to prevent the toppling of dominos in southeast asia, and we effectively succeeded, which was, in reality, a strategic victory. Vietnams american war by pierre asselin cambridge core. Vol 12, no 3 journal of cold war studies mit press journals. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Americas incredible industrial infrastructure allowed it to build a huge air force and virtually a limitless amount of ordnance during the cold war. Finally, we will attempt to answer why the vietnam war has haunted america for over four decades, and how this war has affected certain foreign policy decision during this time. Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of this seminal conflict of the 20 th century. Seymour topping, on the front lines of the cold war. Now available in a completely revised and updated second edition, vietnam. The absence of a clear explanation is not an accident. Vol 12, no 3 journal of cold war studies mit press. The disputed presidential election of 1876 by michael f. Rethinking the vietnam war by john dumbrell springerlink. Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of one of the 20 th centurys seminal conflicts.
How america lost vietnam after winning the war against a. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam. America lost the vietnam war for a very simple reason. Tell me about the sorrow of war 1987, by bao ninh this is a great piece of writing and the guy is obviously a talented writer. Explaining americas lost war malden, ma, and oxford. The year 2015 marks the 50 th anniversary of the americanization of the vietnam war, a subject that has sparked intense and enduring debate. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was. Access to society journal content varies across our titles. It left americas foreign policy at least temporarily in disarray, discrediting the postwar policy of containment and undermin. Vietnamexplainingamericaslostjq463912020 adobe acrobat. The b52, which was originally designed for dropping nuclear weapons on russia, was refitted for conventional warfare in vietnam with devastating results. The involvement of the united states in the vietnam war has been the most polarizing issue within postwar american history.
America lost south vietnam because it was an artificial construct created in the wake of the french loss of indochina. Hess finds that the historiography of the vietnam war departs from the traditional model of historical appreciation of the united states wars. The development of counterinsurgency doctrine and the vietnam war new york. Follows some military engagements and politics of the war which was america s first televised war that brought into american living rooms. Ang cheng guan has produced firstrate works recounting that experience, and communist decisionmaking in particular, including the vietnam war from the other side. Explaining americas lost war, maiden, ma, blackwell publishing, 2009. The problem is, that losing has been so indoctrinated into peoples head because the us didnt have a victory parade down ho chi minh boulevard in hanoi. Looks at many facets of vietnam war, examining central arguments of scholars, journalists, and participants and providing evidence on both sides of. The unpopular military draft combined with 10 years of televised bloodshed and massive sustained protests helped their strategy succeed. In the fiction section, you will find the best books on vietnam war, other vietnam bestseller novels as well as novels set in vietnam. In a longawaited alternative to the lengthy and overly expensive texts on the vietnam war, charles neu presents americas lost war, a balanced, lively narrative account of that tragic conflict, one that sweeps across the whole timespan of the war and explores american, vietnamese, and international perspectives. Dec, 2017 in this post, you will find a list of the best vietnam books to read in 2020. An american correspondents journal from the chinese civil war to the cuban missile crisis and vietnam nicholas daniloff journal of cold war studies summer 2010, vol.
Apr 01, 2003 a brief superficial history of the vietnam war, especially america s involvement. The involvement of the united states in the vietnam war has been the most polarizing issue within post war american history. This textbook brings together description and analysis of the most important. Explaining americas lost war contesting the past pdf book author, online pdf book editor vietnam. The us became involved overtly in 1964 after the gulf. Download fulltext pdf download fulltext pdf download fulltext pdf. It is estimated to have suffered 1,394,000 casualties killed and wounded during the vietnam war. Furthermore, the geopolitical climate dictated the terms of americas involvement. Orthodoxy, revisionism, or none of the above gary r.
Now available in a revised and updated second edition, vietnam. The vietnam war in history chapter 1 the vietnam war. Tell me about the first book on your list, a rumor of war 1977. Circulate throughout the class to support students and correct any individual misunderstandings. A war without rules 2009 brian phan 12112009 ever since americas civil war 18611865, no war had divided its countries citizens as much as that. Dec 11, 2017 more than a generation ago in the vietnam war, viet cong guerillas and the north vietnamese army had a similar strategy. Vietnam explaining americas lost jq463912020 adobe acrobat reader dcdownload adobe acrobat reader dc ebook pdf. Philip caputo was a marine who later became a very wellknown journalist. Next on your list of vietnam war books is one written from the perspective of the viet cong. Request pdf on jan 1, 2010, martin grossheim published vietnam. The best vietnam war books five books expert recommendations. Heres another way to feel better about americas role in starting and fighting bad wars. I have broken down the best books about vietnam into helpful sections.
Vietnam war was by far the most convulsive and traumatic of america s three wars in asia in the 50 years since pearl harbor. Capitalism, yet the conduct of the vietnam war was complex and strategic, and brought repercussions which had never been seen before. Explaining americas lost war gary hess malden, ma, wileyblackwell, 2008, isbn. Why the us lost the vietnam war common dreams views.
In my mind its one of the first really wellwritten books that describe the moral ambiguities and difficulties faced by a young marine officer in this particular war. Americas different viewpoints on the war through the particular strip. It left america s foreign policy at least temporarily in disarray, discrediting the postwar policy of containment and undermin. America officially lost the vietnam war 40 years ago this. May 02, 2008 clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was in vietnam, gary r. A policy of total war including an allout land invasion of north vietnam or the use of atomic weapons was ruled out due to the risk of provoking chinese or soviet military action. Vietnam war was by far the most convulsive and traumatic of americas three wars in asia in the 50 years since pearl harbor. Hess find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. For all of the selfsatisfied voyeurism surrounding the vietnam war, its hard to find a concrete idea about why the u. Then the vietnam war, as appy shows, was reinterpreted as a uniquely american tragedy. Jon mixon, who has studied military actions during war times, feels that the vietnamese war was lost by the americans because south vietnam was. Explaining americas lost war isbn 9781118948996 pdf. It was divisive at the time, both domestically and internationally, and debates continue to the present day.
Explaining americas lost war is an awardwinning historiography of one of the 20th centurys seminal conflicts. View or download all content the institution has subscribed to. Indeed the american administration took the threat of a chinese reaction very. Articles in the journal draw on declassified materials and new memoirs to illuminate and raise questions about numerous historical and theoretical concerns. The vietnam war was a conflict, which the united states involved itself in unnecessarily and ultimately lost. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Westmorelands inappropriate combat tactics in the crucial years of 196468 his emphasis on enemy body counts and conventional. In a longawaited alternative to the lengthy and overly expensive texts on the vietnam war, charles neu presents america s lost war, a balanced, lively narrative account of that tragic conflict, one that sweeps across the whole timespan of the war and explores american, vietnamese, and international perspectives.
Download and conjure books online, epub pdf online audible kindle is an easy way to broadcast, books for singular. The ultimate 2020 list of best vietnam books to read. Surprisingly, few works have focused on the subject of this study. Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of scholars, participants, and journalists, both revisionist and orthodox in their approach, as they try to answer fundamental questions of the vietnam war.
Hess describes and evaluates the main arguments of schol. I cant give a good answer to this, but here are a couple of points that are germane. Over the past four decades, legions of historians, analysts and pundits have put forth various reasons to explain why america lost the war in vietnam. Ho and giap made an aggressive attack on the national will of the u. You can use your device camera to capture a document whiteboard or receipt and save it as a pdf take your pdf tools to go work on documents. Because there never was an organic nation of south vietnam, when. Clearly examines the historiography of the vietnam war questions whether the vietnam war was lost due to poor strategy and leadership, or was inherently doomed to failure. Apr 29, 2015 by the end of the war in vietnam, the north had lost more than 2 million dead and was too weakened to pose a threat to any but its neighbors laos and cambodia. Looks at many facets of vietnam war, examining central arguments of scholars, journalists, and participants and providing evidence on both sides of controversies around this event. Apr 27, 2015 america officially lost the vietnam war 40 years ago this week. Americas military role in the vietnam war lexington.
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