Author: Andrew Wiest Published: 2006 Pages: 336 It is more than 30 years since the Vietnam War ended. The passions that divided the nation may have muted. However, as this excellent anthology illustrates, there are enduring disagreements concerning the justification, military planning, and long-term effects of the war. Professor Wiest has compiled a series of essays written by historians, correspondents, and participants from both sides of the conflict, and thus readers are provided with a variety of perspectives and opinions. In his introductory essay, Wiest properly emphasizes the Vietnamese aspects of the struggle, including the centuries-long struggle for independence. Martin Windrow provides a valuable summary of the "first" Indochina war, in which the French attempted to maintain colonial control. Biu Tin, a North Vietnamese colonel, and Lam Quang Thi, a South Vietnamese general, provide contrasting views of the conflict. Other contributors cover topics as varied as the utility of U.S. aerial bombardment, the influence of television coverage, and the effect upon Vietnamese civilians caught in the cross fire.
|
