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Vietnam's Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN
by Andrew Wiest2009 Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award for BiographyExamines South Vietnam’s complex relationship with the United States through the stories of two Vietnamese soldiers' diverging pathsVietnam’s Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN chronicles the lives of Pham Van Dinh and Tran Ngoc Hue, two of the brightest young stars in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). Both men fought with valor in a war that seemed to have no end, exemplifying ARVN bravery and determination that is largely forgotten or ignored in the West. However, while Hue fought until he was captured by the North Vietnamese Army and then endured thirteen years of captivity, Dinh surrendered and defected to the enemy, for whom he served as a teacher in the reeducation of his former ARVN comrades. An understanding of how two lives that were so similar diverged so dramatically provides a lens through which to understand the ARVN and South Vietnam’s complex relationship with America's government and military. The lives of Dinh and Hue reflect the ARVNs battlefield successes, from the recapture of the Citadel in Hue City in the Tet Offensive of 1968, to Dinhs unheralded role in the seizure of Hamburger Hill a year later. However, their careers expose an ARVN that was over-politicized, tactically flawed, and dependent on American logistical and firepower support. Marginalized within an American war, ARVN faced a grim fate as U.S. forces began to exit the conflict. As the structure of the ARVN/U.S. alliance unraveled, Dinh and Hue were left alone to make the most difficult decisions of their lives. Andrew Wiest weaves historical analysis with a compelling narrative, culled from extensive interviews with Dinh, Hue, and other key figures. Once both military superstars, Dinh is viewed by a traitor by many within the South Vietnamese community, while Hue, an expatriate living in northern Virginia, is seen as a hero who never let go of his ideals. Their experiences and legacies mirror that of the ARVNs rise and fall as well as the tragic history of South Vietnam.
Vietnam's Second Front: Domestic Politics, the Republican Party, and the War
by Andrew L. JohnsThe effects of domestic politics on the Vietnam War are revealed in this groundbreaking historical study by the author of The Price of Loyalty. In Vietnam's Second Front, Andrew L.Johns examines how American domestic politics effected the Vietnam War. He pays special attention to the role of the Republican Party, from the Nixon administration to grassroots organizations. The revealing analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Congress and the imperial presidency as they struggled for control over US foreign policy. Johns argues that, from 1961 through the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations failed to achieve victory on both fronts of the Vietnam War―military and political―because of their preoccupation with domestic politics. Johns details the political dexterity required of all three presidents and of members of Congress to maneuver between the countervailing forces of escalation and negotiation, offering a provocative account of the ramifications of their decisions. With clear, incisive prose and extensive archival research, Johns's analysis covers the broad range of the Republican Party's impact on the Vietnam War, offers a compelling reassessment of responsibility for the conflict, and challenges assumptions about the roles of Congress and the president in US foreign relations.
Vietnam: A History
by Stanley KarnowThis revised and updated history of the Vietnam War focuses on the people involved on both sides as well as relating the political and military events that unfolded in Vietnam and the decisions made in Washington, Hanoi, and elsewhere.
Vietnam: A History of the War
by Russell FreedmanIn an enthralling book, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman provides a succinct account of perhaps the most puzzling and contentious of America’s wars. Describing how a superpower caught up in Cold War politics became increasingly enmeshed in a conflict over 8,000 miles away, he then explains why twenty years later an exit was so difficult. In words and photographs he chronicles the unfolding events in Vietnam and at home as increasing numbers of young men were sent into the jungles to fight. After assessing the catastrophic damage, Freedman concludes the book with a hopeful epilogue on Vietnam today. A glossary, source notes, bibliography and index are included.
Vietnam: A New History (From Indochina To Vietnam #Vol. 2)
by Christopher GoschaThe definitive history of modern Vietnam, lauded as "groundbreaking" (Guardian) and "the best one-volume history of modern Vietnam in English" (Wall Street Journal) and a finalist for the Cundill History Prize In Vietnam, Christopher Goscha tells the full history of Vietnam, from antiquity to the present day. Generations of emperors, rebels, priests, and colonizers left complicated legacies in this remarkable country. Periods of Chinese, French, and Japanese rule reshaped and modernized Vietnam, but so too did the colonial enterprises of the Vietnamese themselves as they extended their influence southward from the Red River Delta. Over the centuries, numerous kingdoms, dynasties, and states have ruled over -- and fought for -- what is now Vietnam. The bloody Cold War-era conflict between Ho Chi Minh's communist-backed Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the American-backed Republic of Vietnam was only the most recent instance when war divided and transformed Vietnam. A major achievement, Vietnam offers the grand narrative of the country's complex past and the creation of the modern state of Vietnam. It is the definitive single-volume history for anyone seeking to understand Vietnam today.
Vietnam: A View from the Front Lines
by Andrew WiestTracing the American experience of the Vietnam War from its popular inception to its morale-crushing and bitter conclusion, Vietnam: A View from the Frontlines is a grunt's-eye view of the conflict - from the steaming rice paddies and swamps of the Mekong Delta, to the triple-canopy rainforest of the Central Highlands, to the forlorn Marine bases that dotted the DMZ. Like Karl Marlantes' ground-breaking novel Mattherhorn, this book will change the way we think about Vietnam. Told in the uncompromising, no-holds barred language of the soldiers themselves, the stories contained within this book detail everything from heroism to battle, and from helicopters hitting the LZs to the impact on soldiers' loved ones at home. It is a true and grippingly accurate portrait of the American war in Vietnam through the eyes of the soldiers, medics, corpsmen, nurses and widows who experienced it. The book is based on rich collections housed at the Center of Military History and at the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech.
Vietnam: An American Ordeal
by George Donelson MossThis book provides a comprehensive narrative history of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia, from 1942 to 1975--with a concluding section that traces U.S.-Vietnam relations from the end of the war in 1975 to the present. Unlike most general histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam--which are either conventional diplomatic or military histories--this volume synthesizes the perspectives to explore both dimensions of the struggle in greater depth, elucidating more of the complexities of the U.S.-Vietnam entanglement. It explains why Americans tried so hard for so long to stop the spread of Communism into Indochina, and why they failed. Key topics: The Fall of Saigon: The End as Prelude. Vietnam: A Place and A People. The Elephant and the Tiger. An Experiment in Nation Building. Raising the Stakes. Going to War. The Chain of Thunders. The Year of the Monkey. A War to End a War. The End of the Tunnel. Market: For anyone curious to know about the long American involvement in Southeast Asia, 1942-1975.
Vietnam: An American Ordeal
by George Donelson MossNow in its 7th edition, Vietnam: An American Ordeal continues to provide a thorough account of the failed American effort to create a viable, non-Communist state in Southern Vietnam. Unlike most general histories of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which are either conventional diplomatic or military histories, this volume synthesizes the perspectives to explore both dimensions of the struggle in greater depth, elucidating more of the complexities of the U.S.-Vietnam entanglement. It explains why Americans tried so hard for so long to stop the spread of Communism into Indochina and why they failed. In this new edition, George Donelson Moss expands and refines key moments of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, including the strategic and diplomatic background for United States’ involvement in Indochina during World War II; how the French, with British and American support, regained control in southern Vietnam, Saigon, and the vicinity, in the fall, 1945; the account for the formation of SEATO; and the account of the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. The text has also been revised and updated to align with recently published monographic literature on the time period. The accessible writing will enable students to gain a solid understanding of how and why the United States went to war against The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and why it lost the long, bitter conflict. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of American history, the history of foreign relations, and the Vietnam War itself.
Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975
by Max HastingsAn absorbing and definitive modern history of the Vietnam War from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Secret War. <P><P>Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the 1968 Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and also much less familiar miniatures such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh’s warriors. <P><P>Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people.Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American. US blunders and atrocities were matched by those committed by their enemies. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings, and murders carried out by the communists. <P><P>The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners’ victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bargirls, and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, and Huey pilots from Arkansas.No past volume has blended a political and military narrative of the entire conflict with heart-stopping personal experiences, in the fashion that Max Hastings’ readers know so well. <P><P>The author suggests that neither side deserved to win this struggle with so many lessons for the twenty-first century about the misuse of military might to confront intractable political and cultural challenges. He marshals testimony from warlords and peasants, statesmen and soldiers, to create an extraordinary record.
Vietnam: The Early Decisions
by Lloyd C. Gardner and Ted GittingerHaunting questions remain about our involvement in Vietnam. Perhaps the most persistent of these is whether President Kennedy would have ended American involvement in Vietnam if he had lived. For many Americans, Oliver Stone’s film JFK left no doubt that before his assassination Kennedy had determined to quit Vietnam. Yet the historical record offers a more complex answer. In this fresh look at the archival evidence, noted scholars take up the challenge to provide us with their conclusions about the early decisions that put the United States on the path to the greatest American tragedy since the Civil War. The tensions and turmoil that accompanied those decisions reveal the American presidency at the center of a storm of conflicting advice. The book is divided into four sections. Parts one and two delve into the political and military contexts of the early decisions. Part three raises the intriguing questions of Kennedy’s and Johnson’s roles in the conflict, particularly the thorny issue of whether Kennedy did, in fact, intend to withdraw from Vietnam and whether Johnson reversed that policy. Part four reveals an uncanny parallel between early Soviet policy toward Hanoi and U.S. policy toward Saigon.
Vietnam: The Early Decisions
by Lloyd C. Gardner and Ted GittingerThis anthology examines the turmoil and conflicting advice that led the US into Vietnam and the roles played by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. For many Americans, Oliver Stone&’s film JFK left no doubt that before his assassination Kennedy had determined to quit Vietnam. Yet the historical record offers a more complex view. In this fresh look at the archival evidence, noted scholars take up the challenge to provide us with their conclusions about the early decisions that put the United States on the path to the greatest American tragedy since the Civil War. The book is divided into four sections. Parts one and two delve into the political and military contexts of the early decisions. Part three raises the intriguing questions of Kennedy&’s and Johnson's roles in the conflict, particularly the thorny issue of whether Kennedy did, in fact, intend to withdraw from Vietnam and whether Johnson reversed that policy. Part four reveals an uncanny parallel between early Soviet policy toward Hanoi and US policy toward Saigon.
Vietnam: The Necessary War
by Michael LindMichael Lind casts new light on one of the most contentious episodes in American history in this controversial bestseller.In this groundgreaking reinterpretation of America's most disatrous and controversial war, Michael Lind demolishes enduring myths and put the Vietnam War in its proper context—as part of the global conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. Lind reveals the deep cultural divisions within the United States that made the Cold War consensus so fragile and explains how and why American public support for the war in Indochina declined. Even more stunning is his provacative argument that the United States failed in Vietnam because the military establishment did not adapt to the demands of what before 1968 had been largely a guerrilla war. In an era when the United States so often finds itself embroiled in prolonged and difficult conflicts, Lind offers a sobering cautionary tale to Ameicans of all political viewpoints.
Vietnam: The Unwinnable War
by Gerry and SouterVietnam: The Unwinnable War is a dramatic guide to the suffering, sacrifice and heroism of one of the most significant and debated periods in twentieth-century history. Expertly retold with searing imagery and accounts of the events that unfolded, this definitive visual history memorializes this controversial and bloody conflict. Also included are 20 pieces of memorabilia reproduced on the page, taken from US archives and personal collections to give an authentic and moving telling of events, from personal letters from US soldiers, US Airborne calling cards, extracts from US Army phrasebooks, and even letters sent between the Vietnamese and American governments during the fighting.See the war through the eyes of those that experienced it first-hand and gain a deeper understanding of this historical moment and its human and political cost.
Vietnam: The Unwinnable War
by Gerry and SouterVietnam: The Unwinnable War is a dramatic guide to the suffering, sacrifice and heroism of one of the most significant and debated periods in twentieth-century history. Expertly retold with searing imagery and accounts of the events that unfolded, this definitive visual history memorializes this controversial and bloody conflict. Also included are 20 pieces of memorabilia reproduced on the page, taken from US archives and personal collections to give an authentic and moving telling of events, from personal letters from US soldiers, US Airborne calling cards, extracts from US Army phrasebooks, and even letters sent between the Vietnamese and American governments during the fighting.See the war through the eyes of those that experienced it first-hand and gain a deeper understanding of this historical moment and its human and political cost.
Vietnam: Writings By Activists
by Mary McCarthyHailed as &“the most provocative and disturbing analytical indictment . . . of America&’s role in Vietnam&” by the New York Times, this is Mary McCarthy&’s riveting account of her journeys to Saigon and Hanoi In 1967, the editor of the New York Review of Books sent Mary McCarthy to Vietnam. In this daring and incisive account, McCarthy brings her critical thinking and novelist&’s eye to one of the most unpopular wars in our nation&’s history.Outraged over America&’s role in the Vietnam War, McCarthy arrived in Saigon with her own preconceived notions. Her time there did little to alter those beliefs. Focusing on the moral consequences—&“the worst thing that could happen to our country would be to win this war&”—McCarthy provides firsthand reports from the front line. She describes visits to villages built for Vietnamese refugees torn between the terror that Americans would stay and the fear that they would go.From its coverage of the daily horrors of war to notes on the logistical challenge of bringing 494,000 soldiers home, this is a timely and timeless work from one of America&’s most outspoken and respected critics.This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary McCarthy including rare images from the author&’s estate.
View From The Air
by Hugh Fosburgh"Fosburgh writes of the air as many of our greatest writers have written of the sea with love and fear..."--BOSTON HERALDIn the darkness, the ten men stood together near the nose of the Upstairs Maid. She was factory-new. They had named her, and they had paid thirty dollars to a sergeant for the fine naked blond painted on her nose. She was the best B-24 bomber in the business, she was their plane and they were proud of her. And each one of them had wondered, privately, whether someday she would fly them back to the States, or whether somewhere out there in the Pacific, she would be their tomb..."...the perilous mission which takes the Upstairs Maid into a storm, over the target, then home wounded, on two engines and a prayer, is the most authentic flying time ever logged by an American writer."--THE NEW YORK TIMES
Views of Violence: Representing the Second World War in German and European Museums and Memorials (Spektrum: Publications of the German Studies Association #19)
by Jörg Echternkamp Stephan JaegerTwenty-first-century views of historical violence have been immeasurably influenced by cultural representations of the Second World War. Within Europe, one of the key sites for such representation has been the vast array of museums and memorials that reflect contemporary ideas of war, the roles of soldiers and civilians, and the self-perception of those who remember. This volume takes a historical perspective on museums covering the Second World War and explores how these institutions came to define political contexts and cultures of public memory in Germany, across Europe, and throughout the world.
Vigilance (The Fractal Series #3)
by Allen StroudThe stirring finale of The Fractal series which began with the much lauded Fearless and Resilient hard-sf masterpieces.&“Stroud raises fascinating questions about the politics of space exploration.&”– Publisher&’s WeeklyIn the aftermath of Phobos Station&’s destruction, sinister forces fight to control humanity&’s fragile first steps in colonizing other worlds. There are competing agendas at work. Some seek to overthrow the Corporations and Governments, others just want to see everything burn. In the midst of it all, Captain Ellisa Shann and her crew are fighting to survive and to unlock the secrets of a mysterious and ancient alien ship.Vigilance is the conclusion to the epic science fiction story that began with Fearless and continued with Resilient. What new revelations await in the ongoing Fractal Series?FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
Vigilance Is Not Enough: A History of United States Intelligence
by Mark M. LowenthalA broad and deep survey of American intelligence from before the Revolution to the present Every nation has an intelligence apparatus—some means by which its top officials acquire needed information on sensitive issues. But each nation does it differently, influenced by its history, its geographical conditions, and its political traditions. In this book, Mark M. Lowenthal examines the development of U.S. intelligence to explain how and why the United States went from having no intelligence service to speak of to being the world&’s predominant intelligence power almost overnight, and he discusses the difficult choices involved in maintaining that dominance in a liberal democracy. Lowenthal describes how the lack of a tradition of spycraft both hindered and helped American efforts to develop intelligence services during and after the Second World War. He points to the political pragmatism—leading to difficult choices—with which most intelligence directors operated; the constant tension between security and civil liberties in a constitutional democracy; the tension between the need for secrecy and the accountability required for democratic governance; and the way the growing importance of technology changed both the methods and the objectives of intelligence gathering. Far more than simply an episodic history, this book offers an analysis of why American intelligence developed as it did—and what it has meant for the nation&’s and the world&’s politics.
Vigilante (Major Ariane Kedros #2)
by Laura E. ReeveAmidst an uneasy peace between the Autonomists and the Terrans, Major Ariane Kedros and her partner, Matthew Journey, have discovered alien ruins on a remote planet?ruins that bear evidence to an ancient and highly advanced technology. But their discovery has drawn the interest of high stakes players from every corner of the universe?including that of the rogue leader of a fringe Terran sect. Ari must find a way to stop him, before they all become ancient history. . . .
Viking Boys: Beaufighters, Bravery and Lost Airmen
by John QuaifeAn Australian attack aircraft flies into a ship with guns blazing. Both crewmen are killed, but does anyone notice? At the entrance to Orsta fjord, down an overgrown path, a granite stone stands on a rocky outcrop at the water&’s edge. Roughly inscribed in English, it records the loss of two young Australians. The stone was erected in 1947 by parents grieving the loss of their son. Each year villagers of Orsta pay homage to the sacrifice of these two young Australians who died to restore their freedom. Beaufighter pilot James Hakewill and his navigator Fred Sides died on 5 December 1944 when their aircraft slammed into a German gunboat in a fjord in Norway. Official records contain no mention of the aircraft hitting the ship. No one in the squadron knew what had happened. Neil Smith thought he had shot down his wingman. Kurt Heinowitcz from Breslau shovelled coal for the German Navy – he was on the gunboat. Fred&’s mum believed her son had survived the crash and was lost in Russia. James was nominated for the Victoria Cross. Viking Boys tells their stories and reveals the experience of young Australians who fought and flew against German shipping in the fjords of Norway – and called themselves the Viking Boys.
Vikings at War
by Kim Hjardar Vegard VikeAn illustrated guide to Viking warfare from strategy and weapons to culture and tradition: &“a very excellent introduction to the Viking age as a whole&” (Justin Pollard, historical consultant for the Amazon television series Vikings). From the time when sailing was first introduced to Scandinavia, Vikings reached virtually every corner of Europe and even America with their raids and conquests. Wherever Viking ships roamed, enormous suffering followed in their wake, but the encounters between cultures also brought immense change to both European and Nordic societies. In Vikings at War, historian Kim Hjardar presents a comprehensive overview of Viking weapons technology, military traditions and tactics, offensive and defensive strategies, fortifications, ships, and command structure. The most crucial element of the Viking&’s success was their strategy of arriving by sea, attacking with great force, and withdrawing quickly. In their militarized society, honor was everything, and ruining one&’s posthumous reputation was considered worse than death itself. Vikings at War features more than 380 color illustrations, including beautiful reconstruction drawings, maps, cross-section drawings of ships, line-drawings of fortifications, battle plan reconstructions, and photos of surviving artifacts, including weapons and jewelry. Winner of Norway&’s Saga Prize, Vikings at War is now available in English with this new translation. &“A magnificent piece of work [that] I&’d recommend to anyone with an interest in the Viking period.&” —Justin Pollard, historical consultant for the Amazon television series Vikings
Vikings in Vietnam: Norwegian Patrol Boat Captains in CIA Clandestine Operations
by Alessandro GiorgiA new and exciting story about the war in Vietnam
Vikings to U-Boats: The German Experience in Newfoundland and Labrador (McGill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History #110)
by Gerhard P. BasslerVikings to U-Boats explores the colony's hidden multicultural history, examining both sides of the German-Newfoundland/Labrador experience. From first recorded contacts to the end of World War II, Bassler traces the lives of German-speaking fishermen, musicians, doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs. He reconstructs the historical reality behind U-Boat and spy stories and analyses the change in status of the colony's German-speaking people from neighbours to "enemy aliens." Vikings to U-Boats challenges the assumption that the history of Newfoundland and Labrador was shaped solely by English-speakers from the British Isles.
Vikings: Raiders from the Sea (Casemate Short History)
by Kim HjardarA concise history of the Vikings and their time by the Norwegian historian and author of Vikings at War.From the 9th to the 11th century, Viking ships landed on almost every shore in the Western world. Viking ravages united the Spanish kingdoms and stopped Charlemagne and the Franks’ advance in Europe. Employing sail technology and using unpredictable strategies, the Vikings could strike suddenly, attack with great force, then withdraw with stolen goods or captives. Wherever Viking ships roamed, enormous suffering followed in their wake, but the encounter between cultures changed both European and Nordic societies. This short history of the Vikings introduces readers to this highly influential medieval society. Here you will learn how Vikings raided across Europe and even America, with fascinating information about their ships, weapons and armor, and unique way of life.