Vietnam's American War
A New History

This new edition masterfully explains the origins and outcome of America's war in Vietnam by focusing on its local dimensions.

Pierre Asselin (Author)

9781009229326, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 June 2024

462 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.9 cm, 0.81 kg

'Very good balanced account of the conflict and how it fits in the longer history of Vietnam. Written at a level that will be engaging for undergraduate students - clear, concise but also challenging.' Kevin Brushett, Royal Military College of Canada

The American war in Vietnam was so much more than the sum of its battles. To make sense of it, we must look beyond the conflict itself. We must understand its context and, above all, the formative experiences, worldview, and motivations of those who devised communist strategies and tactics. Vietnam's American War, now in its second edition, remains a story of how and why Hanoi won. However, this revised and expanded edition offers more extensive and nuanced insights into Southern Vietnamese history, politics, and society. It puts to rest the myth of Vietnamese national unity by documenting the myriad, profound local fractures exacerbated by US intervention. It also includes over thirty-five new images intended to highlight that the Vietnam War was, fundamentally, a Vietnamese civil war and tragedy. This new edition is as richly detailed as it is original, eye-opening, and absorbing.

Introduction: Why Vietnam Matters
1. From Dai Viet to the August Revolution
2. Civil and Colonial War, 1945–1954
3. Interwar Period, 1954–1965
4. Americanization, 1965–1968
5. De-Americanization, 1968–1973
6. Endings, 1973–1975
Epilogue: Legacies.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF]