AnabsorbinganddefinitivemodernhistoryoftheVietnamWarfromtheacclaimedNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorofTheSecretWar.VietnambecametheWesternworld’smostdivisivemodernconflict,precipitatingabattlefieldhumiliationforFrancein1954,thenavastlygreateronefortheUnitedStatesin1975.MaxHastingshasspentthepastthreeyearsinterviewingscoresofparticipantsonbothsides,aswellasresearchingamultitudeofAmericanandVietnamesedocumentsandmemoirs,tocreateanepicnarrativeofanepicstruggle.HeportraysthesetpiecesofDienbienphu,the1968Tetoffensive,theairblitzofNorthVietnam,andalsomuchlessfamiliarminiaturessuchasthebloodbathatDaido,whereaUSMarinebattalionwasalmostwipedout,togetherwithextraordinaryrecollectionsofHoChiMinh’swarriors.Herearethevividrealitiesofstrifeamidjungleandpaddiesthatkilledtwomillionpeople.ManywriterstreatthewarasaUStragedy,yetHastingsseesitasoverwhelminglythatoftheVietnamesepeople,ofwhomfortydiedforeveryAmerican.USblundersandatrocitieswerematchedbythosecommittedbytheirenemies.Whilealltheworldhasseentheimageofascreaming,nakedgirlsearedbynapalm,itforgetscountlesseviscerations,beheadings,andmurderscarriedoutbythecommunists.ThepeopleofbothformerVietnamspaidabitterpricefortheNortherners’victoryinprivationandoppression.HereistestimonyfromVietcongguerrillas,Southernparatroopers,Saigonbargirls,andHanoistudentsalongsidethatofinfantrymenfromSouthDakota,MarinesfromNorthCarolina,andHueypilotsfromArkansas.Nopastvolumehasblendedapoliticalandmilitarynarrativeoftheentireconflictwithheart-stoppingpersonalexperiences,inthefashionthatMaxHastings’readersknowsowell.Theauthorsuggeststhatneithersidedeservedtowinthisstrugglewithsomanylessonsforthetwenty-firstcenturyaboutthemisuseofmilitarymighttoconfrontintractablepoliticalandculturalchallenges.Hemarshalstestimonyfromwarlordsandpeasants,statesmenandsoldiers,tocreateanextraordinaryrecord.
