The Bad War - Hardcover

Willenson, Kim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0453005462 ISBN 13: 9780453005463

Publisher: Dutton Adult, 1987

Synopsis

From America's entry into the conflict to the fall of Saigon and the war's aftermath, here is the complete Vietnam story as told in the words of those who lived it. An even-handed portrait of America's role in Vietnam, and a highly personalized account of the war's impact on Americans at home and overseas. Advertising in Newsweek.

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Reviews

Willenson calls it "the lasting impressions of some interesting people who lived the event." A collection of interviews conducted by Newsweek in 1985 and 1986, this is not so much about how the war was fought as how it got started, how it was mishandled in Washington and Saigon, and how it has influenced foreign policy in the years since. Interviewees include senators William Fullbright and Eugene McCarthy, defense secretary Clark Clifford, national security adviser Walt Rostow, pacification chief Robert Komer and prime minister Nguyen Cao Ky, as well as CIA operatives, grunts, prisoners of war, journalists, draft-evaders (both American and Vietnamese), antiwar activists and various others. The spectrum of opinion is wide, and the speakers seem to hold nothing back. Bobby Muller (crippled ex-Marine and veterans'-rights activist): "I hate the Marine Corps. It is a stupid branch of the service. It should be eliminated." Joan Baez: "I would not retract anything I did in the sixties." Robert Komer: "There is one thing on which I am very clear, and that is that the loss of strategic real estate that was Indochina had only a very modest impact on our global geostrategic position." William Fulbright: "The country didn't learn a damn thing from it."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

At one point in this rich collection of analyses by key players in the Vietnam War debacle, former Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford remarks that "Those with hindsight have 20/20 vision." It's an adage that keeps coming to mind as former hawks still wish our military had been given the tools to win the war on the battlefield, while former doves still insist that we should have withdrawn our troops early on. Among those giving testimony are J. William Fulbright, Alexander Haig, Nguyen Cao Ky, Eugene McCarthy, Walt Rostow, Joan Baez, and former Marine Bobby Muller, who came home a paraplegic. Each chapter covers a major topic in the saga, e.g., "American Views of the Vietnamese." A fascinating, well-organized compendium of diverse opinions and often emotional judgments. Very highly recommended. Richard W. Grefrath, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Adult
• Publication date: 1987
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0453005462
• ISBN 13: 9780453005463
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 451