Vietnam War: The Essential Reference Guide - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1610691032 ISBN 13: 9781610691031

Publisher: ABC-CLIO, 2013

Synopsis

The Vietnam War was one of America's longest, bloodiest, and most controversial wars. This volume examines the complexities of this protracted conflict and explains why the lessons learned in Vietnam are still highly relevant today.

Vietnam War: The Essential Reference Guide provides a compendium of the key people, places, organizations, treaties, and events that make up the history of the war, explaining its causes, how it was conducted, and its far-reaching consequences. Written by recognized authorities, this ready-reference volume provides essential information all in one place and includes a comprehensive list of additional sources for further study.

The work presents a detailed chronology that outlines the numerous battles and campaigns throughout the war, such as the Tet Offensive, the Battle of Hamburger Hill, Operation Rolling Thunder, and the Battle of Hue. Biographies on Lyndon Johnson, William Westmoreland, Robert McNamara, Ngo Dinh Diem, and other major political figures and military leaders provide insight into the individuals who played key roles in the conflict, while primary source documents such as President Nixon's speech on Vietnamization provide invaluable historical context.

About this title

About the Author

James H. Willbanks, PhD, is the General of the Army George C. Marshall Chair of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC), Fort Leavenworth, KS.

Reviews

The body of this slim volume contains alphabetically arranged entries on the key figures, locations, battles, treaties, and events of the Vietnam War, chronologically defined here as 1945–1975. Most entries focus on a particular person (John F. Kennedy, Nguyen Van Thieu, William Westmoreland) or operation (Linebacker I and II, Rolling Thunder, Tet Offensive). Some examples of other topical entries are Search and destroy, My Lai massacre, Domino theory, Attrition, Cambodian incursion, and African Americans in the U.S. military. Entries are brief and to the point—covering major topics only and tending to be a few pages or less in length—but each is followed by a list of references for further study. The volume opens with short sections of just a few pages each devoted to issues like the causes and consequences of the war, Communist strategy, opposition to the war, and media coverage of the conflict. Sprinkled throughout are black-and-white battle and campaign maps as well as some period photographs. There are 14 primary resource documents included at the end. Most of these primary resources are excerpts of speeches given by Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, or Henry Kissinger. Each contains a paragraph or so of introduction to provide context. There is also a 30-page chronology concluding the volume as well as a 15-page bibliography. Overall, this concise work might be better subtitled the “quick” rather than the “essential” reference guide. But it does provide an excellent starting point for compressed background information on a large number of the complex topics and issues related to the Vietnam War. --Michael Tosko

Edition details

• Publisher: ABC-CLIO
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1610691032
• ISBN 13: 9781610691031
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 388
• Editor: Willbanks James H.