Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered from All Sides

I'd like to begin this review with a few of the things that may have been left out in the reviews below. First, although this is a lengthy book, it is constructed in such a way that it could be almost twice as long and the reader would wish for more (in fact the author states that he had to excise plenty of great material in the interests of brevity; I wish that he hadn't). This is because within the broad chapter overviews he has condensed interviewee statements into spaces sometimes as small as a couple of paragraphs. In fact, it is amazing how much pith the author is able to include in such abbreviated memoirs. Second, as is hinted below, Mr. Appy has produced a book with the broadest time spectrum yet of the English language literature that has been produced on the war, that I am aware of. Third, Mr. Appy has generously included a plethora of book titles within the body of the work and in the bibliography from both participants in his survey and books that he has used for reference. Many of these books were new to me and I've read or passed on dozens of Vietnam War books in the past two years. So, if you are on the hunt for new reading material this is a great resource. Finally, one of the things hinted at but not specifically mentioned in reviews below, the unfolding of events in Vietnam and the way they were canned and served to the American public has some very disturbing parallels to the present Bush Administration's machinations in Iraq (No, I don't believe that Iraq is America's new Vietnam war, rather I suggest that the reader look toward Russia's involvement in Chechnya for a more apt simile). Apart from this, the book's wide breadth of time and topic, and broad spectrum of views guarantees that, no matter how expert one fancies oneself to be on the Vietnam War, he will inevitably glean new information or insight into this little bit of Indochinese nastiness that was the Vietnam War (the American War in Vietnam). I go so far as to make two additional predictions. One is that those of you who either have children or are above the age of 35 will find yourselves with tears welling up in your eyes at least once in the course of the book. The other is that you will find yourself reading some of the narratives here in this book in a state of either amazement or shocked outrage, perhaps both. Finally, a quick overview of how this book is set up: The book is arranged under 5 broad topics: Beginnings, Escalations, Endings, etc. Within these broad categories are smaller ones with headings such as War Heroes, Triage, Families At War, etc., and within these are the narrative accounts from various participants from all sides and from numerous different angles. Often, the author has embellished these micro-accounts with a kind of preface and aftercommentary treatment, and while the going is at times quite heavy, at no point does this book cause one to wish to walk away from it. What otherwise might have taken me a couple of days t

The use of oral histories as a specific historical device has been popularized over the last decade by such notable authors as Stephen Ambrose and Studs Terkel. Here we have the concept applied assiduously and quite comprehensively by scholar Christian Appy. Thus, "Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides" follows the track of previous tomes such as Myra MacPherson's memorable "Long Time Passing" and even David Marannis' recent "They Marched Into Sunlight", both of which in somewhat different manner broach the same panoply of issues as are discussed herein. This book represents an almost Herculean attempt to catch once more the dissipating and evaporating tenor of a vanishing time. His coverage is indeed comprehensive, reaching all the way from the vapors of the late 1940s almost into the present. We find conversations and comments from people from all walks of life, from presiding generals like William Westmoreland to obscure stewardesses (even that term is dated, as they now are universally referred to as flight attendants), from politicians like blowhard Alexander Haig (remember "I am in control here"?) to the very grunts who dragged themselves and their buddies who hacked their way past the rotting jungle and raging rivers through the South Asian mud. There are voices from every side, from the son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev to former South Vietnamese Vice President Thu Bihn to former war resisters and anti-war activists. Indeed, the book attempts quite admirably to cover all the colors and hues of a multifaceted phenomenon that was the war in Vietnam. As such, the work is a valuable resource for those who honestly want to understand what all the tumult over the war I Vietnam was in the 1960s. Certainly it is difficult for the later generations to understand the significance of the draft, given the fact that they have been raised in a country that now uses an all-volunteer force, one in which such conflicts pose no personal risk to them or their families. As such, the book does indeed serve as a formalized source for reference and discussion over what the war in Vietnam was all about, what the turmoil in this country over our involvement sprang from, and how it was finally resolved, albeit to no one's satisfaction. In using the emotionally freighted term of "patriots" he also calls attention to the current tendency to believe any dissent is anti-American as a patent falsehood, that indeed, such active voices of dissent are critical to the survival of the republic. To quote the author himself, he was interested in discovering and discussing "in what ways might patriotism be a force for good or inspire noble sacrifice, and when does it become a club for stifling dissent and a rallying cry for unjustifiable destruction?" This is a pertinent question for our troubled times. Enjoy!

"Patriots: The Vietnam War Remembered From All Sides," by Christian G. Appy is a glowing tribute to everyone who fought, aided, suffered or protested the Vietnam War. If anything, the one consistent thread in many of the individual snapshots of the war is that the leaders in Washington underestimated the will of the Vietnamese people. Moreover, the author documents many of the White House & Pentagon decisions that lead to the death of 58,193 American men & women and the loss of 8,588 aircraft. The Vietnamese accounts of the war are powerful. The hardship of the jungles, the constant hunger, the simple importance of sandals and the dangers of the American air war are all communicated in short vivid passages. Appy also provides ample evidence that the South Vietnamese government was brutal and corrupt and few American officials in the government or military cared to insist on democratic reforms. However, do not mistake the author's intentions...this book is not an apology...it is an honest account of an American tragedy. Vietnam is the longest war in the history of the United States. Overall the Vietnam war has generated hundreds of books and dozens of movies and documentaries. To this end, put this book up in the ranks of the very best. It is an excellent journalistic report. This book is well-researched and easy to read. The author is able to collect the voices of the high and mighty as well of those of the poor which he skillfully weaves together to create a masterpiece.Bert Ruiz

Christian Appy goes mining in the oral histories of the Vietnam War and comes up with gems. This is a fascinating collection of stories from people on all sides of this war. Although the book is fairly long, most of the stories are short -- just a couple of pages long on average. Each story can stand alone and be read out of context. But Appy has added much more by carefully organizing the chapters and providing historical context and thoughtful insight. This is an important, thought-provoking book that manages to be thoroughly enjoyable too. Highly recommended to those who are interested in people's stories as part of history in general, and for those who lived through or have ever wondered about the Vietnam War in particular.

No one who reads this book will be unmoved. Mr. Appy has collected more voices on the war (the book is an oral history) than any other author (or for that matter anyone)who has taken on this momentuous period in the history of both nations and set them out in such a juxtiposition that their collective voice is profound in its eloquence and unassailable truth. The truth being that the war was an unmitigated tragedy for all involved. My expercence,and that of others who have read the book (550 pgs.), is that while the stories (along with Mr. Appy's introductions and other comments)are compelling, one can only read a few stories at a time because the accounts are so powerful and so affecting that the reader needs time to digest the emotions they reflect and evoke. A truly important and, on top of that, riveting book.