The Vietnam War

This is about the briefest history of the Vietnam War you're ever going to find. But that isn't to say it isn't worth reading, it is, especially if your a new student of Vietnam history. Just don't expect any depth. I liked the book, and I liked the easy writing style of the author. But, as is the case with so many college professors it's definitely slanted towards the author's personal political ideology. And that means, of course, that the Republicans are the bad guys who always want war, and the democrats are the peace keepers who are just trying to do their job. One thing, however, is made crystal clear. While politicians from both sides worried more about their careers than getting the job done, a lot of honorable soldiers died. Anybody who lived through the sixties should remember the daily body counts announced by the media. All in all, though, I'd say this short book is a good way to get an overview of the entire Vietnam conflict from beginning to end---in two sittings. How can you beat that? I give this book a thumbs up recommendation.

Attempting to write a history of The Vietnam War in less than 200 pages of text (supported by good notes) is not an easy task. The keen student of Vietnam will find nothing new in this, but if you are looking for a generally well written concise history of this horrible conflict - read Lawrence's work. Vietnam is a story of broken promises by world powers - United States, France, Soviet Union and China. After a brief exploration of the early history of the country, the author shows how Vietnam was but a pawn for the major powers. He paints quite clearly an inexorable slow drive to inevitable war as the US / Soviet Union / China perceive a country virtually unknown to the West as a key geo-political battle ground. The tragedy for the United States is that Vietnam was also a domestic political football and US Presidents Kennedy and Johnson got deeper involved in the conflict "not because they were confident of victory but because they feared the consequences of defeat." The Vietnam War broke LBJ, a man who always seemed to only go half-way in implementing any advice from advisors. I can't agree with a previous reviewer who castigates the author for his profile of Nixon. It is well documented that Nixon interfered with Johnson's peace overtures prior to the 1968 election which is a much more cynical act than his Watergate escapades. An excellent picture of Nixon and Kissinger is painted in Robert Dallek's book Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Powerand does neither of them little credit. Very concise but good overviews of the Tet offensive and other key battles are provided. If you want a military history of Vietnam, this is not the book for you, but if you want a good general picture and understanding of how the most powerful nation got involved in one terrible mess, this is a short enjoyable read. One qualm - author Lawrence suggests that from "January 29 to March 31 (1968), the NLF and the North Vietnamese army suffered as many as fifty-eight thousand dead," but later suggests that in the full year 1968 "the communists lost an estimated sixty thousand killed." Better proof reading needed here I think.