Product Description

In an in-depth, insider's view of the Vietnam War, the former Secretary of State describes America's involvement in Southeast Asia, the events of the war, the long and difficult peace negotiations, the domestic unrest over the war, and the diplomats, politicians, military leaders, and others.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #309510 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

About the Author
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Medal of Liberty. He is the bestselling author of numerous books, and is currently the chair of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm.

Customer Reviews

Another great from the political master
The first quarter of this book gives a basic outline of Americans involvement in the vietnam war and the reasons for it, it then goes on throughout the rest of the text to describe in detail the history of the US extraction from Vietnam and how it was achieved.

This is a very enjoyable book for the casual history reader and an in depth study of the diplomatic history of the vietnam war for any history or international relations student.

If you haven't read any of Henry Kissinger's books before I wouldn't start with this one however because it is concerns only this conflict, 'Diplomacy' by kissinger would be the ideal place to begin.

An eye opening read on the Vietnam War
I have been meaning to read some of Kissinger's work for quite a while. From the critic reviews of this book, I thought this would be a logical place to start because it encapsulates a large swath the Vietnam War writing Kissinger has produced over the years.

Personally, I found this book is an incredibly involving recount and analysis of the Vietnam War. I thought I had a fairly in-depth understanding of the Vietnam War beforehand, but quickly discovered that there was so much I was never aware of. Because Kissinger was part of the inner circle of powers that shaped the Vietnam conflict, he writes from a vantage point only an insider can lay claim to. The competing egos, opposing political agendas, infighting, confusion, hope and desperation—all these factors played a part in the conflict and Kissinger does a wonderful job of presenting how each influenced the Vietnam War.
I picked up this book one weekend and could not put it down. If you’re looking for an engaging reading on the Vietnam War, you cannot go wrong with this selection.

the facts
The book deals with the entire gamut of issues that gave rise to, propelled, and at last resulted in ending a war that America fought at the greatest geographical distance from its homeland much to its disgust and disappointment. Strictly speaking there have been many books earlier on the same issue and even in a very big manner. But the basic fact which differs this book from the others, makes it a bellwether is something other than just the name of the author which goes on with the title of the book. Henry Kissinger was a man who was there at the epicenter of all the discussions, meetings, briefings, involved in the morass at every step of it. He is the main man who actually wounded up the long and frustrating discussions with the north Vietnamese delegation and eventual extrication of America from the Vietnam war.

The presentation of the facts has been supplemented with well provided facts and figures about the war along with the official letters and other classified material about the Vietnam war. The book itself starts on with the basic theme of it, america’s entry into the morass and the factors -- the various schools of thought which existed in america’s national security council at that time and the one with which the things went forward.

Spread over a time period of four presidential terms, the Vietnam war has by and large affected the living of the people as well as the ones governing them to various degrees. The reason does not lie in america’s fault nor the Vietnamese. the reasons lie in the perceptions that various leaders of the world had about each other and about the so called issues existed during that period of time around the world.

No other issue other than the civil war generated the national consciousness like the Vietnam war. Delving into the facts, the way in which Kissinger explained the reasons and the circumstances that produced that reasons methodically and at the same time in a very precise and definitive manner. Starting with the domino theory put forth by the national security council and the debate that it aroused among the political and ruling elite, the way it set the ground for the various factors which are to later culminate in to the war has been clearly explained. After the completion of Korean war and most importantly the American adversary in Korean war was perceived to be playing some kind of important part here also.

Having given the reasons for the American entry into the morass, the author goes on to describe the actual war against the back drop of all the political and diplomatic discussions and a delegation including the author himself taking part in all the discussions with the north Vietnamese ruling elite. The most beautiful part of this explanation lies in the way in which both the stories are linked. One about the war being fought in the south Vietnamese jungles and the other about the maneuvers that the diplomatic community invented to bring it to a logical end. The book explains and infact clearly to our understanding the changes in the thinking that took place as the war unfolds itself much to the chagrin and disappointment of the Americans.

The most commonly held critical view about the Vietnam war around the world, as the faux pas of the American rulers is allayed with an excellent presentation of the on the ground facts. America’s ambiguities and stance that America has to take contrary to the most commonly held signpost “liberty” by the American rulers. America infact has put pressure on French government to declare freedom to its French colony albeit not completely. The reasons for this exist in the perceptions of the cold war era. Which were all the more significant on the minds of the people during that times.