In the tradition of we were soldiers onceand young, a noble cause is a stirring tribute to the valor and courage of the allied forces in the vietnam war and a vivid recreation of hardwon battles from ia drang valley to khe sanh and hamburger hill celebrating the skill and bravery of the united states armed forces and their south vietnamese allies, a noble cause presents a. Was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause, or a. Quotes from the vietnam war quotations and sayings. Waddy is an associate professor of history in the state university of new york and blogs at. Ten vietnam war novels to read council on foreign relations. Movies, songs, artworks, poems, books, and articles produced during and especially after the vietnam war, neer observes, popularized the antiwar movements argument and made napalm a worldwide symbol of american brutality.
And if combatants lose that belief like when us public support for the vietnam war waned, for example theres really no way back after that. Three are novels, two of which were written by vietnam war veterans. Today the united states observes an international covenant restricting the use of napalm and other incendiaries. A noble cause presents an unbiased view of why the vietnam war was fought, how it was lost, and what effect it has had through analytical work and strong narrative, which offers a clear treatment of themes which have frequently been masked by sentiment or myth. Learn vietnam american studies guide with free interactive flashcards. The vietnam war also known as the second indochina war, and in vietnam as the resistance. America in vietnam is a book by guenter lewy about americas role in the vietnam war. A devastating followup to marcianos 1979 classic teaching the vietnam war written with william l. I wanted to write a book that was not just about the fighting, but one which would also cover the political, social and cultural consequences of. Powells books the worlds largest independent bookstore. After we posted this article, times readers weighed in with their favorite books on the vietnam war. May 16, 2016 we dishonor the memory of 50,000 young americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful. Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this epic civil war novel that pits brother against brother.
In a very opinionated and sharply reasoned attempt to debunk three decades of conventional wisdom about vietnam, lind the next american nation, the washington, d. Mar 21, 2018 the truth about the vietnam war, however, is that we fought it for a noble cause, and, in the end, sadly, by ceasing to believe in that cause and in ourselves, we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. However, the vietnam war was the first conflict in american history in which a substantial number of military personnel actively protested the war while it was in progress. The american militarys rationale against the vietnam war jstor. America at war and the vietnam conflict,thomas w king view product x close. American forces in vietnam william westmoreland, for instance, commo. Was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause or a. To shed new light on such a complicated and unsettled time in our history, to struggle to comprehend the special dissonance that is the vietnam war, we needed to look beyond the familiar stories. American battlefield victories in vietnam kindle edition by niles, douglas. It escalated from a vietnamese civil war into a limited international conflict in which the united states was deeply involved, and did not end.
Lewy contends that the united states actions in vietnam were neither illegal nor immoral, and that tales of american atrocities were greatly exaggerated in what he understands as a veritable industry. Sep 15, 2017 whats your favorite book about the vietnam war. Get an answer for was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause or a disguised form of antidemocratic imperialism. Buy a noble cause america and the vietnam war modern wars in perspective 01 by degroot, gerard j. The roots of war foundation for economic education. It was designed to be a textbook for students studying the war, but also an enjoyable read. The roots of the war are quite ancient, owing to cultural differences between the people living in the northern part of vietnam and the people living in the southern part. Back in 2000, i published a noble cause america and the vietnam war. Winner of the coveted john esten cooke award for southern fiction, noble cause chronicles the clash of a confederate cavalry officer with a union spy as. Pierre asselins well written, deeply researched, and sometimes dry history of vietnams american war is a valuable contribution to the literature and a must read for those who seek to know what the other side thought they needed to do to win. But the author subverts his cause by presenting too many complex issues in oversimplified, goodversusevil, terms. How southern socialites rewrote civil war history youtube.
Michael herrs frontline reporting of the vietnam war is collected in dispatches, one of the first books to capture the unique feel of life on the vietnam battlefront. An important new study on a subject often masked by sentiment and myth. List of books and articles about vietnam antiwar movement. Among lewys arguments is that the accusations of atrocities by. His streamofconscious descriptions are chaotic, choppy, dark, and intense, giving the reader an honest sense of war from the perspective of a soldier. Powells is an independent bookstore based in portland, oregon. Niles macarthurs war, a novelist and fantasy game designer, unconvincingly attempts to argue that the american war in vietnam was, in ronald reagans words, a noble cause. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. All our physical stores and our online store are temporarily closed. The truth about the vietnam war, however, is that we fought it for a noble cause, and, in the end, sadly, by ceasing to believe in that cause and in ourselves, we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It is a campaign of patriotic conceit superbly chronicled by john marciano in the american war in vietnam.
Chester cooper unlike the majority of men in either the johnson or nixon administrations, cooper constantly encouraged a political solution over a military solution to the conflict in vietnam. Vietnam war reference books vietnam veterans of america. Its a powerful study which offers fresh insights into the communist revolution and military tactics, the flaws in us strategy and the legacy of the war. During the four years following passage of the tonkin gulf resolution aug. Senior lecturer and head of the department of modern history at the university of st.
The war began soon after the geneva conference provisionally divided 1954 vietnam at 17 n lat. Feb 05, 2008 books blog publishing catch of the day. A noble cause america and the vietnam war modern wars in. Pages in category vietnam war books the following 42 pages are in this category, out of 42 total. A history of america s involvement in and extrication from the vietnam war henry a. With all due respect to karnows fine book, i am uncertain that many historians would admit to returning to karnow, especially with such excellent books of the war. Written in the late 1970s, america in vietnam is a positive account of a controversial war that the author believes was a worthy cause. In the tradition of we were soldiers onceand young, a noble cause is a stirring tribute to the valor and courage of the allied forces in the vietnam war and a vivid recreation of hardwon battles from ia drang valley to khe sanh and hamburger hill. Browns experiences teaching about the vietnam war by inviting veterans. Marciano sets out to debunk this noble cause myth which serves not only as the justification for the american war in vietnam, and the crimes committed in the course of that conflict, but also for. A history of americas involvement in and extrication from the vietnam war henry a. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. Aug 20, 2015 adair, gilbert, hollywoods vietnam, 1989 adams, sam, war of numbers ambrose, stephen, eisenhower.
John marcianos new book, the american war in vietnam, crime or commemoration. Choose from 500 different sets of vietnam american studies guide flashcards on quizlet. Apr 20, 2010 as a vietnam era vet who missed going to the rvn by an eyelash and had a brother who made it back from his tour, i feel it was a noble cause, at least at first, and was necessary to keep south vn from going communist. In vietnam, all us forces were ordered to cease fighting and that included air assets as well as the ground troops.
To explain the power of the noble cause myth, marciano quotes. His streamofconscious descriptions are chaotic, choppy, dark, and intense, giving the reader an honest sense. A noble cause america and the vietnam war 9780582287174. Heres an admittedly subjective list, posted on the military history now website, put together by mark masse, a ball state university literary journalism professor. The book is highly influential, although it has remained controversial even decades after its publication. Moreover, such deliberate ignorance of americas longest war constitutes a grave. Few wars have had such a deep impact on the american people than the vietnam war. A novel of north vietnam by bao ninh online at alibris. Lind also correctly pegs richard nixons vietnam war policymaking as a resounding failure in every way. Discover librarianselected research resources on vietnam war from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more.
Its a powerful study which offers fresh insights into the communist revolution and military tactics, the flaws in us strategy and the legacy of the war both for vietnam and america. List of books and articles about vietnam war online. Anyone who wants a glimpse into the psyche of the vietnam combat veteran should must read enduring vietnam. Bao ninh, a former north vietnamese soldier, provides a strikingly honest look at how the vietnam war forever changed his life, his country, and the people who live there. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. There are two good ways americas postvietnam war generations can learn the lessons we must.
This text book on the vietnam war is to be used in teaching high students. The united daughters of the confederacy was a significant leader of the lost cause, an. That time, that place, that warvietnam xlibris, 336 pp. We dishonor the memory of 50,000 young americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful. Phillip davidsons vietnam at war, for instance, is in truth a study of the big unit confrontations of the johnson and nixon years.
In january of 1973 we in the defense attache office in the american embassy, phnom penh, cambodia, found ourselves in an unusual situation. Philip caputo his acclaimed memoir of vietnam, a rumor of war, is widely regarded as a classic in the literature of war. The conflict inspired an avalanche of volumes and they all claim to be the last word. Griffen, marcianos book seeks not to commemorate the vietnam war, but to stop the ongoing u. Our noble cause in vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s was that.
Much sound and fury signifying little more than a reprise of john foster dulleslike cold war thinking. Modern wars in perspective 1 10 of 25 books books by gerard j. Winner of the coveted john esten cooke award for southern fiction, noble cause chronicles the clash of a confederate cavalry officer with a union spy as they defend their beliefs, their country, and their honor. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading a noble cause. Webb, as you probably know, went on to write a few other books and still find the time to become a u. I wanted to write a book that was not just about the fighting, but one which would also cover the political, social and cultural consequences of the war. Republican presidential candidate ronald reagan has been drawing fire from certain quarters for his recent affirmation that america fought for noble motives in vietnam specifically, reagan told the veterans of foreign wars in chicago the vietnam syndromehad made americans timid and apologetic for their opposition. Complete organized chaos for the new guys would begin as we landed in vietnam.
There are many books which claim to be definitive histories of the vietnam war. Vietnam veteran this important investigation of the vietnam war and its effects on an entire generation. That time, that place, that warvietnam by margaret brown. Archon books, 1980, and gavin in life, 20 january 1958, 22. But a glance at the table of contents quickly reveals the real interests of the author and the limitations of the subject matter. Dec 30, 2012 much of the psychology of patriotism, religion, racial identity and political conviction has developed around the concept of a noble war i. Bibliography noble cause america and the vietnam war. Notable revisionist work on vietnam includes, from the military, william westmoreland, a sol. Of course, reagan, as vicious a warmonger as has ever lived, was simply using hyperbole to whip the electorate and general. As marciano explains, in a stunning shift in history, u.
The daring and controversial novel that took the world by storm a story of politics, selfhood, survival, and war. They argue that an imperialist us had to try to defeat any third world na tionalist. Lewy provides the first systematic analysis of the course of the vietnam war, the reasons for the failure of american strategy and tactics, and the causes of the final collapse of south vietnam. The vietnam war was in reality a series of conflicts. War and peace, vietnam and america, october, 1967 2003. Oct 25, 2017 how southern socialites rewrote civil war history. Featured in the vietnam war by ken burns and lynn novick airing september 2017. Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. The conflict inspired an avalanche of volumes and they all claim to be. He creditably shows that american fighting forces by and large did well on the battlefields of south vietnam, winning every important engagement against the viet cong. American battlefield victories in vietnam niles, douglas on. Republican presidential candidate ronald reagan has been drawing fire from certain quarters for his recent affirmation that america fought for noble motives in vietnam.