Frank Carlson Library

In this comprehensive history, Stanley Karnow demystifies the tragic ordeal of America's war in Vietnam. The book's central theme is that America's leaders, prompted as much by domestic politics as by global ambitions, carried the United States into Southeast Asia with little regard for the realities of the region. Karnow elucidates the decision-making process in Washington and Asia and recounts the political and military events that occurred after...

Contents: Why did the US become involved, Why did US policy fail, What are the consequences of Vietnam, What lessons were learned, Is Central America another Vietnam and chronology of US involvement.

Spontaneous tape-recorded interviews with combat veterans reveal the horror and poignancy of their war in Vietnam and bring home that war's violence, intimacy, and unresolved trauma.