America in Vietnam: A Documentary History
Books / Paperback
Books › History › Military › Vietnam War
ISBN: 0393305554 / Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, May 1989
Draws together diverse original sources on American involvement in Vietnam, including the private papers of presidents and other government and military officials, public speeches, debates, and articles
Read More
Through a wide variety of documents—including newly opened presidential papers, congressional debates, military reports, treaties, and newspaper articles—the authors trace the origins of the war back to pre–World War II attitudes and then proceed through the development of the "domino theory" and the policies of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon to the fall of South Vietnam in 1975.Each of the editors has written an introductory essay to place the documents in heir historical context. These essays explore the controversial questions raised by Vietnam—such as whether each president understood what he was getting into, whether (as some now charge) the media and public opinion undermined America's ability to win the war, whether official statements were intended to mislead the American people, and, most fundamentally, why America was in Vietnam.
Read Less