History

The Vietnam War: A Concise International History

The Vietnam War: A Concise International History

  • Downloads：5508
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-14 12:52:48
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Mark Atwood Lawrence
  • ISBN：0199753938
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

The Vietnam War remains a topic of extraordinary interest， not least because of striking parallels between that conflict and more recent fighting in the Middle East。 In The Vietnam War， Mark Atwood Lawrence draws upon the latest research in archives around the world to offer readers a superb account of a key moment in U。S。 as well as global history。

While focusing on American involvement between 1965 and 1975， Lawrence offers an unprecedentedly complete picture of all sides of the war， notably by examining the motives that drove the Vietnamese communists and their foreign allies。 Moreover， the book carefully considers both the long- and short-term origins of the war。 Lawrence examines the rise of Vietnamese communism in the early twentieth century and reveals how Cold War anxieties of the 1940s and 1950s set the United States on the road to intervention。 Of course， the heart of the book covers the "American war，" ranging from the overthrow of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem to the impact of the Tet Offensive on American public opinion， Lyndon Johnson's withdrawal from the 1968 presidential race， Richard Nixon's expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos， and the problematic peace agreement of 1973， which ended American military involvement。 Finally， the book explores the complex aftermath of the war--its enduring legacy in American books， film， and political debate， as well as Vietnam's struggles with severe social and economic problems。

A compact and authoritative primer on an intensely relevant topic， this well-researched and engaging volume offers an invaluable overview of the Vietnam War。

Download

Reviews

Octopus Garden ，

7/10 - Engagement9/10 - Content7/10 - Writing8/10 - OverallA fairly average book。 It was engaging enough that I finished it mostly in one go， and a very good first introduction to the Vietnam War。 The author doesn't bother diving into topics too much which I personally appreciated since it kept the momentum of the book going。Read this to get some context to the few Vietnam War films I was watching last year。 7/10 - Engagement9/10 - Content7/10 - Writing8/10 - OverallA fairly average book。 It was engaging enough that I finished it mostly in one go， and a very good first introduction to the Vietnam War。 The author doesn't bother diving into topics too much which I personally appreciated since it kept the momentum of the book going。Read this to get some context to the few Vietnam War films I was watching last year。 。。。more

Cordellya Smith ，

If you don't know much about the Vietnam War， this book is an excellent resource that will provide you with the background and details from beginning to end。 If you don't know much about the Vietnam War， this book is an excellent resource that will provide you with the background and details from beginning to end。 。。。more

Adam Webb ，

I thought that this was a really good overview of the Vietnam War。 I like that Lawrence included a solid backdrop by explaining the causes of the War。 Also， I really thought it was interesting how the information was presented from different sides throughout the narrative of the war。 I definitely learned more about the Vietnam War from reading this book。

Caroline Liberatore ，

A great place to start when learning about the Vietnam War。 Lawrence faithfully provides historical context， political nuance， and a variety of perspectives。 I would recommend the audiobook since the writing is a bit dense。

Amy ，

Excellent concise， dispassionate overview of the Vietnam War from various perspectives。 This was the first time I had read about the Vietnam War and I found this book hard to follow。 Since this is a concise history， I also found the book very dense and an incredibly slow read， which I did not enjoy。

Matt Crawford ，

A great introduction to the subject。 This book provides plenty of context and history and is fairly short read。 Very concise。 This is the first book on Vietnam that I have read。

Individualfrog ，

Having read this and The New Deal: The Depression Years， 1933-40 in a short time I begin to believe the message of History is "nothing matters， nothing happens， every effort is futile， and Americans are irredeemably horrible people。" Whether I mean History as an academic discipline or as the actual thing that that discipline studies， I am not sure。 But the sense， in old-fashioned history books I've read， that there is some causal connection between actions and outcomes， that humans can affect th Having read this and The New Deal: The Depression Years， 1933-40 in a short time I begin to believe the message of History is "nothing matters， nothing happens， every effort is futile， and Americans are irredeemably horrible people。" Whether I mean History as an academic discipline or as the actual thing that that discipline studies， I am not sure。 But the sense， in old-fashioned history books I've read， that there is some causal connection between actions and outcomes， that humans can affect their own history -- I don't mean "one person with a dream"， I don't mean "the masses"， I don't mean "Great Men"， I mean anything human at all: governments， international relations， anything -- is totally absent。 You can， for example， rain down literal millions of bombs， napalm， Agent Orange， all to try to stop a small and poor nation from sending more and more troops south， and somehow nothing happens。 The number of troops is somehow limitless， the damage always repairable。 The objectives you are attempting to reach are impossible to accomplish。 The only effect is on individual people， and those effects are only hideous and brutal， death or dismemberment or starvation or PTSD or birth defects， etc。 From the other side， you can be completely unified and disciplined， and pour every effort into defeating a divided and unpopular government with no support， and also accomplish nothing。 The Tet and Easter Offensives were as pointless and futile as Operation Rolling Thunder and the Christmas Bombing。 And on the third side， you can mass thousands， then millions， of antiwar protesters and dominate the entire pop culture media landscape and still accomplish absolutely nothing。 Leaders completely ignore you except to sic the CIA and FBI on you， and the mass of Americans （who， for reasons I will never understand， felt "fighting communism" was the most important political issue of the day） do not support you。 Supposedly LBJ was driven out of office by the unpopularity of the war; but it is a strange way to show it by electing fucking Richard Nixon， twice， and the second time by a huge margin。Unfortunately， I don't feel as though I learned anything new about the war here。 The hope was to get more knowledge of specifics about the course of the war， as opposed to the poetic， personal pop-culture version from Apocalypse Now to Forrest Gump。 But if anything the view of the war as an unchanging， unmoving state of futility and death was only reinforced; it doesn't seem as though there were any "stages" to the war or any changes。 Both sides just kept doing the same thing for decades and finally the people who didn't live there left。 Maybe that is simply the truth。 In any case， not a very interesting or satisfying read。 。。。more

Sam ，

This is probably the best one-volume history of the Vietnam War currently available， and the best introduction to the topic。 The most important shift in the study of the Vietnam War in the last 20-odd years has been the opening of an international perspective。 Early accounts used American sources （Vietnamese archives didn't begin to open until the late 1980s）， and focused on American actions。 Lawrence's book draws on recent research in Vietnamese， Chinese， Soviet， British， and French archives to This is probably the best one-volume history of the Vietnam War currently available， and the best introduction to the topic。 The most important shift in the study of the Vietnam War in the last 20-odd years has been the opening of an international perspective。 Early accounts used American sources （Vietnamese archives didn't begin to open until the late 1980s）， and focused on American actions。 Lawrence's book draws on recent research in Vietnamese， Chinese， Soviet， British， and French archives to place the war in its international context。Lawrence's style is simple and clear， avoiding the polemical tone that marks many books on Vietnam。 The narrative is even-handed; Lawrence makes it clear that the conflicts in Indochina were brutal and morally muddy， lacking clear-cut heroes and villains。 This is a refreshing contrast from other surveys like Marilyn Young's "The Vietnam Wars，" which offers a rosy view of the NLF， or Michael Lind's "The Necessary War，" which caricatures the North Vietnamese as lackeys of Moscow or Beijing。 Lawrence's short account is surprisingly comprehensive。 While the bulk of the book focuses on the "American war" from 1965-73， early chapters offer a clear， short summary of early Vietnamese history and French colonization。 The final chapter， which addresses the aftermath of the war both in the US and Vietnam， helps explain why the conflict still matters （one minor gripe: I would have loved for Lawrence to extend the international perspective to address war memory in other countries involved in the war， like South Korea， China， or Australia）。A short account like this， inevitably， will read like a textbook。 But that's OK: you can read this book in a day， and an excellent bibliographic essay at the end is an entry point for further reading。 。。。more

Cecile Savoie ，

This book was really informative and it actually did explain the causes and effects of the Vietnam effort， however the book held a lot of focus on the United States more so than any of the other countries involved。I will admit that I only read this book because it was required for a class paper， but it was very well-written so it didn't make me want to gauge my eyes out while reading it。 This book also gave a different perspective on the war than is usually taught in a textbook or anywhere onlin This book was really informative and it actually did explain the causes and effects of the Vietnam effort， however the book held a lot of focus on the United States more so than any of the other countries involved。I will admit that I only read this book because it was required for a class paper， but it was very well-written so it didn't make me want to gauge my eyes out while reading it。 This book also gave a different perspective on the war than is usually taught in a textbook or anywhere online。If you are interested in history or wars I would strongly recommend this book as it will give you a new outlook on this specific moment in time， but if these topics don't peak your interest then I would recommend staying far， far away。 。。。more

Russ K ，

This book is good as a starting point for anyone more interested in the Vietnam War or who didn't think that their American History class covered enough。 Don't go in expecting details and specifics in regards to many battles and policies。 The book is less than 200 pages long。 It's "international" in the sense that it tries to show perspectives from Vietnam， China， Laos， and Cambodia， but overall it definitely still has an American slant。 I do like that a good chunk is spent on the decades before This book is good as a starting point for anyone more interested in the Vietnam War or who didn't think that their American History class covered enough。 Don't go in expecting details and specifics in regards to many battles and policies。 The book is less than 200 pages long。 It's "international" in the sense that it tries to show perspectives from Vietnam， China， Laos， and Cambodia， but overall it definitely still has an American slant。 I do like that a good chunk is spent on the decades before the US ground deployment。 What it also does well is make broad arguments that are backed up by specific quotes， usually from politicians or soldiers fighting for either side。 It's similar to "The Vietnam War" documentary series by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick。 Sometimes， the book gives more detail on certain events， in other places the documentaries do。 。。。more

Catherine ，

very helpful and informative， easy to follow， discusses many perspectives and effects and causes

Diana ，

I really appreciate this book。 It asks and answers some questions about this war that I had not realized but that are important to understanding this great frustration of our nation。 It paints in clear tones the forces， fears and ambitions that shaped this war。 My husband thought it was dry but I found it concise and clear。 I was looking to be more knowledgeable not necessarily emotionally moved or entertained though。

Richard ，

Concise overview of the causes and events that led up to the Vietnam War， and the major events on both sides during the war， and the aftermath。 Well written。 A good supplement to the PBS documentary series about the Vietnam War。 4 stars。

Grace ，

For a history book - and I am not a "history buff" - The Vietnam War: A Concise International History was interesting and even somewhat enjoyable。 Prior to this book， I knew basically nothing about the Vietnam War。 This book was appropriate for me in that Mark Atwood Lawrence didn't seem to assume I （the reader） knew anything， so I was able to make my way through this history， steadily gaining knowledge at an appropriate pace。 The delivery of this book struck a fine balance between understanda For a history book - and I am not a "history buff" - The Vietnam War: A Concise International History was interesting and even somewhat enjoyable。 Prior to this book， I knew basically nothing about the Vietnam War。 This book was appropriate for me in that Mark Atwood Lawrence didn't seem to assume I （the reader） knew anything， so I was able to make my way through this history， steadily gaining knowledge at an appropriate pace。 The delivery of this book struck a fine balance between understandable language with compelling details and factual， well-researched information。 This turned out to be a nice， relatively compact account about a fascinating time。 。。。more

sabra l wells ，

The title says it allThis book gives an excellent historical portrayal of the Vietnam War， from the earliest days of French colonization to the last helicopter fleeing the American embassy。 While its scope is wide it treats each major event in enough depth to successfully recall the entire period to mind。 It goes further to suggest how Vietnam has continued to remain in the American psyche。

George ，

I realized how this war shaped my life。 It was history， but history that I survived

Emily Nguyen ，

This book taught me many things about the Vietnam War and helped me understand the causes and effects and events that happened as it went on

RA ，

Thanks for the memories。

Tiffany Nguyen ，

Provides a good description of the entire Vietnam war very clearly。 Highly recommended and is easy to understand！ If you need to do a book report this is the #1 book to read because it clearly states the causes， effects， and all events in the Vietnam War

Samina Nguyen ，

I didn't really expect this book to be interesting， and I was right。 However， I did learn a lot about the time period and what occurred during the war。 What I found most interesting was the end in which it was more about the soldiers and how they merged back into society and how the U。S。 reacted towards them。 I didn't really expect this book to be interesting， and I was right。 However， I did learn a lot about the time period and what occurred during the war。 What I found most interesting was the end in which it was more about the soldiers and how they merged back into society and how the U。S。 reacted towards them。 。。。more

Adair ，

Very helpful in understanding how the Vietnam War came to be and why the US did not win it。

James ，

Probably the best history I'll read on the Vietnam war， what led to it， and what the aftermath was。 Probably the best history I'll read on the Vietnam war， what led to it， and what the aftermath was。 。。。more

Hollis ，

This is a good primer on the Vietnam War for those interested in the political strategy and tactics utilized by the Americans， North Vietnamese， NLF and South Vietnamese。

Nicki ，

A rather impartial look at the Vietnam war。

Erin ，

Very interesting book。 I listened to the audiobook and was disappointed in the narrator。 Overall he was okay， but I really wish he--or the director--would have researched how to pronounce "Nguyen" and "Hmong" correctly （or at least the closest English equivalent）。 Very interesting book。 I listened to the audiobook and was disappointed in the narrator。 Overall he was okay， but I really wish he--or the director--would have researched how to pronounce "Nguyen" and "Hmong" correctly （or at least the closest English equivalent）。 。。。more

Lauren ，

Well-written but I couldn't read much without falling asleep each night。 Sigh。 Well-written but I couldn't read much without falling asleep each night。 Sigh。 。。。more

Anne ，

Really concise and interesting book about the events leading up to the war， the war and after。

Jamie Winfield ，

Very well written。

Brandy ，

Read this for a grad class。 As someone else on here said - the title sums it up pretty well。 This is a short， sweet， and to the point survey of the Vietnam War from a more international， less American viewpoint。 What makes this particular book 4-star worthy when I've read quite a bit on Vietnam is that Lawrence gives significant weight to the pre-American involvement origins of the Vietnamese conflict， which is so readily overlooked by many American historians。 Should I ever find myself in such Read this for a grad class。 As someone else on here said - the title sums it up pretty well。 This is a short， sweet， and to the point survey of the Vietnam War from a more international， less American viewpoint。 What makes this particular book 4-star worthy when I've read quite a bit on Vietnam is that Lawrence gives significant weight to the pre-American involvement origins of the Vietnamese conflict， which is so readily overlooked by many American historians。 Should I ever find myself in such a position， I would recommend this book for undergrad classes on related topics that need a concise overview of the War。 。。。more

Wendy Ma ，

a good coverage of the Vietnam War， good writing style and form， solid， sometimes a bit confusing because it orders by topics not time。 but overall， it is a good intro book for the vietnam war that is generally easy to understand。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Vietnam War: A Concise International History

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Vietnam War: A Concise International History&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Vietnam War: A Concise International History&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0