This book on the Vietnam War is unique and critically timely. The author commanded a large armored cavalry task force in Vietnam and; having lost wonderful young men; needed to answer the question: What was this decades-long war about--really about? The answer is that it was about independence and unification. Vietnamese had struggled for 2;000 years to throw off the foreign yoke; and; since the end of World War II it was also about unification of the three parts of their country into one Vietnam. Independence and unification--they would not give up the idea; no matter what the sacrifice; no matter how long the struggle. Military historian Lieutenant General Dave R. Palmer said; "Haponski has examined the war exhaustively for half a century; at every level from his first-hand experience to post-doctoral research. The result is an absorbing blend ranging from the deeply personal to the academically professional. He has created a multi-dimensional narrative; at once alive and lucid." The highest-ranking officer in the French Army; a soldier who commanded and fought in Vietnam 20 years before the author; General of the Army Jean Delaunay said; "This is a magnificent work! Against a background of 2;000 years of Vietnamese struggle for independence; Haponski probes the causes of French; American; and Vietnamese foundering and the ultimate success of the North Vietnamese." The book is timely in that from the rice roots of the Vietnamese experience; readers will reach a better understanding of not just the war that so engulfed America and the world a half-century ago; but why in today's global war on terrorism our civilian and military leaders need to be well grounded in the basics of the tragic waste that was Vietnam.
#565392 in Books 2015-08-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.90 x 6.30l; 2.46 #File Name: 1496802845560 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. ) It almost reads like a great novelBy photogirlThis is no doubt the most well-researched and comprehensive book ever written on the subject of the Emmett Till lynching in Mississippi in 1955. And it is not dry or too scholarly (though the last 1/8 of the book cites all his sources!) It almost reads like a great novel; tragic and heartbreaking as it is: Emmet was a 14 year old child from Chicago visiting the Miss. Delta when he made the grave mistake of saying something "inappropriate" to a white woman in a store in Money; MS.; and he paid the ultimate price - torture and death - for it.) Devery Anderson deserves much credit for this fine book; both as a writer of history and as a compelling storyteller. Highly recommend.13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. The Definitive Work of an American Tragedy.By John KeaheyDevery Anderson's multiyear project combines extensive research; documentation and; perhaps most importantly; the reader-friendly narrative to become the definitive work on the Emmett Till tragedy. I read this book over a week; finding it difficult to put down when duties called. This was an event that began in 1955; just one day after my 10th birthday; and I vividly recall my mother showing me Emmett's brutal picture in our local newspaper and reading the story to me. Now; 60 years later; I have; in vivid detail; the entire story -- as much as it can be completely known. Anderson's work will long be the go-to resource for general readers and historians of the early Civil Rights period that Emmett's tragic death helped trigger. I have been to the sites where the event played out; Anderson's vivid storytelling carried me back to the steamy Mississippi Delta and its small towns. Well worth the read for the generalist; history buff; and professional historian. By the way; the expanded footnotes in the back are worth the reader's time as well.14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Mr. Anderson's research and writing finally sets the record straight on the murder of Emmett Till.By James FoxOne of the most comprehensive and illuminating books on this very important event in history. I thought I knew a lot about Emmett Till; but this book shows me how little I actually knew. The amount of research and detail provided by Mr. Anderson is extraordinary. As a college professor I feel like I'm much more informed and able to teach my students about the real events surrounding the pivotal time in history. Mr. Anderson should be commended for his hard work and his setting the record straight. Emmett till and his mother would be proud of the work that was done here; and all students; from high school through college; should be taught this material.
