The Vietnam War was a traumatic event for America and a lesson for Americans on the limits of power. For the Vietnamese, however, it was but the most recent in a series of struggles against foreign domination. Spencer Tucker provides an overview of the causes, course, and effects of the numerous wars in Vietnam, many of them not generally known to Westerners. Concentrating on the period since WWII, he presents the Vietnamese perspective as well as the French and American, and clarifies the missed opportunities and false perceptions that led to American involvement.
Encompassing sociopolitical, economic, diplomatic, and cultural issues, Vietnam not only offers an excellent introduction to Vietnamese history but, perhaps more importantly, allows us to see America's involvement in the Vietnam War within the historical context in ways that are illuminating.