Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Vietnam: A History
Book Review: A gripping read from a journalist with a front-row seat to the war
Summary: 5 Stars
This gripping history of the Vietnam conflict zooms through a century of war and politics with great narrative skill and a sharp eye for the human foibles of the men and women who shaped the events. Karnow covered the war from beginning to end, met and interviewed many of the key American players during the war itself, and interviewed nearly all of the top Vietnamese commanders after their 1975 victory. The first Americans whose names would one day adorn the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. were killed in 1959, and Karnow visited the provincial town where they were ambushed just days after their deaths; he sat in the Presidential Palace in Saigon and listened to the venal and vain South Vietnamese President Diem ramble even as his generals plotted to overthrow (and murder) him; he traveled to the "strategic hamlets" set up by the South Vietnamese government to corral the troublesome rural population when the paint was still fresh (and before the Communists started to inflitrate them); and he listened to the off-the-record briefings in which Defense Secretary Robert Mc Namara conceded to the press corps how badly the war was going. That sense of intimacy is only one of this book's strengths, along with its great sweep. Big shots like Henry Kissinger get their say, but so do G.I. "grunts" and we even listen to South Vietnamese "Vietcong" grumble about the patronizing attitude of their "carpetbagger" allies from the North.
Karnow argues, quite persuasively, that both the French and Americans failed to understand the cultural and historical roots of Vietnamese nationalism, while overestimating the superiority of their own, Western institutions and technology. The French simply didn't take seriously the idea of a truly independent Vietnam until it was too late: why would the "backward" Vietnamese want to rule themselves? The Americans saw the conflict through a geo-political lens, and believed the Vietnamese Communists were Soviet and Chinese pawns, when in fact Ho was often battling them too to keep alive his dream of a united Vietnam. Ho and the Communists come off as cruel idealists capable, at once, of cold-blooded murder and inspiring oratory. As the Americans pour money and men into Vietnam, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong fight back with amazing logistical feats and manage to confuse and frustrate the most powerful nation on earth. The parallels with the second Iraq War are evident throughout, even though Karnow finished his book a decade before George W. Bush and the NeoCons send U.S. troops into that country. Like their colleagues in the early 21st century White House, Lyndon Johnson and his advisers struggle in the mid 1960s to create an American vision of democracy in a country where the local politicos seem more interested in pursuing their own ambitions: the South Vietnamese leaders fight each other to stay in power, and many enrich themselves through blatant corruption. Try as they may, the Americans can't get the South Vietnamese to change their "behavior" and be the good Jeffersonian democrats they need to be to defeat the Communists. As the American death toll mounts, one by one the U.S. champions of the war fall by the wayside. Eventually, the war helps bring down two American presidents and the U.S. public (which had initially been supportive of the war) grows sick of hearing about Vietnam. So the Americans pull out, leaving behind a shattered country. Sound familiar?
Book Review: A masterful history of Americas most regrettable war.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Vietnam: A History" is a masterfully written history of America's involvement in Vietnam - certainly one of the two best single-volume histories (along with "A Bright Shining Lie," by Neil Sheehan) of America's most regrettable war that I've read. Written by Stanley Karnow, a former Southeast Asian correspondent for "Time" and "Life" magazines, and "The Washington Post," this book is a comprehensive and fascinating look at the Vietnam war, from its underlying causes at the end of World War II, to the final takeover of South Vietnam by its Communist neighbor, North Vietnam, in April 1975.Karnow delivers with crisp and precise prose an account of the Vietnam War which is both fair and objective. He analyzes the conflict from both the political and military standpoint, and is unsparing in his criticism of errors made by political and military leaders on all sides of the conflict. Three areas of this book were especially interesting to me: first, the author's account of the conflict between the French and Viet Minh, and how the French were defeated at Dienbienphu in 1954; second, how the U.S. government formulated its Vietnam policy under the Kennedy administration, and how that policy ultimately failed; and third, how Richard Nixon, upon becoming President in 1969, changed America's Vietnam policy and began the process of "Vietnamizing" the war. (Karnow's candid description of how the Kennedy administration initially supported South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, then tacitly approved of the 1963 coup d'etat which resulted in Diem's murder is fascinating.)
"Vietnam: A History" is an essential book for the reader interested in gaining a good understanding of the war and its causes. Highly recommendable reading!
Book Review: A splendid work, now more relevant than ever.
Summary: 5 Stars
It is difficult to imagine a better one-volume history of the Vietnam War. Karnow provides not only a clear narrative of events, but also excellent background on Vietnamese history and culture, US and world politics, and the personalities involved, so that the reader comes away with a deep understanding of both what happened and why it happened (insofar as the "why" is knowable). Karnow, a correspondent who covered Vietnam during the crucial period, smoothly weaves into the story his own experiences and interviews, without making himself the center of attention. In addition, he writes much more fluidly than the typical journalist-turned-historian. The book also contains numerous photos, maps (which could have used more detail), and a helpful chronology and short biographies of key figures.Book Review: AVERAGE OF 5 AND 1 IS 3!!!
Summary: 3 Stars
Should you buy this book???It depends what you are looking for...Karnow was in 'Nam as a reporter for 25 years and is probably the most qualified writer alive to write about it. He met with all of the top officials in the south and north Vietnamese Govts and had informants in our own govt to help with details. So if you are looking for a Political history of the war, 'the why we were there and what kept us there' kind of topics, then this is a five star must read. But if you are looking for details on the fighting and on individual battles then look elsewhere because this book has little to none of that. You will find out why and when soldiers were first sent to nam but you will not find out what they did or felt once they were there.
Political history = 5 stars
Military history = 1 star
Book Review: Absolutely the best book I've ever read.
Summary: 5 Stars
The reshearch that went into this work is extensive, Mr Karnow is a word mechanic extrodinary. BR P During my three tours there as a Special Forces Medic and the famed MACVSOG I wished that I'd read the book first.BR P
It should be taught in our schools, 9th grade as government, 10 grade as history, 11 and 12 as litature.BR P