A noble cause america and the vietnam war books

For instance, in the 2004 presidential election, the vietnam era military service of both major candidates turned into a serious campaign issue. Like everyone else, historians continue to debate the. As a vietnam era vet who missed going to the rvn by an eyelash and had a brother who made it back from his tour, i feel it was a noble cause, at least at first, and was necessary to keep south vn from going communist. Noble cause america and the vietnam war 00 edition. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen genres of vietnam war books from war narrative to immigrant story, from mystery to political, from metafiction to historical and even dark comedy. Civil rights and vietnam in the african american press by eldridge, lawerence allen isbn. The vietnam war and the father of lies, war, human. I wanted to write a book that was not just about the fighting, but one which would also cover the political, social and cultural consequences of. Apr 20, 2010 as a vietnam era vet who missed going to the rvn by an eyelash and had a brother who made it back from his tour, i feel it was a noble cause, at least at first, and was necessary to keep south vn from going communist. Winner of the coveted john esten cooke award for southern fiction, noble cause chronicles the clash of a confederate cavalry officer with a union spy as. Back in 2000, i published a noble cause america and the vietnam war. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for fiction, this debut novel could fit into half a dozen genres of vietnam war books from war narrative to immigrant story, from mystery to political, from metafiction to.

May 16, 2016 we dishonor the memory of 50,000 young americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful. A noble cause america and the vietnam war 1st edition by gerard j. Now that ken burns pbs documentary has concluded, were rereading the classics of the vietnam wars literary canon. It brought to the front the noble cause and the selfless courage of those who gave sacrifice, some the ultimate.

Americas involvement in the war was unwinnable and unjust, while the revisionists believe that the war was a noble cause and vietnam, below the 17th parallel, was a viable and stable country, but policies and military tactics were improperly executed. There are many books which claim to be definitive histories of the vietnam war. Mar 19, 2015 when we were growing up, the common definition was that a hero is someone who puts his or her life on the line for a noble cause. From his encounters with exvietnamese soldiers to interviews with victims of his own violence, broyles memoir is a reminder of how the brotherhood of man can. Marciano reveals the grandiose flagwaving that stems from the noble cause principle, the notion that america is. I served as chief of security for air america in thailand and vietnam from 19671975.

A noble cause america and the vietnam war modern wars in. By 1972, the idea that vietnam posed a threat to cold war america was so discredited, it sometimes sounded as if americas only remaining war aim was to. Griffen and marcianos 1979 classic teaching the vietnam war, the american war in vietnam seeks not to commemorate the vietnam war, but to stop the ongoing u. Niles macarthurs war, a novelist and fantasy game designer, unconvincingly attempts to argue that the american war in vietnam was, in ronald reagans words, a noble cause. Phillip davidsons vietnam at war, for instance, is in truth a study of the big unit confrontations of the johnson and nixon years. The first world war, palgrave macmillan london, england, 2001. Featuring newly available material, this brief collection of primarysource documents includes several neverbefore published and. Was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause or a. A bright shining lie john paul vann and america in vietnam. Reviewed by john mcnay published on h war december, 2000 gerard j. In the decades after vietnam, we modified that and came up with an. Weaving together the histories of three distinct conflicts, phillip b. Books ordered may be returned for a full refund if they are not as described.

Get ready for the next round in the battle over the. Buy cheap vietnam war textbooks online vietnam war. Buy a noble cause america and the vietnam war modern wars in perspective 01 by degroot, gerard j. The vietnam war mentions lost opportunities and hints at contradictions between stated and unstated aims, but on the whole it internalizes the cold war idiom of fighting for democracy and containing communism. Davidson follows the entire course of the vietnam war, from the initial french skirmishes in 1946 to the dramatic fall of saigon nearly thirty years later. The lives of the wars survivors, in many cases, were scarred deeply. The truth about the vietnam war, however, is that we fought it for a noble cause, and, in the end, sadly, by ceasing to believe in that cause and in ourselves, we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause, or a. Hello, my name is jerry degroot and im a historian who teaches at the university of st andrews in scotland. A history of americas involvement in and extrication from the vietnam war henry a. The vietnam war would cost lyndon johnson his optimism, his presidency, and most of his legacy.

The vietnam war is one of the most controversial and traumatic events in american history. Mar 21, 2018 the truth about the vietnam war, however, is that we fought it for a noble cause, and, in the end, sadly, by ceasing to believe in that cause and in ourselves, we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. In the tradition of we were soldiers onceand young, a noble cause is a stirring tribute to the valor and courage of the allied forces in the vietnam war and a vivid recreation of hardwon battles from ia drang valley to khe sanh and hamburger hill celebrating the skill and bravery of the united states armed forces and their south vietnamese allies, a noble cause presents a. The gulf of tonkin incident, used by lyndon johnson to escalate u. Before he penned the screenplays for jarhead and castaway, a young william broyles enlisted to serve in the vietnam war. America and the vietnam war is part of a series published by longman called modern wars in. In order to have a respectable understanding of the vietnam. The soldier charged that people were dying because of americas pride won. America and the vietnam war modern wars in perspective 01 by degroot, gerard j. But the whole time this is happening, you can imagine, johnson and the american military leaders in vietnam are telling the american people, oh, were fighting communism. Aug 20, 2015 there are many books which claim to be definitive histories of the vietnam war. Republican presidential candidate ronald reagan has been drawing fire from certain quarters for his recent affirmation that america fought for noble motives in vietnam specifically, reagan told the veterans of foreign wars in chicago the vietnam syndromehad made americans timid and apologetic for their opposition.

Marciano sets out to debunk this noble cause myth which serves not only as the justification for the american war in vietnam, and the crimes committed in the course of that conflict, but also for. Even today, many americans still ask whether the american effort in vietnam was a sin, a blunder, a necessary war, or a noble cause, or an idealistic, if failed, effort to protect the south vietnamese from totalitarian government. It was designed to be a textbook for students studying the war, but also an enjoyable read. His connecting thread is north vietnamese general vo nguyen giap, a remarkable figure who, with no formal military training, fashioned a ragtag militia into one of the. The united states fought the first one from 1959 to 1975 in. The tally of men and women lost has been carved into black marble on our national mall. A noble cause presents an unbiased view of why the vietnam war was fought, how it was lost, and what effect it has had through analytical work and strong narrative, which offers a clear treatment of themes which have frequently been masked by sentiment or myth. Mar 26, 2018 by 1972, the idea that vietnam posed a threat to cold war america was so discredited, it sometimes sounded as if americas only remaining war aim was to get back its p. We dishonor the memory of 50,000 young americans who died in that cause when we give way to feelings of guilt as if we were doing something shameful. For instance, in the 2004 presidential election, the vietnamera military service of both major candidates turned into a serious campaign issue. But a glance at the table of contents quickly reveals the real interests of the author and the limitations of the subject matter. Few wars have had such a deep impact on the american people than the vietnam war. Reviewed by john mcnay published on hwar december, 2000 gerard j. He creditably shows that american fighting forces by and large did well on the battlefields of south vietnam, winning every important engagement against the viet cong.

Both are huge, doorstopping books covering the full arc of american involvement, from its very initial stages during the second world war to the ignominious evacuation of. Two new overviews of the war, max hastingss vietnam. An epic tragedy and geoffrey c wards the vietnam war, join the constantly growing list of titles on the conflict. America and the vietnam war, longman harlow, england, 2000. It has a great bibliography and good academic discussion on the war. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Republican presidential candidate ronald reagan has been drawing fire from certain quarters for his recent affirmation that america fought for noble motives in vietnam.

Get an answer for was the vietnam war a tragic blunder, a noble cause or a disguised form of antidemocratic imperialism. When we were growing up, the common definition was that a hero is someone who puts his or her life on the line for a noble cause. Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this epic civil war novel that pits brother against brother. In the 21st century, americans still bitterly argue about the war. An international history in documents places americas most controversial conflict in a broad, international context that reflects the experiences of north and south vietnam, china, and european nations, as well as the united states. In 1971, a us navy veteran of the vietnam war testified before congress, telling senators why he turned against the war. The lives of the war s survivors, in many cases, were scarred deeply. A life, harvard university press cambridge, ma, 2004. It hardly exaggerates to point out that vietnam has assumed, within american culture, the antithetical status of the bad war, much as world war ii has long maintained pride of place as the good war. Its a powerful study which offers fresh insights into the communist revolution and military tactics, the flaws in us strategy and the legacy of the war. Buy a noble cause america and the vietnam war modern wars in perspective 01 by gerard j. Buy cheap vietnam war textbooks online vietnam war textbook. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

Winner of the coveted john esten cooke award for southern fiction, noble cause chronicles the clash of a confederate cavalry officer with a union spy as they defend their beliefs, their country, and their honor. More than a decade later, he returned to his former battlegrounds and recorded his journey in goodbye vietnam. I wanted to write a book that was not just about the fighting, but one which would also cover the political, social and cultural consequences of the war. Apr 28, 2000 twentyfive years after the fall of saigon, most americans still feel that their countrys involvement in the vietnam war was a bad idea, according to a cbs news new york times poll.

This book was originally published back in 2000, but the author has now made it freely available online. America and the vietnam war is part of a series published by longman called modern wars in perspective. There are two vietnam wars, and the second is still going 40 years after the first ended. A noble cause presents an unbiased view of why the vietnam war was fought, how it was lost, and what effect it has had through analytical work and strong narrative, which offers a clear treatment of themes which have frequently been masked by sentiment or myth the military events, the political and strategic contexts, and the social. This is a free online textbook about the vietnam war by jerry degroot, a historian at the university of st andrews in scotland. And so his administration is really the heart of the vietnam war, when the war was really escalated. Twentyfive years after the fall of saigon, most americans still feel that their countrys involvement in the vietnam war was a bad idea, according to a cbs news new york times poll. This intervention would become one of the most divisive decisions in u.