The American Experience in Vietnam: A Reader

By Grace Sevy

Book Overview

The Vietnam War triggered a profound transformation in American political consciousness. It shattered confidence in American moral superiority and American military omnipotence. How did this disaster befall a nation that had recently emerged from a great world war, not only victorious but the undisputed moral leader of the world?

The American Experience in Vietnam provides in-depth analyses that clarify the historical phenomena of the Vietnam era from various perspectives. The articles and excerpts in this collection were selected to give readers a real sense of how it felt to live through the agonizing and tumultuous Vietnam years. It is geared to stimulate thorough, thoughtful discussion of the American disaster in Vietnam, so that readers can begin to deal with the tragic consequences of U.S. intervention and avoid future Vietnams.

Dr. Sevy contends that Americans concerned about protecting the national security must be more informed about the facts of American foreign policy and be more active in influencing the decisions of elected representatives. To do so, we need to educate ourselves about current world events and to view them in the light of our historical experience.

Young students, who know almost nothing about the war, and older Americans, who lived through the war but are still confused by the controversy surrounding it, will find this book useful as a basis for understanding the complex social, political, and moral crises that traumatized the American body politic for more than a decade.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806123907
• ISBN13: 9780806123905
• Release Date: July 1991
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Good Collection of Vietnam War Articles and Book Excerpts

This is a good collection of articles and book excerpts covering why the U.S. got involved in Indochina, what happened on the battlefield, the role of the press, the successes and failures of the anti-war movement and the long-term consequences of the war. There are mostly good articles and excerpts and only a few that didn't carry their weight. Many of the excerpts gave me a sneak preview of important books on the Vietnam war for future reading.