Vietnam's American War: A History (Cambridge Studies in US Foreign Relations)
Pierre Asselin
4.2 avg rating
( 5 ratings by Goodreads )
Softcover
ISBN 10: 1107510503 ISBN 13: 9781107510500
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2018
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Synopsis
About this title
Communist forces in the Vietnam War lost most battles and suffered disproportionally higher casualties than the United States and its allies throughout the conflict. The ground war in South Vietnam and the air war in the North were certainly important in shaping the fates of the victors and losers, but they alone fail to explain why Hanoi bested Washington in the end. To make sense of the Vietnam War, we must look beyond the war itself. In his new work, Pierre Asselin explains the formative experiences and worldview of the men who devised communist strategies and tactics during the conflict, and analyzes their rationale and impact. Drawing on two decades of research in Vietnam's own archives, including classified policy statements and reports, Asselin expertly and straightforwardly relates the Vietnamese communist experience - and the reasons the war turned out the way it did.
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Review
'An informative, impressive, and invaluable study of North Vietnam's conduct of its war with the United States. A major contribution!' George C. Herring, University of Kentucky
'Finally a concise, penetrating, and insightful account of the Vietnam War as seen from the other side. Relying on a wealth of new Vietnamese sources, Pierre Asselin does what few have ever achieved: he has provided a highly readable general history of communist Vietnam's "American War.' Christopher Goscha, Université du Québec ... Montréal
'From the fog of a bitter and divisive thirty-year war, Pierre Asselin stands at the forefront of scholars helping to illuminate the reasons North Vietnam prevailed in its American War. Vietnamese history, personalities, politics, military strategies, and transcending ideologies are brilliantly distilled in this insightful analysis of war, its aftermath, and the eventual peace.' Larry Berman, University of California, Davis
'Through extensive use of Vietnamese language sources, Pierre Asselin's valuable and perceptive explanation of the war - its origins, conduct, outcome, and legacy - provides a long-needed analysis centering on Hanoi from start to finish and on how this small nation prevailed in a test of wills with the powerful United States.' David L. Anderson, California State University, Monterey Bay
'Professor Asselin expertly and straightforwardly relates the Vietnamese communist experience - and the reasons the war turned out the way it did. Offering a unique and impressively informed and informative perspective, Vietnam's American War: A History is an extraordinary study of exceptional scholarship and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Vietnam War collections and supplemental studies lists.' Midwest Book Review
Book Description
This book surveys the Vietnamese communist experience during the Vietnam War (1954-75) with a focus on high-level decision-making. Written in an accessible, narrative style geared toward non-experts, the book presents a history of Vietnamese communist strategy, decision-making, and policies, including key battle plans.
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Biography
Pierre Asselin was born in Quebec City, Canada. He is the Dwight E. Stanford Chair in the History of US Foreign Relations at San Diego State University, specializing in East/Southeast Asia and the larger Cold War context. He is a leading authority on the Vietnam War, speaks Vietnamese, and regularly travels to Vietnam for research. Asselin is the author of _A Bitter Peace: Washington, Hanoi, and the Making of the Paris Agreement_ (University of North Carolina Press, 2002), which won the 2003 Kenneth W. Baldridge Prize, and _Hanoi’s Road to the Vietnam War, 1954-1965_ (University of California Press, 2013), winner of the 2013 Arthur Goodzeit Book Award. His latest book, _Vietnam’s American War: A History_ (Cambridge University Press, 2017), is a comprehensive history of the war told from the "other side," that is, focusing on the Vietnamese communist experience. Other notable publications include "The Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the 1954 Geneva Conference: A Revisionist Critique" in _Cold War History_ (2011); "Revisionism Triumphant: Hanoi's Diplomatic Strategy in the Nixon Era" in _Journal of Cold War Studies_ (2011); and "'We Don't Want a Munich': Hanoi's Diplomatic Strategy, 1965-1968" in _Diplomatic History_ (2012).
Before relocating to the mainland Asselin lived in Honolulu for 26 years and taught at Kapiolani Community College, Chaminade University, and Hawaii Pacific University. He is an avid hockey player/fan and stand-up paddler. He's enjoying his new life in San Diego in the company of his scintillating wife, Grace, and cat, Ursula.
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Showing 1-6 of 6 reviews
Michael Jones
5.0 out of 5 starsWhat was going on in HanoiJanuary 30, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I saw Dr. Assell give a lecture on Cspan and this intrigued me. For anyone interested in the war and the big questions, "How did we lose?" and "Could we have won?" this helps with the answers. Add this to what we know about what our side did, and now you have a more complete picture.
One person found this helpful
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Alan D Lewis
4.0 out of 5 starsExcellent overview of the Vietnam Wars (plural)July 30, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Excellent overview of the Vietnam Wars (plural), as told from a slightly different viewpoint than other histories on the subject.
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CJharley
5.0 out of 5 starsPierre Asselin is a great historian who has done extensive research in the archives ...January 17, 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This book looks at the war through the eyes of the Vietnamese governmental leaders. Pierre Asselin is a great historian who has done extensive research in the archives in Hanoi. I found it too be a easy read, flowed well and with a lot of great content. It made me look at the war from a different perspective and put myself in the shoes of the North Vietnamese leaders and the difficult decisions they faced. He does a great job illustrating the genius of Nixon and Kissinger who often confounded their North Vietnamese counterparts.
5/5 anyone interested in the war should read this book!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsReadable and insightfulAugust 8, 2018
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
A very well written and unique perspective on the war from a thoughtful author who is clearly passionate and dedicated to sharing knowledge about this often misunderstood time in history.
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Thomas A. Schwartz
5.0 out of 5 starsInsightful look at North Vietnam's warAugust 23, 2018
Format: Paperback
This is one of the best books I have read on the Vietnamese communist approach to the war, and it is particularly good in its examination of the North Vietnamese leadership. It also raises many important questions about the costs of the war which Le Duan inflicted on his people. Highly recommended!
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Ray J.
2.0 out of 5 starsHo Chi Minh committed mass-murder in 1956 in land reformJune 11, 2018
Format: Paperback
Yes.This book talks of the "botched" land reform in North Vietnam. There was also a revolt right after the mass-murder and Minh's forces killed the revolting party with no mercy whatsoever. See Ken Burns's book on Vietnam as well for this.
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