The American Experience in Vietnam

Starred review from December 8, 2014
This revised and expanded edition of a 1988 book by Clark Dougan, Stephen Weiss, and the editors of the Boston Publishing Companyâitself a condensation of the publisher's definitive 25-volume history The Vietnam Experienceârises admirably to the challenge of capturing America's investment in the Vietnam War, both in country and at home, in a single volume. With precision and accuracy the book guides the reader along the war's protracted timeline: the deployment of advisors by J.F.K., the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the "Rolling Thunder" air strikes authorized by L.B.J., the first commitment of ground troops early in 1965, and the rapid escalation of troop commitment to nearly a half-million personnel by 1967. Detailed sidebars on key battles convey the intensity of combat and the frustration of American forces whose victories were often reversed by the tenacity with which Viet Cong guerillas reclaimed lost ground. Analysis of the devastating Tet Offensive in 1968 dovetails with coverage of political turmoil at home and the nation's growing disenchantment with a war that seemed increasingly futile and unwinnable. Arresting photos put a human face on the war and Nick Mills, himself a veteran, has updated the concluding chapter with personal accounts by Vietnam veterans. Photos.