The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 john prados. Oct 08, 2015 perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. He offers narrative and a bald accounting of what happened. He began with a big book covering the 1960 election that brought john f. Interest in these forces had always been high, but it spiked to new levels following this.
An international history of the war for peace in vietnam chapel hill. He preferred the image of a president who had opposed armed action, keeping the u. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 on jstor. John prados is a leading historian of national security affairs, intelligence.
John prados is an author and analyst of national security based in washington, dc. His numerous books include william colby and the cia. Brigham explore the war s impact on vietnamese women and urban culture. He specializes in history of world war ii, history of the vietnam. Thomas powers, author of heisenbergs war about the author john prados is a leading historian of national security affairs, intelligence operations, and international security concerns. Prados revisits the conflict by taking the reader behind conventional histories.
Asselin, pierre s hanois road to the vietnam war, 19541965 berkeley. In narratives and vignettes that display his impressive command of facts and analysis, he sheds new light on the issues and punctures. The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs hhmi biointeractive video duration. Readers interested in the history of southeast asia, or the. After nearly ten years of searching, they descended into his pakistan compound in the middle of the night, killed him, and secreted the body back into afghanistan. The hidden history of the vietnam war is a model of lucid writing and fair judgment which tells us things we need to know. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 modern war.
While most peopleliberals, conservatives, democrats, republicans, historians, pundits, and citizens alikeagree that the united states did not win the war, a vocal minority argue the opposite or debate why victory never came, attributing the quagmire to everything from domestic politics to the. Vietnam, the history of an unwinnable war, 1945 1975 by dr. On 8 march, 1965, 3,500 united states marines of the 9th marine expeditionary brigade made an amphibious landing at da nang on the south central coast of south vietnam, marking the beginning of a conflict that would haunt american politics. Beyond that, on the fiction front, we quickly traipse into forgettable territory. This careful examination of key strategies, events, and personalities in the conflict sheds fresh light on the high points of the vietnam experience and punctures. Us soldiers, communist leaders, saigon loyalists, vietnamese peasants and even nixon himself. Buy this book prados the presidents secret wars offers a rare fresh look at the war in. The author discusses the three axioms in the dominant interpretation of the u.
John prados is an analyst of national security based in washington, dc. John prados, who knows more than anyone else about the cia, has written a book that summarizes four decades of his research and relates a tale that is always gripping, often dismaying, frequently infuriating, and suddenly more timely than ever. Thomas powers prados the presidents secret wars offers a rare fresh look at the war in southeast asia. University of california press, 20 and nguyen, lienhang s hanois war. In his preface prados states his aim is to provide the most comprehensive history to date of our involvement in vietnam. University of north carolina press, 2012 complement each other nicely, and together constitute the most. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 et des millions. The search for peace in vietnam, 19641968 brings together a diverse group of scholars representing various viewpoints and backgrounds regarding the vietnam war. Stepping back from this overheated fray, bestselling author john prados takes a fresh look at both the war and the debates. While most people liberals, conservatives, democrats, republicans, historians, pundits, and citizens alike agree that the united states did not win the war, a vocal minority argue the opposite or debate why victory never came, attributing the quagmire to everything from domestic politics to the press. Vietnam, the history of an unwinnable war, 1945 1975 by. Mar 25, 1995 vietnam is a topic that is sure to generate debate. Vietnam is a topic that is sure to generate debate.
This book is a terrific read, full of revelations, astute interpretations, and historical documentationthe recipe for a classic because it advances our understanding of history. These propositions and others, advanced by apologists for the american defeat in vietnam many of them the very generals and officials responsible for prosecuting the war, are fast becoming conventional wisdom. The best histories of the vietnam war council on foreign. This book is a terrific read, full of revelations, astute interpretations, and historical documentationthe recipe for a classic because it. His other books include presidents secret wars, combined fleet decoded, valley of decision, and keepers of the keys. Books in this seminar studies in history series bridge the gap between textbook and specialist survey and consists of a brief introduction andor background to the subject, valuable in bringing the. His straightforward narrative does not aim to be a comprehensive history. John prados heads the archives intelligence documentation project and its. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975, this promise was a significant part of a series of decisions that contributed to the escalation of the war in vietnam which can be traced back to the eisenhower administration. Brands, professor of history at university of texas, austin. An oral history of the vietnam war by black veterans by wallace terry vietnam declassified by thomas l.
This book though does try to synthesize happenings and thoughts from all angles, usa, vietnam, laos, china, russia, etc as it looks at vietnam war, especially regarding the ho chi minh trail. Project muse search for peace in vietnam, 19641968. Perhaps the only decent thing to emerge from the vietnam war is a body of literature unsurpassed by the writing thats come out of any other war. John prados heads the archives intelligence documentation project and its vietnam project, assists on other subjects, and is a senior fellow on national security affairs, including foreign affairs, intelligence, and military matters. Pdf a short history of the vietnam war download full. There is catch22, and slaughterhouse five, and these are classics to be sure.
Melvin small recounts the domestic tensions created by americas involvement in vietnam, and kenton clymer traces the spread of the war to laos and cambodia. The ho chi minh trail and the vietnam war, and the hidden history of the vietnam war. Pdf a short history of the vietnam war download full pdf. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Remembering the vietnam war, edited by john prados, ivan r.
The hidden history of the vietnam war book by john prados. The secret wars of a controversial spymaster, the blood road. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 by john. The necessary war, michael lind if you only read one book on the vietnam war, this is it. Pradoss book draws from a broad range of evidence, including archival documents and official military government. The hidden history of the vietnam war by john prados goodreads. Thomas powers, author of heisenbergs war about the author.
John prados is a senior fellow of the national security archive at george washington university. John prados, the author of several specialized studies, contends that the vietnam war continues to generate seemingly endless arguments because the scholarship is atomizeddominated by narrow monographs debating small pointswithout adequate consideration of the long sweep of time and the role of all of the actors p. Kennedy, johnson, and the origins of the vietnam war, published by harvard university press. John prados the origins of the vietnam war sd youtube. Jul 15, 2014 the vietnam war continues to be the focus of intense controversy. The hidden history of the vietnam war john prados, author ivan r. Utilizing a trove of declassified documents from archives in the u. Find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.
John prados is a senior fellow of the national security archive at george. If consumer reports published a guide to authors of vietnam war books, in the column rating sentimentality, john prados would likely get a below averagejust what youd expect and want from one of the foremost vietnam war historians and. Military historian prados the japanese navy in world war ii uses the notorious ho chi minh trail both as a focus for his history and as a metaphor for this blowbyblow account of americas involvem. This new book sets in context the conflict from the end of the indochina war in 1954 to the eruption of fullscale war in 1965, and places events against their full international background. Perhaps more targeted at the scholarly minded, this book collects official documents and private letters from a sea of sources. The hidden history of the vietnam war by john prados. Hunts a vietnam war reader is a very different text to onans. The history of an unwinnable war, 19451975 modern war studies by john prados isbn.
The assassination of osama bin laden by seal team 6 in may 2011 will certainly figure among the greatest achievements of us special forces. Vann retired from the army in 1963 after failing to. The vietnam war continues to be the focus of intense controversy. The vietnam war has scarred, transformed and inspired countless writers and art practitioners. It is the timeless story of a young marine lieutenant, waino mellas, and his comrades in bravo company, who are dropped into the mountain jungle of vietnam as boys and forced to fight their way into manhood. This book provides a short, accessible introduction to the origins of the vietnam war. Drawing from a broad range of sources and using new evidence, he focuses on key strategies, events, and personalities in the struggle.
The book breaks free from the mold of many american analyses of vietnam, which place the war solely in the context of americas involvement and detriment, and endeavors to look further. The veterans antiwar movement in fact and memory a. In terms of detailing the diplomatic, political, and military events of the war he succeeds. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. He specializes in history of world war ii, history of the vietnam war, and current international relations. Brigham explore the wars impact on vietnamese women and urban culture. John prados is a leading historian of national security affairs, intelligence operations, and international security concerns. Sheehan, who covered the vietnam war for the new york times, won the pulitzer prize for chronicling the unusual story of john paul vann. While the list of books about this conflict includes hundreds of enlightening works, we pick ten of the best texts offering illuminating perspectives on the war, its context and the effects it had on vietnam. He is the author of about thirty books and many articles on topics of current importance, presidential studies, international security.
The war had a profound and lasting impact on the politics and society of vietnam and the united states, and it also had a major impact on international relations. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover. Vietnam, the history of an unwinnable war, 1945 1975. Buy a cheap copy of the hidden history of the vietnam war book by john prados. The hidden history of the vietnam war john prados on. Intense, powerful, and compelling, matterhorn is an epic war novel in the tradition of norman mailers the naked and the dead and james joness the thin red line. Mar 02, 2015 sheehan, who covered the vietnam war for the new york times, won the pulitzer prize for chronicling the unusual story of john paul vann. John prados is a wellknown and prolific author, historian, security analyst, and game designer. Origins and evolution of the veterans antiwar movement. In the hidden history of the vietnam war, john prados meets them head on.
In this lecture, john prados, a senior fellow at the national security archive in washington, d. Vietnam war ebook by vinh truong 9781466923980 rakuten. Limited war and us strategy from the korean war to the. John prados is a military and government historian whose many works cover topics such as the vietnam war, the central intelligence agency cia, national intelligence and security, the daytoday business of presidents, and terrorism and the war in iraq. John prados and eric bergerud devote essays to americas military strategy, while helen e. Attitudes toward it provide a litmus test for a persons political views those who believe it was a war that could have been won but for the liberal press and the liberal congress are sure to avoid this book. A rumor of war, philip caputo to call it the best book about vietnam is to trivialise it. History of the vietnam war and presidents secret wars ivan dee. Jun 01, 2010 john prados, the author of several specialized studies, contends that the vietnam war continues to generate seemingly endless arguments because the scholarship is atomizeddominated by narrow monographs debating small pointswithout adequate consideration of the long sweep of time and the role of all of the actors p.
1029 132 5 788 1233 70 1036 169 1480 1043 61 1004 571 637 977 986 767 1197 86 1112 1141 1100 845 1110 524 1226 795 1056 840 1483 525