The Vietnam War: From Da Nang to Saigon

The United States at War

by Deborah Kent

“What are we over here fighting for?” An American soldier asked this question during the Vietnam War. Many other American soldiers and citizens wondered the same thing. The conflict began when the United States sent armed forces to defend South Vietnam against Communist North Vietnam. It was supposed to be a brief military operation, but it ended as a bloody, twelve-year conflict in which thousands of American soldiers were killed. Author Deborah Kent examines this tragic and controversial period in American history from the first Marines arriving at Da Nang to the final airlift out of Saigon.

128 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Deborah Kent was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Little Falls. She graduated from Oberlin College and received a master's degree from Smith College School for Social Work. For four years, she was a social worker at University Settlement House on New York's Lower East Side. In 1975, Ms. Kent moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she wrote her first young-adult novel, Belonging. In San Miguel, Ms. Kent helped to found the Centro de Crecimiento, a school for children with disabilities. Ms. Kent is the author of numerous young-adult novels and nonfiction titles for children. She lives in Chicago with her husband, children's author R. Conrad Stein, and their daughter, Janna.

Reviews

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an overview of the Vietnam War. It begins with the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Though who fired on the USS Maddox wasn't clear, there was enough suspicion for Congress to give President Johnson authority to do what he needed to in Vietnam. The conflict was official. It goes on to describe the previous years of French rule and war in Vietnam, the separation of Vietnam into two regions, the escalating conflict between Communist north and Democratic south, the sending of American troops to aid the south, the policies of Johnson and Nixon, student protests, and the fall of the south when America vacated.

It's not as "text-book" as it could have been, so that's a positive. It's shorter than Philip Caputo's or Russell Freedman's books on Vietnam, but not quite as good either. It's definitely worth recommending, but my personal favorite is Boots on the Ground by Elizabeth Partridge.

[Rùa Con Mắt cận · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nói chung là không có gì đặc biệt, Mỹ rút quân và Việt Nam thống nhất :3