Lyndon Johnson's War: The Road to Stalemate in Vietnam

by Larry Berman

"Stunning....The portrait of the embattled and unyielding president that emerges is vivid and memorable."―Publishers Weekly By 1968, the United States had committed over 525,000 men to Vietnam and bombed virtually all military targets recommended by the joint Chiefs of Staff. Yet, the United States was no closer to securing its objectives than it had been prior to the Americanization of the war. The long-promised light at the end of the tunnel was a mirage. This absorbing account reveals the bankruptcy of the bombing campaign against North Vietnam, the failures of political reform in South Vietnam and the bitter bureaucratic conflicts between the US government and its military commanders.

Genres: History

274 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

About the author

Larry Berman (PhD, Princeton) is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Davis, and founding Dean of the Georgia State Honors College.

His books include Zumwalt: The Life and Times of Admiral Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. (2012), Perfect Spy: The incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An (2007), No Peace, No Honor (2001), Lyndon Johnson War: The Road to Stalemate in Vietnam (1989), and Planning A Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam (1982). Berman is currently researching for his next book, A Slow Walk with Death: The Lingering Effects of Agent Orange.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read looking at the dialogue between Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War. It was interesting to note how Johnson perceived this war during his presidency, and after everything realized how much of a mistake it was. For an academic read it was certainly engaging.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larry Berman argued in 1989s Lyndon Johnson’s War that LBJ personally kept the war going, because he feared the political backlash at home if he abandoned the cause.

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lesson learned from the book is clear: never, I repeat, never try to focus on two issues on the same time, especially in nation-ruling-scale. Lyndon B. Johnson, tried with his Gun-and-Butter Policy which put the commitment on Vietnam War and Great Society on same time. If only he focused on only one project at a time, he would be remembered in a different light. However, fate is a cruel mistress.

[Tom Nolan]

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