If you are too young to remember the Vietnam War, this book will give you a comprehensive view of the thirty-year conflict, a more complete story than you might get in your history textbook. It will satisfy the curiosity of those who want to know more about the history and culture of the United States during the sixites and seventies, and it will give older readers an unbiased reminder of their youth.
This was a very well written and enjoyable history- easy to follow and understand. It dragged a bit toward the end but I think that may have been the fault of the subject matter not the author. Nobody was enjoying the Vietnam war by the end, after all.
Even announcing itself as an idiot's guide, this book comes up short. The writing is odd and disjointed, and the timeline does not flow with much coherence. It serves as a basic sketch of the "high points" of the war, but I did not come away with a very clear understanding.