The real history of the Vietnam War A new look at the past

This captivating volume is full of multicolored fonts, attractive sidebars, full-color maps, and both black-and-white and color photographs. There are images of primary resources like Nixon's resignation letter and even a photograph of a soldier's Zippo lighter, ironically personalized with a peace sign. Contentwise, it attempts to cover all aspects of the sometimes convoluted history of America's involvement in Vietnam, and it does an excellent job of summarizing the most important aspects of the war in a relatively small volume. Its glitzy approach may be enough to entice younger users away from total reliance on the Internet. Recommended for circulating collections.--Tosko, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist

The prolific Axelrod (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot) has authored numerous histories of American wars, including the Revolution, the Civil War, and WWII. His latest-an accessible book filled with facts and statistics (albeit without attribution)-resembles a 21st-century textbook with its snappy chapter introductions in magazinelike large type, subhead-studded text, and plenty of photographs, sidebars, maps, and pull quotes. This is not necessarily a bad thing. While focusing on military operations, tactics, and strategy, the book covers virtually every important aspect of the war, including its political and geopolitical dimensions, and it contains a balanced mixture of fact and analysis. Axelrod concludes that the war was mishandled by the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations; it was a war, he writes, "with objectives that were not only limited but also highly questionable, often morally repugnant, and finally tragic, a war that never seemed 'real.' " This is a perfect supplement to a class on the conflict, or for those searching for a concise one-volume look at the American war in Vietnam, including its repercussions in the present day. Photos, maps, & illus. Agent: Edward B. Claflin Literary Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.