America in Vietnam: A Documentary History [Paperback]

William Appleman Williams (Editor), Thomas McCormick (Editor), Lloyd C. Gardner (Editor), Walter LaFeber (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 1989

This collection of essays and documents, written and compiled by four distinguished historians, is an essential source book for anyone seeking to understand the causes, character, and consequences of American involvement in Vietnam.

Through a wide variety of documents—including newly opened presidential papers, congressional debates, military reports, treaties, and newspaper articles—the authors trace the origins of the war back to pre–World War II attitudes and then proceed through the development of the "domino theory" and the policies of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon to the fall of South Vietnam in 1975.

Each of the editors has written an introductory essay to place the documents in heir historical context. These essays explore the controversial questions raised by Vietnam—such as whether each president understood what he was getting into, whether (as some now charge) the media and public opinion undermined America's ability to win the war, whether official statements were intended to mislead the American people, and, most fundamentally, why America was in Vietnam.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A former president of the Organization of American Historians, William Appleman Williams taught for many years at the University of Wisconsin and Oregon State University. His books include The Contours of American History, The Tragedy of American Diplomacy, and Empire as a Way of Life.

Lloyd C. Gardner is the Charles and Mary Beard Professor of History at Rutgers University.

Walter LaFeber is professor of history at Cornell University and the author of The Clash and Inevitable Revolutions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; PRIMERA edition (May 17, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393305554
• ISBN-13: 978-0393305555
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oregon State University's critique, January 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: America in Vietnam: A Documentary History (Paperback)

William Appleman Williams was a prolific and influential writer of a dozen revisionist books that challenged prevailing views of American history, deploring the United States as an imperialist power pressing its economic and ideological will around the globe. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin from 1960 to 1968 and at Oregon State University from 1968 to 1986, when he retired with the title emeritus. The genially combative professor, who termed himself a radical and was often called the founder of the New Left school of American history, was particularly critical of America's role in the Cold War and in Vietnam. With passionate argument and complex analysis, he championed self-determination for all people and argued that a refusal by Americans to acknowledge a national desire for expansion and global hegemony has led to major errors and confusion over the nation's future.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Complement to the Pentagon Papers, July 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: America in Vietnam: A Documentary History (Paperback)

This collection of documents is especially useful for documents not in the Pentagon Papers, including some amazing ones from the 1950s. It's concise and annotated, emphasizing the origins of the war; half of the documents are dated prior to 1960.

11 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Be Wary of this Collection!, February 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: America in Vietnam: A Documentary History (Paperback)

The documents are documents and they speak for themselves. However, the editors are revisionists and their explanation of the documents is very suspect. The editors put this collection together and based their commentary on the idea that United States foreign policy has always been evil, all the "dead white guys" who made these policies are evil, and everything we did during the cold war and Vietnam reflect that evil. I am not saying I agree with the Vietnam War. However, what I am saying is that if you are presenting documents present them fairly and in the proper context. The editors fail to do this. Their commentary reflects what they are trying to push: bad revisionist junk history. For an even handed look at the Vietnam War look at Karnow's Vietnam book. This book is dangerous in that if you don't have a background in the cold war or Vietnam, you might buy into this revisionist junk.