Cruel April: The Fall of Saigon [Hardcover]

Oliver Todd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1990

An account of the fall of Saigon. Written by a left-wing journalist who was originally anti-American until he personally encountered the Vietcong, this work deals with the four months leading to the fall of Saigon on the human, military, diplomatic and political levels.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fifteen years after its end, journalist Todd presents a superb account of the last four months of the Vietnam War. Other books cover the topic, including Frank Snepp's Decent Interval (LJ 2/15/78), but none provides the detail of Cruel April. Critically described are the complex political, military, and diplomatic relationships among the major participants: the South Vietnamese government, military, and domestic opposition; the North and South Vietnamese Communists; Americans in Vietnam and Washington; and foreign interests (Soviet, Chinese, French, etc.). Based on published books and articles, government documents, numerous interviews, and the author's personal experiences, this skillful narrative is an essential purchase for all Vietnam War collections. --Kenneth W. Berger, Duke Univ. Lib., Durham, N.C.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; First edition (November 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393027872
• ISBN-13: 978-0393027877
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,046,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memories and Questions, February 2, 2001

By 

Bradley J Richards (Concord, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cruel April: The Fall of Saigon (Hardcover)

Our nation breathed a collective sigh of relief when The Paris Peace Accord was signed in 1973. It was supposed to be the end of the Vietnam War. As we would learn 2 years later, it was not. Olivier Todd originally covered the war from 1965-1973. After the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, he decided it was time to summarize the final days of the conflict. His book covers the infamous 4-month period from January to April in 1975 and the total collapse of South Vietnam. In reading this book, it is quite obvious he invested a great deal of time into interviews and research. The book not only reviews the final days but also raises many questions about the events surrounding them. The reader will find himself mixing memories with those questions in every chapter.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primarily Political..., March 22, 2010

By 

F. Knocker - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cruel April: The Fall of Saigon (Hardcover)

The book is mostly about the political circumstances surrounding the fall of Saigon (and political events well before April 1975). If you're interested in the military and social aspect of the defeat (as I was), this probably won't be for you. Very dry reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cruel April, February 6, 2012

By 

R. STANLEY MILLER - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cruel April: The Fall of Saigon (Hardcover)

Greetings,

This book, by Oliver Todd is a classic right up there with or near equal to Stanley Karnow's Vietnam: A History. Spending nearly ten years in the wartorn country I can appreciate the research and effort Todd when through, not to mention the personal experience of actually being there in compiling the work. The tome is the most accurate, and truthful depiction of events during the period I have ever read, and I have read quiet a few.