From Publishers Weekly
In this lucid and eloquent overview of American involvement in Vietnam, the Hooblers ( The Trenches: Fighting on the Western Front in World War I ) encourage readers to question and learn from history. Explaining the origins of the conflict, the authors report on Vietnamese subjugation by the French and Japanese, point out that Ho Chi Minh aided the U.S. during WW II, and analyze the series of tragic mistakes made by U.S. presidents, generals, intelligence agents and diplomats that eventually led to the long war. The valor of U.S. combat troops is cited; the My Lai massacre, too, is documented. The context and the influence of the domestic peace movement are also clearly presented. Occasionally, an oversimplification invades the otherwise excellent text (describing how the McCarthyism of the 1950s left a legacy of fear, the authors conclude: "The main reason why American presidents of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s sent military aid to South Vietnam was that they did not want to face the question, 'Who lost Vietnam?' "). Well-chosen photographs, generously interspersed throughout, heighten the immediacy and force of the authors' arguments. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-- This examination of the Vietnam conflict opens with a good synopsis of Vietnam's history, with an emphasis on the country's 1000-year struggle for independence. It then moves into the modern era and describes how the U. S. grew increasingly involved as the French left, and compares that involvement to a tunnel with no end. With the exception of a chapter on the antiwar movement in the U. S., most of the book concentrates on how and why the war was fought as it was in Vietnam. The Hooblers describe the entire conflict as a mistake and portray the U. S. as the aggressor, although they are generally sympathetic to U. S. soldiers. They view the war as a struggle for Vietnamese unification and independence and spend little time on North Vietnam's aggression during the war and repression of the South after it. The book is well written and thought provoking. The text moves smoothly, providing backgound information and a clear outline of events. These features, plus the excellent maps, black-and-white photographs, and non-intimidating format, make this a must for every collection. Both this title and Warren's Portrait of a Tragedy (Lothrop, 1990) view the war as a tragedy, but they differ in their treatment of North Vietnamese and U. S. motivations, and in their placement of blame. Since they are both strong books, they should be purchased as companions to show young readers that the Vietnam conflict remains a complex subject that continues to divide much of the U. S. --Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
