The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975 by George C. Herring
This is a history of American involvement in Vietnam from the end of the Second World War to the final Communist victory in 1975, with an emphasis upon the period 1963-73. The author's 'focus is on the American side of the equation' (p. x). It is not, thus, a history of Vietnam in this period, but rather a study of American politics, diplomacy, and decision-making, with sufficient Vietnamese background to enable the reader to follow the course of events.
Herring's achievement is considerable. He has worked through voluminous published end unpublished sources to document his narrative and, as far as possible, he stands aloof from the passions which surrounded the Vietnam issue in the United States. There are no startling new insights here, but rather a judicious and balanced assessment which will be useful to all those interested in this compelling, depressing, and tragic episode. On the whole, the American Presidents and their advisers who took the United States into (and out of} Vietnam come out of this account very badly.
Herring argues that 'the United States' involvement in Vietnam was not primarily a result of errors of judgement or of the personality quirks of the policymakers, although these things existed in abundance. It was a logical, if not inevitable, outgrowth of a world view and a policy, the policy of containment...' (p. x). In the phrase 'if not inevitable', however, ....
