Overview

The American experience during the Vietnam conflict is universally known: the brutalization of the US fighting men, the drug abuse and the trauma. Even today the very word 'Vietnam' is too often interpreted as referring to this conflict (and specifically the American perception of it) rather than to the country and its people. The view from the other side - the Vietcong and North Vietnamese - has been virtually ignored. In this remarkable piece of oral history the story emerges of the ordinary people of both North and South Vietnam, of the Vietcong guerrilla fighters and terrorists, North Vietnamese soldiers and cadres, monks, opposition leaders, propaganda chiefs and village secretaries. 'Vietnam': A Portrait of its People at War provides an account of dedication and heroism at all levels and also of the brutality and trauma faced by a people in the grip of revolution and war.

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9781845118532

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More than two decades after it was first published, Vietnam: A Portrait of Its People at War stands out as one of the most penetrating and valuable studies of the conflict that consumed the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. David Chanoff and Doan Van Toai capture the extraordinary variety of Vietnamese motives and experiences by letting Vietnamese soldiers, officials, and peasants speak for themselves. The overall effect is to bring the other side to life with unrivalled richness and complexity. This book remains essential reading for anyone hoping to understand the Vietnam War.' Mark Lawrence, Associate Professor of History, University of Texas at Austin

Author Information

David Chanoff writes on subjects that range from literary history to foreign policy for publications including the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post and The New Republic and is author of several books, including a collaboration with Ariel Sharon on his autobiography. Doan Van Toai was a student political leader and anti-war activist in Vietnam, for which he was imprisoned on several occasions. He went into exile in Paris in 1978. He is author of many books including The Vietnamese Gulag. Together Chanoff and Toai have collaborated on two earlier books.

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