Schulzinger succeeds in recapitulating the political and social atmosphere of the 1960s in the United States, as its leaders and people coped with an increasingly frustrating conflict. Particularly useful is the author's examination, based on much new information, of the often acrimonious debates with the government. But the tone of the volume is not argumentative or strident; on the contrary, ... Read moreSchulzinger, a noted historian of twentieth-century U.S. foreign relations, shows empathy with all the actors in the drama. There are no particular heroes or villians in his story; they are all, in this book, ordinary human beings trying to do what is best but ending up with an increasing sense of helplessness. Thus the book offers a wonderfully crafted saga of the Vietnam war era.
Akira Iriye, Professor of History, Harvard University
A useful survey of the defining event in recent American history. Thoroughly researched, well written, and persuasive in its conclusions, it deserves a wide readership.
Los Angeles Times
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