**A comprehensive overview of one of the most controversial wars in
America's history written by masterful children's historian and Newbery
Medalist Russell Freedman.
**
With prose that is clear, concise, and enthralling, Russell Freedman
presents a detailed overview of the Vietnam war. Beginning with the rise
of communism in Vietnam and detailing the increase of American
involvement, Freedman then explains why, twenty years later, an exit was
so difficult.
In addition to explaining the complex beginnings of the conflict through
the catastrophic damage the war caused, Freedman concludes with a
hopeful epilogue on modern Vietnam. This is a definitive resource for
young history readers as well as anyone who wants a concise and
authoritative understanding of the Vietnam War, exploring both the
American and Vietnamese perspectives.
Freedman chronicles the history leading up to the war and the unfolding
events in Vietnam and in the US as increasing numbers of young men were
sent into the jungles to fight. Coverage includes the French war in
Vietnam, the rise of Ho Chi Minh, the fall of President Diem, the Tonkin
Gulf, the Tet Offensive, the My Lai massacre, the bombing of Cambodia,
and the fall of Saigon, as well as the US anti-war movement.
The book includes nearly 100 historic photographs and illustrations, as
well as candid photographs showcasing the state of Vietnam today. A
glossary, source notes, bibliography and index are included.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
