cover image Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War

Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War

James Wright. St. Martin’s/Dunne, $29.99 (464p) ISBN 978-1-250-09248-9

In this well-researched and readable work, Wright (Those Who Have Borne the Battle), president emeritus of Dartmouth College, takes a deep look at a particular segment of an American generation—men who took part in ground combat in the Vietnam War. These men, whom he calls “the war fighters,” were from the Army and Marines and accounted for approximately a fourth of the troops who served in Vietnam during the war. To do so, Wright interviewed 160 veterans and family members of those who died in the war. He utilizes primary and secondary sources to examine the political, diplomatic, and cultural climate of the Vietnam War period. Wright includes an analysis of military strategy, and his descriptions of on-the-ground action concentrate on the decisive year of 1969, including an extended look at the May 1969 Battle of Ap Bia Mountain, commonly known as Hamburger Hill. He also devotes a chapter to Vietnam veterans’ homecoming. Wright’s worthy effort is a tribute to Americans who saw the worst that the Vietnam War offered, combined with a broad look at the domestic and geopolitical factors that led to the U.S. getting involved in the long, controversial conflict. Agent: Michael Carlisle, Inkwell. (Apr.)