The Vietnam War, 1945–1975

Produced in conjunction with a mammoth New-York Historical Society exhibition on the Vietnam War opening in October 2017, this slim volume pairs a concise, chronological history of the war with a stunning collection of mostly black-and-white images. The photographs, posters, and other illustrations manage to briefly but accurately cover virtually every important political, geopolitical, military, and societal aspect of the war. The book runs from the end of WWII, when the U.S. underwrote France in the latter’s war against the communist Viet Minh in what was then known as Indochina, to the North Vietnamese and Vietcong victory in 1975. The voices of several American veterans of the conflict feature alongside a summary of the war’s impact on their lives—and its impact on American culture, society, and politics. Historian Reaven, the exhibition’s curator, and her colleagues have produced an admirably objective, albeit very brief, look at what they rightly call “a signal event in the history of the twentieth century.” Photos & illus. (Sept.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review listed incorrect publisher information.