Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War, Paperback

A history of the American War in Vietnam that provides a rich overview of that war and an evocative reminder of the human faces of the generation who served.

The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, this book does not excuse the mistakes, but it brings those who served out of the shadows.

Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and of families who grieved those who did not return. By 1969 nearly half of the junior enlisted men who died in Vietnam were draftees. And their median age was 21--among the non-draftees it was only 20. The book describes the "baby boomers" growing up in the 1950s, why they went into the military, what they thought of the war, and what it was like to serve in "Nam." And to come home. With a rich narrative of the Battle for "Hamburger Hill," and through substantial interviews with those who served, the book depicts the cruelty of this war, and its quiet acts of courage.

James Wright's Enduring Vietnam provides an important dimension to the profile of an American generation--and a rich account of an American War.

JAMES WRIGHT is President Emeritus and Eleazar Wheelock Professor of History Emeritus at Dartmouth College. He is the author or editor of several books, including Enduring Vietnam. A Marine Corps veteran from the era right before the Vietnam War, his efforts on behalf of veterans have earned him commendations from the Secretary of the Army, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He and his wife Susan live in Hanover, NH.