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Unheralded Victory:
Who Won the Vietnam War? This is a deeply
frustrating book, often on the same level as ‘The
Longest Night’, but often failing to reach a conclusion that is borne out
by the evidence. The author
attempts to correct many of the myths about Vietnam, noting that there were two
wars – one against the Vietcong and one against the North Vietnamese Army –
both of which were won (?) by the United States.
The author also asserts that the Vietcong were nowhere near as powerful
or as independent as they’re often portrayed, while reminding us that the
government of the south was not all corrupt or evil. The book has real
strengths. The aims of the US and
its allies are clearly set out and understandable.
The dissertation of the anti-war movement is a masterpiece of social
research, covering phoney Vietnam vets, the bad reputation of reporters and the
so-called draft dodgers movement. Somehow
the US forgot to notice that for everyone who fled to Canada, three Canadians
came to the US to fight. That
section is an amusing read.
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