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Vietnam: A History Audiobook
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(4.33) - 72 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this comprehensive history, Stanley Karnow demystifies the tragic ordeal of America’s war in Vietnam. The book’s central theme is that America’s leaders, prompted as much by domestic politics as by global ambitions, carried the United States into Southeast Asia with little regard for the realities of the region. Karnow elucidates the decision-making process in Washington and Asia and recounts the political and military events that occurred after the Americans arrived in Vietnam. Throughout, he focuses on people, those who shaped strategy and those who suffered, died, or survived as a result.
Panoramic in scope and filled with fresh revelations drawn from secret documents and from exclusive interviews with hundreds of participants on both sides, Vietnam: A History transcends the past with lessons relevant to the present and the future.
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"An in-depth look at Vietnam's embattled history, lost opportunities by the United States, and the in-fighting that crippled South Vietnam's ability to fight the Viet Cong and increasingly North Vietnam soldiers. Karnow highlights the debates among Washington policymakers and the decision making about combat and diplomacy in great detail. Karnow's background as Time's Southeast Asian Correspondent gives him a great deal of authority to engage a wide range of sources about how the war was fought and the negotiations behind the scenes until the fall of Saigon."
— Bill (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Even those of us who think we know something about [the Vietnam War] will read with fascination.”
— New York Times -
“This is the first ‘big’ history in English of Vietnam at war, and it is superb.”
— USA Today -
“The best journalist writing on Asian affairs.”
— Newsweek -
“A landmark work…The most complete account to date of the Vietnam tragedy.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“A rich and unusal mixture. [Karnow] has the master reporter’s eye for meaningful detail.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“This is history writing at its best.”
— Chicago Sun Times -
“Controlled, comprehensive, and clear. Its strength lies not only in research and analysis, but in Karnow’s actual process of thinking itself.”
— Christian Science Monitor
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Vietnam Listener Reviews
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" very detailed history of not only the war, but the history of the country and it's people..pretty amazing stuff "
— Brad, 2/16/2014 -
" I'm very much looking forward to this book. "
— Casey, 1/30/2014 -
" Should be 3 1/2 stars. A terrific history, and I really appreciated the scope of the story Karnow told. His wisdom in his many years of reporting in Vietnam shine through. I just wondered why the Nixon years felt so thin. There was, I felt, a lack of details in the telling of the fighting. I would have liked to see more on the plight of the soldiers, and the effect of the draft. Still, a compelling, appalling narrative. Should be required reading. "
— Ron, 1/30/2014 -
" This was a comprehensive history of wars in Vietnam, not just the Vietnam War. I thought it was well written; however, it is the companion set to a PBS series and as such the author tends to repeat himself a little. "
— Terrance, 1/28/2014 -
" We've all got our opinions; this book will help inform them. "
— Jim, 1/26/2014 -
" This book was used in a great college course I took on the history of Vietnam. Very readable and thoroughly written. From the Trung sisters, Lt. Calley and Dien Bien Phu, to Nixon's Cambodia and the ultimate fall of Saigon. HIghly recommended. I would love to have a copy of this book. Please let me know if you see one for sale somewhere. Haven't seen one here in Hiroshima. "
— Mark, 1/24/2014 -
" Best single volume history of the tragedy available "
— Michael, 1/19/2014 -
" Ever thought the Vietnam War is too confusing to understand? This book will set you straight. A well-written and thorough look at one of the most complicated conflicts in our nation's history. "
— Mike, 1/14/2014 -
" Very informative. Filled in a lot of gaps for me. I read this in conjunction with the PBS video series. The two complement each other very well. "
— Manifest, 1/10/2014 -
" A bit dense, but impressively comprehensive "
— Thanhdk, 12/3/2013 -
" After growing up watching this war on tv, I had to know more. Fascinating. "
— Toby, 11/25/2013 -
" Change the geographical and personal names and this could be contemporary history. "
— Andrew, 8/9/2013 -
" Loved it. Great for people like me who grew up during the era , but knew nothing about the history. "
— Glenn, 4/15/2013 -
" A concise book that awakens the mind of Americans to the history of Vietnam. "
— Vivian, 3/10/2013 -
" Published just a few years after that cataclysm, and written from a reporter's point of view. Karnow reported from Vietnam for the early part of the book, and there's a noticeable change in the narrative after he left. Worth a look. "
— Gib, 2/20/2013 -
" I'm very, very tired of Vietnam and this book fit the bill in closing that period in American history for me. "
— Robert, 12/13/2012 -
" Fantastic book. A wonderful overview of a very complex topic. "
— doug, 10/22/2012 -
" Karnow badly needed an editor to cut down on his wordiness. I read this many years ago when it was required reading for a college course on the Vietnam War. "
— Mark, 9/23/2012 -
" Insightful, but a tedious read. "
— Wayne, 1/23/2012 -
" Excellent book about the Vietnamese people and just how fiercely nationalistic they are. If Washington politicians had listened to those who knew about Vietnam we wouldn't have lost so many young men and women there. "
— Eric, 12/14/2011 -
" Mostly received wisdom with very few insights or strategic analysis. "
— Lysergius, 11/23/2011 -
" I always wanted to understand this war better. I could read this many times and learn something new each time. "
— Toni, 10/26/2011 -
" Great book. So many things I didn't know about this terrible time of our history. <br/> "
— Claudia, 4/3/2011 -
" Very good. A good primer to more fully understand our current wars. "
— Tye, 3/14/2011 -
" I'm very, very tired of Vietnam and this book fit the bill in closing that period in American history for me. "
— Robert, 1/30/2011 -
" We've all got our opinions; this book will help inform them. "
— Jim, 12/31/2010 -
" Loved it. Great for people like me who grew up during the era , but knew nothing about the history. "
— Glenn, 11/29/2010 -
" Every asshole who wanted to go to war in Iraq should be forced to sit down and read this book. Then, they should be beaten about the head and neck with it.<br/><br/>Just sayin'. "
— Tonya, 6/12/2010 -
" Excellent book about the Vietnamese people and just how fiercely nationalistic they are. If Washington politicians had listened to those who knew about Vietnam we wouldn't have lost so many young men and women there. "
— Eric, 5/11/2010 -
" The book has a few weaknesses for my money, among them he does not really explore if we could have been more successful fighting a different way. <br/> <br/>Still - as a place to start - this is the book. <br/> <br/> "
— Dave, 5/5/2010 -
" Very good book. If your interested in Vietnam, this book will provide you with an interesting look at american & french occupied vietnam. "
— Bryan, 1/18/2010 -
" Perhaps the best history written on this war. I very much enjoyed this book! "
— Paul, 12/25/2009 -
" I'm very much looking forward to this book. "
— Casey, 8/11/2009 -
" Great history about the war that shaped a generation. "
— John, 6/27/2009 -
" The "One" read if you are curious about the most beautiful country and people in SEA and America's intervention in their civil war. "
— Jack, 4/10/2009
About Stanley Karnow
Stanley Karnow was born in New York and graduated from Harvard in 1947. He began his journalistic career in Paris in 1950 as a Time correspondent. He covered Southeast Asia from 1959 until 1974 for Time, Life, the Saturday Evening Post, the London Observer, the Washington Post, and NBC News and was later an editor for the New Republic. He has written a number of books, including the bestselling Vietnam: A History and the Pulitzer Prize–winning In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines. He lives in Washington, DC.
About Edward Holland
Edward Holland is an audiobook narrator whose credits include Confessions of a Spy, Vietnam, and How to Read a Book.