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Embers Of War: The Fall Of An Empire And The Making Of America's Vietnam (2012)

by Fredrik Logevall(Favorite Author)

4.43 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0375504427 (ISBN13: 9780375504426)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Random House

review 1: A First Reads giveaway: Embers of War is the most exhaustive account of America’s failure to learn from France and its futile decade-long military involvement in Vietnam. Complete with maps and rare photographs, Logevall’s text, lively and detailed, chronicles all the pretexts and miscalculations of what George F. Kennan called “the most disastrous of all America’s undertakings over the whole 200 years of its history.”
review 2: I haven't read an epic war history text since my undergrad years, and at over seven hundred pages, this was work--but work that I'm glad I undertook. The chapters were well organized and the sentences aptly formed. Logevall did a fine job balancing data with interpretation; although some might dislike his occasional (and well-... morefounded) assertions, I welcomed them because they helped make sense of the chaos in a bright and objective way. Despite the book's broad time span, at times it felt too detailed for any practical purpose. What would have helped a Vietnam War novice like myself is if the author/editor had included a timeline of major events and a quick-reference glossary of major players and acronyms. Overall, _Embers of War_ is a fine examination of the events leading up to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. It deepened my understanding of global politics and affirmed my opinion that politicians are rarely guided by real information or noble intent, that there is rarely a saint and sinner in war, and that ultimately "war is hell." less

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