Enduring Vietnam

This “powerful and heartbreaking” history of the Vietnam War looks not only at the conflict but the generation caught up in its horrors and consequences (Booklist).

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. The book describes the baby boomers growing up in the 1950s, why they went into the military, what they thought of the war, 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.