Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War

Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War
Author: James F. Dunnigan
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2014-11-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 146688472X

James F. Dunnigan and Albert A. Nofi's Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War allows us to see what really happened to American forces in Southeast Asia, separating popular myth from explosive reality in a clear, concise manner. Containing more than two hundred examinations of different aspects of the war, the book questions why the American military ignored the lessons taught by previous encounters with insurgency forces; probes the use of group think and mind control by the North Vietnamese; and explores the role technology played in shaping the way the war was fought. Of course, the book also reveals the "dirty little secrets," the truth behind such aspects of the conflict as the rise of the Montagnard mercenaries--the most feared group of soldiers participating in the secret war in Laos-and the details of the hidden struggle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail. With its unique and perceptive examination of the conflict, Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War by James F. Dunnigan & Albert A. Nofi offers a critical addition to the library of Vietnam War history.

Secrets

Secrets
Author: Daniel Ellsberg
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 529
Release: 2003-09-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 1101191317

The true story of the leaking of the Pentagon Papers, the event which inspired Steven Spielberg’s feature film The Post In 1971 former Cold War hard-liner Daniel Ellsberg made history by releasing the Pentagon Papers - a 7,000-page top-secret study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam - to the New York Times and Washington Post. The document set in motion a chain of events that ended not only the Nixon presidency but the Vietnam War. In this remarkable memoir, Ellsberg describes in dramatic detail the two years he spent in Vietnam as a U.S. State Department observer, and how he came to risk his career and freedom to expose the deceptions and delusions that shaped three decades of American foreign policy. The story of one man's exploration of conscience, Secrets is also a portrait of America at a perilous crossroad. "[Ellsberg's] well-told memoir sticks in the mind and will be a powerful testament for future students of a war that the United States should never have fought." -The Washington Post "Ellsberg's deft critique of secrecy in government is an invaluable contribution to understanding one of our nation's darkest hours." -Theodore Roszak, San Francisco Chronicle

Secrets

Secrets
Author: Daniel Ellsberg
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 532
Release: 2003-09-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780142003428

The true story of the leaking of the Pentagon Papers, the event which inspired Steven Spielberg’s feature film The Post In 1971 former Cold War hard-liner Daniel Ellsberg made history by releasing the Pentagon Papers - a 7,000-page top-secret study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam - to the New York Times and Washington Post. The document set in motion a chain of events that ended not only the Nixon presidency but the Vietnam War. In this remarkable memoir, Ellsberg describes in dramatic detail the two years he spent in Vietnam as a U.S. State Department observer, and how he came to risk his career and freedom to expose the deceptions and delusions that shaped three decades of American foreign policy. The story of one man's exploration of conscience, Secrets is also a portrait of America at a perilous crossroad. "[Ellsberg's] well-told memoir sticks in the mind and will be a powerful testament for future students of a war that the United States should never have fought." -The Washington Post "Ellsberg's deft critique of secrecy in government is an invaluable contribution to understanding one of our nation's darkest hours." -Theodore Roszak, San Francisco Chronicle

The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War
Author: Geoffrey Ward
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 866
Release: 2020-03-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 1984897748

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Based on the celebrated PBS television series, the complete text of an engrossing history of America’s least-understood conflict, “a significant milestone [that] will no doubt do much to determine how the war is understood for years to come.” —The Washington Post More than forty years have passed since the end of the Vietnam War, but its memory continues to loom large in the national psyche. In this intimate history, Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns have crafted a fresh and insightful account of the long and brutal conflict that reunited Vietnam while dividing the United States as nothing else had since the Civil War. From the Gulf of Tonkin and the Tet Offensive to Hamburger Hill and the fall of Saigon, Ward and Burns trace the conflict that dogged three American presidents and their advisers. But most of the voices that echo from these pages belong to less exalted men and women—those who fought in the war as well as those who fought against it, both victims and victors—willing for the first time to share their memories of Vietnam as it really was. A magisterial tour de force, The Vietnam War is an engrossing history of America’s least-understood conflict.

Most Dangerous

Most Dangerous
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2015-09-22
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 159643953X

A 2015 National Book Award Finalist, reviewed in The Washington Post, as well as featured on the Publishers Weekly "Best Books of 2015" list. From Steve Sheinkin, the award-winning author of The Port Chicago 50 and Newbery Honor Book Bomb comes a tense, narrative nonfiction account of what the Times deemed "the greatest story of the century": how whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg transformed from obscure government analyst into "the most dangerous man in America," and risked everything to expose a government conspiracy. On June 13, 1971, the front page of the New York Times announced the existence of a 7,000-page collection of documents containing a secret history of the Vietnam War. Known as The Pentagon Papers, these files had been commissioned by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Chronicling every action the government had taken in the Vietnam War, including an attempt by Nixon to foil peace talks, these papers revealed a pattern of deception spanning over twenty years and four presidencies, and forever changed the relationship between American citizens and the politicians claiming to represent their interests. The investigation--and attempted government coverups--that followed will sound familiar to those who followed the scandal surrounding Edward Snowden. A provocative and political book that interrogates the meanings of patriotism, freedom, and integrity, Most Dangerous further establishes Steve Sheinkin as a leader in children's nonfiction. This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.

Unlikely Warriors

Unlikely Warriors
Author: Lonnie M. Long Gary B. Blackburn
Publisher: iUniverse
Total Pages: 493
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 147599057X

Traces the activities of the Army Security Agency and its members during the Vietnam war.

Secrets of the Viet Cong

Secrets of the Viet Cong
Author: James W. McCoy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 568
Release: 1992
Genre: History
ISBN:

"In this thorough examination of the tactical war waged in Vietnam, former paratroop officer J.W. McCoy explains how the Viet Cong won the war, and why the strategies they used were effective against the U.S. forces." "Shaping their thought with the ideas of Sun Tzu, the Viet Cong became adept at maneuver war. That skill enabled them to secure and hold the initiative in the Vietnam war." "Interestingly enough, the Viet Cong war doctrine also paralleled Liddell Hart's theories; unfortunately, few American generals ever read his work." "Discussions of organization and control, battle art, order of battle, and operations meticulously detailed in hundreds of charts, tables and illustrations help the reader understand the strategic mistakes made by the South Vietnamese and the United States, and how the Viet Cong maneuvered their way to victory."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Tap Code

Tap Code
Author: Carlyle S. Harris
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2019-11-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0310359120

Discover never-before-told details of POW underground operations during the Vietnam War told through one airman's inspiring story of true love, honor, and courage. Air Force pilot Captain Carlyle "Smitty" Harris was shot down over Vietnam on April 4, 1965 and taken to the infamous Hoa Lo prison--nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton." For the next eight years, Smitty and hundreds of other American POWs--including John McCain and George "Bud" Day--suffered torture, solitary confinement, and unimaginable abuse. It was there that Smitty covertly taught many other POWs the Tap Code--an old, long-unused method of communication from World War II. Using the code, they could softly tap messages of encouragement to lonely neighbors and pass along resistance policies from their leaders. The code quickly became a lifeline during their internment. It helped the prisoners boost morale, stay unified, communicate the chain of command, and prevail over a brutal enemy. Meanwhile, back home in the United States, Harris's wife, Louise, raised their three children alone, unsure of her husband's fate for seven long years. One of the first POW wives of the Vietnam War, she became a role model for other military wives by advocating for herself and her children in her husband's absence. Told through both Smitty's and Louise's voices, Tap Code shares the riveting true story of: Ingenuity under pressure Strength and dignity in the face of a frightening enemy The hope, faith, and resolve necessary to endure even the darkest circumstances Praise for Tap Code: "Tap Code is an incredible story about two American heroes. Col. "Smitty" Harris and his wife, Louise, epitomize the definition of commitment--to God, to country, and to family. This tale of extreme perseverance will restore your faith in the human spirit." --Brigadier General John Nichols, USAF "The incomprehensibly long ordeal of the Harris family is agonizing. Their love, faith, loyalty, and courage epitomize all that is good about America." --Lt. Col. Orson Swindle, USMC (ret.), POW, Hanoi, 11/11/1966 to 3/4/1973

Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War

Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War
Author: James F. Dunnigan
Publisher: Turtleback
Total Pages:
Release: 2000-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780613656528

Details suppressed or long-forgotten facts about the conflict in Vietnam, including a look at the beginnings of the Navy's Top Gun combat school.