The Vietnam War Files: Uncovering the Secret History of Nixon-Era Strategy (Modern War Studies)
According to former Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, "From the first days in office the brilliant Nixon-Kissinger team was confident they could finish, with honor, the most difficult conflict this nation has ever waged: the Vietnam war." But as Kimball asserts in this enlightening volume, the president's strategy for ending the war was neither as swift, nor as straightforward, as the American people were led to believe. Gathering memoranda, letters and diplomatic communiqués from 1968 to 1975-as well as transcripts of Oval Office conversations between Nixon, Kissinger and other White House advisers-Kimball shows the many sides of Nixon's Vietnam agenda, which was often shrouded in duplicity and presidential image-making. This illuminating collection demonstrates how the Vietnam question was framed differently for different audiences and was used as a diplomatic tool that allowed Nixon to play two communist giants, China and the Soviet Union, against each other even as he negotiated with both. As the war raged, Nixon and Kissinger publicly touted "peace with honor," while privately focusing on political expediency, making policy shifts that would absolve the administration from blame should the South Vietnamese government collapse after U.S. troops withdrew. Just as compelling is the account of the spin-doctoring that occurred towards the end of the war, when Nixon attempted to recast the conflict as a diplomatic and military victory for the United States. Prudent in his interpretation of these documents, Kimball does not comment too much on the sources that he presents; instead, he prefers to showcase them within a clear, factual narrative history. This structure succeeds in giving the reader a context in which to place these documents while allowing the suspense and drama of the situations to come through. An important and gripping work, this volume is a must-read for any serious student of the war. 15 photographs, 3 maps.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.