Vietnam

An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975

By: Max Hastings

Narrated by: Max Hastings, Peter Noble

An absorbing and definitive modern history of the Vietnam War from the acclaimed New York Times best-selling author of The Secret War.

Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the US in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the 1968 Tet Offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and also much less familiar miniatures such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh’s warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people.

Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom 40 died for every American. US blunders and atrocities were matched by those committed by their enemies. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings, and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners’ victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bar girls, and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, and Huey pilots from Arkansas.

No past volume has blended a political and military narrative of the entire conflict with heart-stopping personal experiences, in the fashion that Max Hastings’ fans know so well. The author suggests that neither side deserved to win this struggle with so many lessons for the 21st century about the misuse of military might to confront intractable political and cultural challenges. He marshals testimony from warlords and peasants, statesmen and soldiers, to create an extraordinary record.

©2018 Max Hastings (P)2018 HarperAudio

Old and Young Enough

I remember the early 90s (I was born in 1986) and even then, 'Nam was a hot button issue. Still bristling nerves and the "POW/MIA" bumper stickers were near ubiquitous. I was in the generation that kids with "old dads" probably served in the infantry or at least 'in country'. My oldest uncle missed the draft by the skin of his eyelids and still felt truly grateful for his luck. In my young age, I didn't know any different between my Grandpa's Marine service in the WWII taking of Italy and the "righteous valor" of any and all Marines that served against a grevious world threat of Totalitarianism. I was 5-6 years old with 3 grandparents that served in WWII, one in Marine Infantry, one a "chief" (sorry, I forget the proper designation) Naval Radar Engineer who oversaw Radar Installations from the Aleutians to the southeast Philippines and one brave and extremely talented Nurse who unwillingly was promoted due to skill. She was a committed empath who *had* to be next to cots, holding hands and giving genuine and heartfelt comforts. From a maternal kiss on the cheek or forehead or quietly lilting a requesed hymn or religious tune. (And pulled double duty "on the floor" and behind "that old damn desk".) These were the family members with whom I spent a lot of time around. And, as one can imagine, all were the 'just doing what I felt was right', and they almost got upset about the blanket of praise for their service... to me I didn't understand the concept of "the best of us didn't come home". This was the totality of my understanding of US wars. While being a child, that body of knowledge was probably the most understandable to a first grader. Being an outgoing child and unafraid of everything, I knew that a 'thank you for your service' was a kind thing to say to a veteran. (How I didn't notice the difference in appearance of WWII and Vietnam veterans is a mystery.) ALL THAT SAID; I remember being on vacation (visiting said Radar and Nurse service people) and going to a flea market that had anything and everything that can be imagined. I approached a booth that was selling memorabilia, insignia, genuine military pieces... it was almost a magnet. So, being the smooth little (6,7) kid I was... I made the mistake of thanking a 'Nam vet for his service... to get a loud and almost apoplectic rant about the draft and LBJ and the "G**ks" who skinned his buddy in the muck... I was ushered away by a complete stranger who saw the whole thing. My parents were in the near vicinity and took note of a kind (extremely tall) man walking me through the crowd looking around with concern. I was handed over and the very helpful man relayed what happened. After we had gotten in the car to go back to my grandparent's house, I just started crying. Out of the shock that some guy just yelled at me for 'no reason' and the whole "skinned" a person thing... I was just overwhelmed by that explosion of palpable sentiment of which I felt but wouldn't have the understanding for some time. I was consoled and calmed down and Grandpa (Radar Engineer) and I took a drive to the beach to "get some fresh air..." tip toeing in the surf of a cool June evening... I was then told about the broad strokes of the conflict... I was able to grasp the idea, but wasn't equipped with the comprehension to process and contextualize the actual (capital H) Historic impact. I am in a situation where I talk to folks about their thoughts and feelings, memories and nightmares... so I have a vast capacity for human understanding and how the brain works. If you have the opportunity to volunteer at a VA clinic, you will find disturbingly 1:1 correlations in recent conflicts with those of Vietnam. I thought I had a grasp on what the whole thing was about, but, going to school in the US of A, well... enough said. I explored all of the context I could find; what modern Imperialism is, how the US would prop up both warring camps, the economic climate, and most importantly - race relation and conflict. I think this book has been the glue/mold/lattice work on which my fragmentary and vague understandings have coalesced. This is the first 'big' book on Vietnam I have read, others being accounts of individual experiences or 'retrospectives'. The fact that Max Hasting's talents were the first I absorbed was provenance, I kinda tossed a dart at a map in choosing a book about the tragedy. What I think is the biggest and most odd -but obvious- through line is the colossal Absurdity of it all. It's been a great journey through this book. I highly recommend it, even if you have a passing curiosity.

Worth listening.

Chronological timeline of the war is easy to follow. Good information from a unique perspective that is not Vietnamese, nor American but obviously western bias. Main story focuses on events, actions and decisions. Non fiction yet neglects personification of major characters in my opinion. Hastings literally uses the term "obliged" like a hundred times throughout this book, kind of funny he didn't use other words.

Best Vietnam history ever written

Max Hastings is a superb story teller, and this book is probably his best. Giving both sides of the conflict a voice, and at the same time keeping the necassary distance as a historian, this book is a must read for all readers who wants to educate them selves about this pivotal conflict.

APPALLING SIMILARITY

Max Hastings’ records the history of France's attempted colonization of Vietnam, and America's military intervention with intimate personal stories of both countries' failures in Vietnam. America’s fundamental mistake is the same mistake made in Iran, Iraq, and now Afghanistan. Military intervention by a foreign power does not give indigenous citizens true experience of the interventionist’s culture. Without cultural understanding on both sides of a military intervention, there is no prospect for peace. Further, it is unrealistic to believe a combatant will truly understand or care about another nation’s culture.

Hastings explains Vietnamese and Afghanis have no choice to join or resist a culture they do not know. Neither could they become citizens of America. They did not have the interventionist’s cultural experience, or a foreign country’s willingness to allow unregulated immigration. Interventionist countries are always outsiders to the indigenous.

Tragically, what is happening in Afghanistan threatens women’s human rights. Misogyny is a python that swallows its prey whole, crushes it, and smothers it to death. This is a cruel irony. Misogyny exists in America but not in the same way as Afghanistan.  The Taliban have won but it is a pyrrhic victory because human rights are universal, and resistance will grow.

Francis Fukuyama notes every society grows via its own cultural norms which suggests sovereignty should be inviolable. Only Iraqis, Iranians, and Afghanis can decide who they want to be.  America can only lead by example and offer political and financial support to resisters of tyranny in other nation-states. Hastings marks the limits of outsiders' military intervention.

Outstanding historian

I discovered Max Hastings rather late, and after thoroughly enjoying Inferno, about World War 2, thought I'd give this a listen. It's exceptional, telling the story for both sides with balance and fairness. He's not afraid to criticize, but he'll also praise when warranted. I learned a lot, and the narrator was great.

OMG

Man I knew the war in Indochina was a mess but I never imagined how badly the decision making was that got us into it, and kept us in it for so long. Sometimes listening to this story was a labor but only because it illustrated how narrow minded Americans can be when we want to. Highly recommended if you want to know more about what drove our involvement in the Viet Nam war.

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 by Max Hasting

Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975 by Max Hastings is captivating and compelling. My 1960s’-70’s childhood self had only the vaguest understanding of this appalling and fateful tale from the evening news. Vietnam clearly depicts the main players and battles that took place.

Excellent and detailed overview of the war in Viet Nam

The detail is very good although the author uses ‘won’ to describe Medal Of Honor recipients & those are not ‘won’ but earned and bestowed.

Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Hard to fathom that the B52s bombing runs were using 2 million gallons of jet fuel per day during the Christmas bombing initiative. Interesting factoids like this help keep your attention.

A PANORAMIC MUST READ

A PANORAMIC VIEW. The author Max Hastings is a prolific writer of profound historical books. He brings his expertise to the subject of Vietnam and does not disappoint with this panoramic historical review. This is a must read on the subject of the Vietnam wars, but most particularly the American war in Vietnam. The narrator using British English “mispronounces,” to this American English speaker’s ears, several names, which is a slight annoyance. I highly recommend this book.

A concise, compelling, and revealing history

This book is an honest history history of the Vietnam War, which provides a high level historical narrative of the war and most importantly a brutally honest insight of the political motives behind this great tragedy.