Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975

Vietnam

Introduction

Note on Styles Adopted in the Text

Glossary of Common Acronyms and Military Terms

Chapter 01 - Beauty and Many Beasts - 1 - Clinging to an Empire

Chapter 01 - Beauty and Many Beasts - 2 - The Vietminh March

Chapter 02 - The Dirty War - 1 - Steamroller Types

Chapter 02 - The Dirty War - 2 - Washington Picks Up the Tab

Chapter 02 - The Dirty War - 3 - Peasants

Chapter 03 - The Fortress That Never Was - 1 - Waiting for Giap

Chapter 03 - The Fortress That Never Was - 2 - Disaster Beckons

Chapter 04 - Bloody Footprints - 1 - Quit or Bomb

Chapter 04 - Bloody Footprints - 2 - A Triumph of the Will

Chapter 04 - Bloody Footprints - 3 - Geneva

Chapter 05 - The Twin Tyrannies - 1 - A Regime of Terror

Chapter 05 - The Twin Tyrannies - 2 - The Only Boy We Got

Chapter 05 - The Twin Tyrannies - 3 - Boom Time

Chapter 05 - The Twin Tyrannies - 4 - A Recall to Arms

Chapter 06 - Some of the Way with JFK - 1 - They're Going to Lose Their Country If

Chapter 06 - Some of the Way with JFK - 2 - McNamara's Monarchy

Chapter 06 - Some of the Way with JFK - 3 - Le Duan Raises His Stake

Chapter 07 - 1963 - Coffins for Two Presidents - 1 - Small Battle, Big Story - Ap Bac

Chapter 07 - 1963 - Coffins for Two Presidents - 2 - The Buddhists Revolt

Chapter 07 - 1963 - Coffins for Two Presidents - 3 - Killing Time

Chapter 08 - The Maze - 1 - Enough War for Everybody

Chapter 08 - The Maze - 2 - Dodging Decisions

Chapter 09 - Into the Gulf - 1 - Lies

Chapter 09 - Into the Gulf - 2 - Hawks Ascendant

Chapter 10 - We Are Puzzled About How to Proceed - 1 - Down the Trail

Chapter 10 - We Are Puzzled About How to Proceed - 2 - Committal

Chapter 11 - The Escalator - 1 - Bottom of the Barrel

Chapter 11 - The Escalator - 2 - New People, New War

Chapter 12 - Trying to Grab Smoke - 1 - Warriors and Water-Skiers

Chapter 12 - Trying to Grab Smoke - 2 - Unfriendly Fire

Chapter 12 - Trying to Grab Smoke - 3 - Traps and Trail Dust

Chapter 13 - Graft and Peppermint Oil - 1 - Stealing

Chapter 13 - Graft and Peppermint Oil - 2 - Ruling

Chapter 13 - Graft and Peppermint Oil - 3 - Gurus

Chapter 14 - Rolling Thunder - 1 - Stone Age, Missile Age

Chapter 14 - Rolling Thunder - 2 - Up North

Chapter 15 - Taking the Pain - 1 - Best of Times, Worst of Times

Chapter 15 - Taking the Pain - 2 - Friends

Chapter 16 - Waist Deep in the Big Muddy - 1 - Peaceniks

Chapter 16 - Waist Deep in the Big Muddy - 2 - Warniks

Chapter 16 - Waist Deep in the Big Muddy - 3 - Fieldcraft

Chapter 16 - Waist Deep in the Big Muddy - 4 - Guns

Chapter 17 - Our Guys, Their Guys - The Vietnamese War - 1 - Song Qua Ngay - Let's Just Get Through the Day

Chapter 17 - Our Guys, Their Guys - The Vietnamese War - 2 - Fighters

Chapter 17 - Our Guys, Their Guys - The Vietnamese War - 3 - Saigon Soldiers

Chapter 18 - Tet - 1 - Prelude

Chapter 18 - Tet - 2 - Fugue

Chapter 18 - Tet - 3 - A Symbolic Humiliation

Chapter 19 - The Giant Reels - 1 - Fighting Back

Chapter 19 - The Giant Reels - 2 - Surrender of a President

Chapter 20 - Continuous Replays - 1 - Dying

Chapter 20 - Continuous Replays - 2 - Talking

Chapter 21 - Nixon's Inheritance - 1 - A Crumbling Army

Chapter 21 - Nixon's Inheritance - 2 - Aussies and Kiwis

Chapter 21 - Nixon's Inheritance - 3 - Gods

Chapter 21 - Nixon's Inheritance - 4 - Chapter Vietnamization

Chapter 22 - Losing by Installments - 1 - The Fishhook and the Parrot's Beak

Chapter 22 - Losing by Installments - 2 - Counterterror

Chapter 22 - Losing by Installments - 3 - Lam Son 719

Chapter 23 - Collateral Damage - 1 - Mary Ann

Chapter 23 - Collateral Damage - 2 - The Goat

Chapter 23 - Collateral Damage - 3 - Let's Go Home

Chapter 24 - The Biggest Battle - 1 - Le Duan Forces the Pace

Chapter 24 - The Biggest Battle - 2 - The Storm Breaks

Chapter 24 - The Biggest Battle - 3 - An Empty Chapter 06ctory

Chapter 25 - Big Ugly Fat Fellers - 1 - It Will Absolutely, Totally, Wipe Out McGovern

Chapter 25 - Big Ugly Fat Fellers - 2 - We'll Bomb the Bejeezus out of Them

Chapter 26 - A Kiss Before Dying - 1 - The Prisoner

Chapter 26 - A Kiss Before Dying - 2 - Peace

Chapter 26 - A Kiss Before Dying - 3 - War of the Flags

Chapter 27 - The Last Act - 1 - Invasion

Chapter 27 - The Last Act - 2 - Ah, My Country, My Poor Country

Chapter 28 - Afterward - 1 - Vengeance

Chapter 28 - Afterward - 2 - The Audit of War

Credits