Includes bibliographical references (p. 485-520) and index.

Machine generated contents note: VIETNAM: A PLACE AND A PEOPLE -- THE LAND 1 -- THE FORGE OF HISTORY 4 -- THE FRENCH COLONIAL ERA 10 -- THE RISE OF VIETNAMFSE NATIONALISM 15 -- THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION 19 -- THE ROOTS OF AMERICAN INVOIVEMENT 23 -- THE AUGUST REVOLUTION 25 -- THE ELEPHANT AND THE TIGER -- THE FRENCH RETURN 34 -- THE FRANCO-VIETMINH WAR 41 -- THE FRANCO-AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP 46 -- THE ROAD TO DIEN BIEN PHU 55 -- TO THE BRINK OF WAR 62 -- THE GENEVA SOLUTION 65 -- LESSONS 70 -- AN EXPERIMENT IN NATION -- BUILDING -- NGO DINH DIEM TAKES CHARGE 79 -- SOCIAL. REVOLUTION 89 -- BUILDING A NATION 94 -- THE Roors OF REVOLUTION 102 -- THE I AND OF A MILLION ELEPHANTS 109 -- A FAiLED EXPERIMENT 1 1 -- RAISING THE STAKES -- COLD WAR CRISES 118 -- A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 126 -- SOCIAL REVOL.UTION IN THE SOUTH 129 -- THE DECLINE AND FALL OF NGO DINH DIEM 137 -- A FAIIED PARTNERSHIP 146 -- AMERICA GOES TO WAR -- THE SAME ONLY MORE 156 -- COUP SEASON 60 -- IN DUBIOUS BATILES 165 -- THE ELECTION OF 1964 1 74 -- ROLLING THUNDER 176 -- DAIILIAS AND GLADIOLl 185 -- DECISIONS TO WAGE AN AMERICAN WAAR 193 -- THE CHAIN OF THUNDERS -- THE CONCEPT OF LIMITED WAR 205 -- WAR OF ATTRITION 209 -- SEARC I AND DESTROY 213 -- THE BATTLE THAT CHANGED THE WAR 215 -- A WIDER WAR 219 -- THUNDER FROM THE AIR 230 -- AERIAL ATTRITION WARFARE 237 -- THE OTHER WAR 241 -- DIPLOMATIC CHARADES 249 -- WAR AT HOME 253 -- THE YEAR OF THE -- MONKEY -- SURPRISE ATTACKI 273 -- POUTICAL CRISIS 285 -- JOHNSON AGONISTES 292 -- TI-E TELEVISED WAR 305 -- TALKING AND FIGI ITING 309 -- THE ELECTION OF 1968 319 -- A WAR TO END A WAR -- NIXON AND KISSINGER 333 -- VIETNAMIZATION 337 -- AN ARMY IN DECLINE 353 -- WIDENING THE WAR: CAMBODIA 357 -- WIDENING THE WAR: LAOS 369 -- WAR WEARINESS 373 -- THE NGUYEN HUE OFFENSIVE 378 -- NEn'HER PEACE NOR HONOR 390 -- THE END OF THE TUNNEL -- INDECENT INTERVAL 410 -- HOMECOMING 412 -- THE POSTWAR WAR 415 -- ENDGAME 421 -- AFr-ER TI-IE FALL 435 -- THIE WOUNDS WITHIN 440 -- THE SPECTRE OF VIETNAM 444 -- THE ENDLESS WAR 447 -- UNEASY REIATIONS 449 -- A PRONUNCIATION GUIDE FOR -- VIETNAMESE WORDS -- TABLES -- GLOSSARY -- CHRONOLOGY OF U.S. INVOLVEMENT -- IN VIETNAM, 1942-1975 -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- BOOKS 485 -- ARTCI .ES 510 -- DOCUMENTS 516 -- ARCHIVAL AND UNPUBLISHED -- SOURCES 517 -- LITERATURE: POETRY, NOVELS, NOVELISTIC -- MEMOIRS, NOVEFUSIlC JOURNALISM 518 -- TELEVISION DOCUMENTARIES AND TELEVISION -- PROGRAMS 518 -- FILMS 519 -- VIETNAM WEBSITES 519 -- INDEX.