“The” Making of a Quagmire: America and Vietnam During the Kennedy Era

David Halberstam

Rowman & Littlefield, 2008 - History - 223 pages

Pulitzer-prize winning author David Halberstam's eyewitness account provides a riveting narrative of how the United States created a major foreign policy disaster for itself in a faraway land it knew little about. In the introduction to this edition, historian Daniel J. Singal supplies crucial background information that was unavailable in the mid-1960s when the book was written. With its numerous firsthand recollections of life in the war zone, The Making of a Quagmire penetrates to the essence of what went wrong in Vietnam. Although its focus is the Kennedy era, its analysis of the blunders and misconceptions of American military and political leaders holds true for the entire war.

What people are saying

Review: The Making Of A Quagmire: America and Vietnam During the Kennedy Era (Revised Edition)

User Review  - Amanda - Goodreads

This book was really amazing and really insightful of the war in Vietnam. It was well written and very descriptive and very accurate in telling what exactly happened.

Review: The Making of a Quagmire

User Review  - Paige Badame - Goodreads

A great book that did an amazing job at setting up the conflict in Vietnam. Engaging and never boring. One of my favorite books!

Contents

• Coming into a Troubled Land: 3
• LatterDay Mandarins The Ngo Family: 15
• A Strange Alliance The Americans and Diem: 35
• In the Field with the ARVN: 47
• Finding an Elusive Foe: 65
• Disaster The Battle of Ap Bac: 77
• Collapse in the Delta: 93
• The Buddhist Revolt Begins: 115
• The Raid on the Pagodas: 137
• A Slow Change in American Policy: 151
• The Saigon Press Controversy: 167
• The Final Days of Ngo Dinh Diem: 177
• What Should Be Done in Vietnam?: 195
• Return to Vietnam: 205
• About the Author: 221
• About the Editor: 223

About the author

David Halberstam (1934–2007) was the author of 20 books, the last 14 of which have been national best-sellers. His most recent book, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, is about the Chinese entry into the Korean War. He was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Vietnam and was a member of the elective Society of American Historians.

Bibliographic information

• Title: “The” Making of a Quagmire: America and Vietnam During the Kennedy Era
• Author: David Halberstam
• Editor: Daniel Joseph Singal
• Edition: illustrated, revised
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008
• ISBN: 0742560082, 9780742560086
• Length: 223 pages
• Subjects: History / Asia / Southeast Asia; History / Military / Vietnam War; Political Science / International Relations / General