THE VIETNAM WAR: THE STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS, by Donald M. Goldstein, Katherine V. Dillon, and J. Michael Wenger, Brassey’sInc., 192 pages, $31.95.
“The story of the Vietnam War is not a pretty one,” note the authors, “but it is by no means as ugly as certain Hollywood individuals, happily rewriting history to suit their purposes, would have us believe. We hope therefore to give the reader a realistic look at the conflict as the fighting man saw it.” More than 450 official and personal photographs from both United States and Vietnamese sources reveal the anguish and the courage of the 3.5 million U.S. servicemen who served in America’s longest war. In this dramatic chronicle, theauthors trace the origins of the war, describe America’s commitment to fight, and discuss the aftermath of this tragic conflict, which is arguably the most traumatic event the nation has endured during this century.