"The most complete and compelling narrative on the war."

– The Economist

"A magisterial narrative history. Brilliantly recaptures the hopes, illusions, fears, suspicions, frustrations, and disappointments of these tumultuous years."

– Los Angeles Times

"A history that will be admired and studied by scholars and journalists, [and] a collection of character portraits and relationships that beats most bestselling fiction."

– The Christian Science Monitor

"The best book yet on our perverse crusade to make Vietnam safe for democracy."

– The Washington Post Book World

"Having interviewed a cast of characters worthy of Dickens, with a story line to match, Jack Langguth's history brings a new and sharper focus on the American century's enduring enigma: What were we doing in Vietnam?"

– H.D.S. Greenway, editor, The Boston Globe

"Employing new sources and up-to-date scholarship, Jack Langguth has written an excellent and accessible history of the war in Vietnam. His fast-paced narrative and his vivid portraits of the central characters will allow new generations of Americans to understand the drama of the war and the intensity of the emotions on both sides. The book is a major achievement."

– Frances FitzGerald, author of Fire in the Lake and Way Out There in the Blue

"If you thought there was nothing more to add to our knowledge of the Vietnam War, Jack Langguth's graphic narrative contains a wealth of new information and keen analysis. It is bound to take its place among the best books on the tragic conflict."

– Stanley Karnow, author of Vietnam: A History