Andrew A. Wiest

Vietnam's Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN chronicles the lives of Pham Van Dinh and Tran Ngoc Hue, two of the brightest young stars in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). Both men fought with valor in a war that seemed to have no end, exemplifying ARVN bravery and determination that is largely forgotten or ignored in the West. However, while Hue fought until he was captured by the North Vietnamese Army and then endured thirteen years of captivity, Dinh surrendered and defected to the enemy, for whom he served as a teacher in the reeducation of his former ARVN comrades. An understanding of how two lives that were so similar diverged so dramatically provides a lens through which to understand the ARVN and South Vietnam?s complex relationship with America's government and military. The lives of Dinh and Hue reflect the ARVN's battlefield successes, from the recapture of the Citadel in Hue City in the Tet Offensive of 1968, to Dinh's unheralded role in the seizure of Hamburger Hill a year later. However, their careers expose an ARVN that was over-politicized, tactically flawed, and dependent on American logistical and firepower support. Marginalized within an American war, ARVN faced a grim fate as U.S. forces began to exit the conflict. As the structure of the ARVN/U.S. alliance unraveled, Dinh and Hue were left alone to make the most difficult decisions of their lives.

Chronicles the history of the Vietnam War, discussing events the led up to the conflict, discussing the strategies of the U.S. and the North Vietnamese, follow the course of the war, and looking at its impact on the home front.

"Fifteen renowned authors from widely varied backgrounds examine the Vietnam War, providing a fresh insight into this controversial conflict, even for those who have 'read it all before'. First-hand accounts, maps and contemporary photographs, analysis from the soldiers involved and new perspectives from combatants on both sides provide an incisive investigation into a fascinating and terrible war."This is a superb and compelling reexamination of the major historical, political, and ethical issues that continue to smoulder many decades after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, I highly recommend Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land. It is among the best books of its kind that I've encountered over the last dozen years. Tom O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War is a timely account of the 6,000-day conflict in Southeast Asia. Co-written by Andrew Wiest, award-winning historian of the Vietnam War, the lucid text expertly guides the reader through the complex escalation of the conflict, while weaving in many eye-witness accounts. Illustrated throughout with both colour and black & white photographs, the book is a compelling history of one of the most brutal episodes in the modern world.

The human experience of the Vietnam War is almost impossible to grasp - the camaraderie, the fear, the smell, the pain. Men were transformed into soldiers, and then into warriors. These warriors had wives who loved them and shared in their transformations. Some marriages were strengthened, while for others there was all too often a dark side, leaving men and their families emotionally and spiritually battered for years to come. Focusing in on just one company's experience of war and its eventual homecoming, Andrew Wiest shines a light on the shared experience of combat and both the darkness and resiliency of war's aftermath"--

"This high-interest series, aimed at reluctant readers, looks at secret campaigns behind the major conflicts of the past 100 years. Biographical sidebars focus on heroic or notorious personalities. Highlighted fact features include special operations and their results, resistance movements, propaganda and the history of the time - as is known....and not readily known"--Provided by publisher.