This was a great look at the war from a big-picture perspective. It’s a great combination of detail without being overly burdensome in specifics.

This book opens with the surrender of Japan in 1945 and how Asia was but forgotten when the leaders had gotten together for their talks at Yalta and how even Truman and others were focused on Europe and helping Japan. No one was really looking at any of the Asian countries and because of that communist regimes were able to move in and start taking over.
In Vietnam, it got to the point where the people were put down by the French who were in the country already priory to WWII. They wanted to stay in Vietnam after the war but would need assistance eventually in weapons to hold on. The author talks about how our country went from being in a war to want to deescalate, close factories, release men from service and really go back to the way it was after world war one, where we thought nothing would happen. Instead during this time of doing nothing, Asia was going away and America did not care, they would not care from 1946 to 1955. Then America had a wake-up call in 65 when more American soldiers would die.
The author takes you through what was happening in Vietnam during the late ’40s and then the 50’s. all the while we had men in congress doing which hunt on Americans over their so-called communists’ activities. All the while not paying any attention to the World. They would let Korea get out of hand. Then when Eisenhower was in office, he tried to help Vietnam only to be shut down. He did send advisors and weapons. In the late 50’s we were already running operations into areas of Vietnam, Laos and some men wanted to go into Cambodia. Had already lost American servicemen before Kennedy was elected. He then had to deal with Vietnam and then eventually the Cuban missile crisis especially after the Bay of Pigs. Goes into the assignation of a leader for he wanted someone else in charge. Yes, boys and girls, we did do these sorts of things back then. The problem was the President was assonated so Johnson was in charge.
In 1963 in a battle on Jan 2 we lost 15 helicopters, we could only have three advisors and one of the biggest problems was communication. The ones we were helping did not or did not want to listen. That was a bad day. It was also a battle where the enemy shot down most of the helicopters with the ground to air rockets which would happen much more in the war that would follow. I had heard of this battle decades ago, were the men there said if they had more Americans, they believed they could have defeated the enemy and changed course, only not to happen because Washington had them with only so many. The C.I.A also were running missions into the country. By 64 277service men were killed. In 65 the first female C.I.An officer is killed. One night an airbase was overrun with over 70 American servicemen wounded another 4 killed. Next night B-52’s would drop thousands of bombs.
65 you have the bombing of the embassy in Saigon where the next day another bombing run was made called rolling thunder. My Uncle attached to the Marines was top NCO at the embassy from 65 – 66 he would go to Vietnam later in 69 in time for Tet. Anyway as the author is taking you through all of this you are also getting what is happening at home. Civil rights workers are missing, then you have the incident at the gulf of Token. You also get a look at Lt. Alverez how would be first to be shot down and stay a prisoner for eight years.
You end in 65 right at the incident. For me, this was a very good book. Yes, people, we were bombing and running missions into different parts of the country long before Nixon. That is what always got to me. As a kid sitting around listening to the military men that came to our house, I thought all of those men were just telling stories. They were telling the truth about their stories. Having an Uncle fighting in Vietnam, a cousin who was a gunship helicopter pilot and each did two tours.
This is a very good book and though I probably di a much longer review than I should have this book is filled with information and is worth the read. I know some people may think it a dry read but for me, it was very good and informative.

This is an engaging and remarkably well-researched book about the Vietnam War, including the history of Vietnam as a French colony which is essential in any serious effort to understand not only how the war developed as it did, but also the appalling fate that befell generations of Vietnamese peasants as the ravages of colonialism, corruption and warfare visited this corner of south east Asia. The writing style makes for a satisfying read as complex political and military issues are explored.

Some readers may find the author’s tendency to play fast and loose with a chronological timeline a little tiresome.However, this is probably inevitable if the complex web of discussions, decisions and an analysis of the political and cultural issues are to be explored logically, since these often span a significant number of years. If there is one modest criticism from this reader it would be the trouble that often assails the author who has undertaken a rich analysis of relevant research, and this is to attempt to include too much background information. The lengthy commentary on the Gulf of Tonkin incident may be a case in point. However, I am eagerly looking forward to Volume Two.

Utilizing recently declassified documents, In Good Faith explores the US involvement in Vietnam from the end of the 2nd world war to 1965 (it is the first of 2 volumes). While much has been written about the Vietnam war, without the additional top secret NSA material, lacked additional context for pivotal moments throughout the conflict. On the heels of the Afghanistan Papers and in the lead up to the next election, In Good Faith comes at a moment when Americans are grappling with what it means to be a country at war and what the true meaning of civilian oversight is.