Vietnam War Era: People and Perspectives

An insightful look into the immediate and long-term impact of the Vietnam War on a wide range of people and social groups, both Americans in the United States and in Vietnam.

This collection of essays by highly respected social historians looks at the Vietnam War era through the eyes of the ordinary citizens caught up in those tumultuous times. Focusing on the period between 1961 and 1975-from the dramatic U.S. military escalation to the fall of Saigon-it offers fresh insight on the impact of the war on individuals on the home front and the battlefront.

Each chapter of Vietnam War Era: People and Perspectives examines how a particular group of Americans interacted with the war and its related issues, among them military advisors and soldiers, the silent majority and antiwar activists, women, labor unions, African Americans, students, government leaders, veterans, the media, and religious communities. The authors draw clear connections between the stories of individual lives and the larger social movements that defined the era’s human drama.

Primary sources reveal a broad spectrum of opinion expressed in a variety of forms, including memoirs, documents, and poetry

Includes a chronology of key events related to the Vietnam War and an extensive bibliography covering political, diplomatic, social, and cultural aspects of the war