Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965

Hardback

Main Details

Title Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Mark Moyar
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:552
Dimensions(mm): Height 240,Width 156
Category/GenreAsian and Middle Eastern history
Vietnam war
ISBN/Barcode 9780521869119
ClassificationsDewey:959.7043
Audience
General
Illustrations 4 Maps; 10 Halftones, unspecified; 4 Line drawings, unspecified

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 28 August 2006
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Drawing on a wealth of new evidence from all sides, Triumph Forsaken, first published in 2007, overturns most of the historical orthodoxy on the Vietnam War. Through the analysis of international perceptions and power, it shows that South Vietnam was a vital interest of the United States. The book provides many insights into the overthrow of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963 and demonstrates that the coup negated the South Vietnamese government's tremendous, and hitherto unappreciated, military and political gains between 1954 and 1963. After Diem's assassination, President Lyndon Johnson had at his disposal several aggressive policy options that could have enabled South Vietnam to continue the war without a massive US troop infusion, but he ruled out these options because of faulty assumptions and inadequate intelligence, making such an infusion the only means of saving the country.

Author Biography

Mark Moyar holds a B.A. summa cum laude in history from Harvard and a PhD in history from Cambridge. He is the author of Phoenix and the Birds of Prey: The CIA's Secret Campaign to Destroy the Viet Cong. Dr. Moyar has taught at Cambridge, Ohio State University, and Texas A&M University, and at present he is an Associate Professor and Course Director at the U.S. Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia.

Reviews

'Thoroughly researched and richly informative ... A valuable appraisal.' Booklist 'The most noteworthy aspect of Triumph Forsaken is surely the depth and range of its research ... Moyar has provided those who take their history seriously with a stunning performance, and plenty to think about.' Times Literary Supplement