Enduring Vietnam, James Wright
Enduring Vietnam, James Wright
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Enduring Vietnam
An American Generation and Its War

Author: James Wright

Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner

Unabridged: 15 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/04/2017

Synopsis

The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, this book does not excuse the mistakes, but it brings those who served out of the shadows. Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and of families who grieved those who did not return. By 1969 nearly half of the junior enlisted men who died in Vietnam were draftees. Their median age was twenty-one―among the non-draftees it was only twenty. The book describes the "baby boomers" growing up in the 1950s, why they went into the military, what they thought of the war, and what it was like to serve in "Nam"—and to come home. With a rich narrative of the Battle for "Hamburger Hill," and through substantial interviews with those who served, the book depicts the cruelty of this war and its quiet acts of courage. James Wright's Enduring Vietnam provides an important dimension to the profile of an American generation―and a rich account of an American War.

About James Wright

James Wright is president emeritus and Eleazar Wheelock Professor of History emeritus at Dartmouth College and the author or editor of several books, including Those Who Have Borne the Battle. His efforts on behalf of veterans and education have been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, NPR, and more.

About Malcolm Hillgartner

Malcolm Hillgartner has narrated over 175 audiobooks. He was named an AudioFile Best Voice of 2013. His work ranges from children's titles such as On the Blue Comet (AudioFile Best of 2011, Earphones), and Neal Stevenson's sci-fi epic REAMDE (Audible.com Best of 2011) to the biographies Kissinger (AudioFile Best of 2013, Earphones) and Cheever (AudioFile Best of 2009, Earphones). He is also an accomplished actor, writer, and musician. With his wife and partner, Jahnna Beecham, he has written over 130 books for teens and young readers, as well as the musicals Chaps! and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Musical, which have been produced in the U.S. and Canada.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jimmy

Reading this book is like looking at a pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces scattered on a table. They all have importance, but you know it will never be put together. There are just too many fragments. That being said, there is a lot of information that seems just a rehash, but all in all, it was an excell......more

Goodreads review by Ted

Full disclosure: James Wright was the best professor I ever took a course from, so I am a little biased about his work. His course, which I took in the spring of 1976, was entitled "20th Century American Political History" and it was taught in Dartmouth's largest lecture hall because not only was th......more

Goodreads review by Julian

An intimate view of the Vietnam War and those who fought it. Mr. Wright strays from the popular narrative and talks about all aspects of the war, good and bad. Talking to 86 veterans of the war, Mr. Wright gets to the heart of the decisions and feelings of the actual soldiers and not just the govern......more

Goodreads review by Marianne

What a book!!!! This is an amazing account of the Vietnam War and the background. I learned so much about the period of time, the challenges and some of our heroes. I loved that the author did not appear to be biased and he left the politics out of the book. Most importantly, I loved the stories of......more

Quotes

“This clear, concise, and highly readable book is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand the Vietnam War.” Karl Marlantes, Vietnam veteran and New York Times bestselling author

“With Jim Wright’s new book, we take a giant step closer to unlocking the mystery and gain, at the same time, the intimate consequences of the conflict many of us would rather forget.” Ken Burns, filmmaker and New York Times bestselling author

"[A] superb book.” Vietnam Magazine

“Excellent…[An] important investigation of the Vietnam War and its effects on an entire generation.” Library Journal (starred review)

“Deserves high praise…There have been hundreds of books written about the Vietnam War, but this is among the most powerful and heartbreaking.” Booklist (starred review)

“A tribute to Americans who saw the worst that the Vietnam War offered [and] a broad look at the domestic and geopolitical factors that led to the US getting involved.” Kirkus Reviews

“In this well-researched and readable work, Wright…takes a deep look at a particular segment of an American generation—men who took part in ground combat in the Vietnam War.” Publishers Weekly

“Broad in scope and as human a history as could be written of the ‘endurin’ impact of our nation’s Vietnam experience, this is a beautiful piece of work.” James N. Mattis, General (Ret.), United States Marine Corps

“An important addition to the literature of the Vietnam War.” Peter S. Prichard, Vietnam veteran and Chairman of Newseum

“Wright takes us from the harrowing bloodbath of Hamburger Hill to the troubled homecomings of veterans and never reduces the human complexity of his subject with sentimentality or broad-brush polemics.” Christian Appy, author of Patriots

Awards

  • Amazon Best Book of the Month
  • Dayton Literary Peace Prize
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