A highly regarded Vietnam War scholar, Anderson (Facing My Lai; Trapped by Success: The Eisenhower Administration and Vietnam, 1953-1961) offers a thorough overview that will benefit students and scholars seeking resources about all aspects of the war and Vietnamese history. The guide consists of five parts, most notably Anderson's summary of the war, in which he posits many questions but, to his credit, does not present his conclusions as definitive answers. He concludes that the war resulted from a misapplication of American containment policies, but he cautions the researcher to investigate all conservative, liberal, and revisionist interpretations of the war's origin and ending. The overview is followed by a detailed glossary. The final three sections are a chronology; an extensive, briefly annotated bibliography, which includes print and electronic resources; and a selection of primary documents that includes decrees from Vietnamese and American officials, concluding with President Clinton's 1995 speech that declared normalized relations with Vietnam. This guide is not as strong as its companion, The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s, because it lacks a section of shorter essays by noted contributors. But it is a fine resource for understanding the war and all its complexities. Recommended for academic and most public libraries. Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA.
