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Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy: 1945-1975
- Narrated by: Max Hastings, Peter Noble
- Length: 33 hrs and 48 mins
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Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy: 1945-1975
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Summary
From the best-selling author of All Hell Let Loose comes a masterful chronicle of one of the most devastating international conflicts of the 20th century and how its people were affected.
Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam and less familiar battles such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh’s warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people.
Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom 40 died for every American. US blunders and atrocities were matched by those committed by their enemies. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners’ victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bargirls and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, marines from North Carolina and Huey pilots from Arkansas.
No past volume has blended a political and military narrative of the entire conflict with heart-stopping personal experiences, in the fashion that Max Hastings’ listeners know so well. The author suggests that neither side deserved to win this struggle, with so many lessons for the 21st century about the misuse of military might to confront intractable political and cultural challenges. He marshals testimony from warlords and peasants, statesmen and soldiers, to create an extraordinary record.
Critic reviews
"This is a comprehensive, spellbinding, surprisingly intimate, and altogether magnificent historical narrative." (Tim O’Brien)
"Masterpiece...manages with great skill to combine the accumulation of strategic and political disaster with the real experience of those fighting on the ground." (Antony Beevor, Spectator)
"Will surely set the benchmark for years to come. This may be his best. Exhaustively researched and superbly written, it is both a balanced account of how and why the war unfolded as it did, and a gripping narrative on what it was like to take part. History as it should be: objective, immersive and compelling." (Daily Telegraph, five stars)
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What listeners say about Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy: 1945-1975
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anna
- 05-01-19
9/10. Good read. Well researched and presented
Good narration. I like the mix of facts / interpretation of facts and the use of personal anecdotes. It makes a difficult geo political conflict more emotional and understandable on human level.
Would reccomend the book
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Thomas White
- 02-12-18
Max Hastings - Vietnam
Fully appreciate this work and the level of research gone into putting this together. Regrettably I struggled at times with the subject matter but appreciate that the “story” simply didn’t grab me as much as I expected. In any event worth a listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 22-04-21
Vietnam
loved it .....the narrator .....well what can I say ?
If I had to decide which books I am going to listen to next and cant .....its down to narrator
Peter Noble wins everytime ......fantastic
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Goronwy-Wyn
- 16-12-18
A fascinating account.
Was this when the American military complex realised how much money they can make from other people's wars?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- MR
- 17-06-23
Superbly crafted
Another detailed, well crafted and engrossing military history from Max Hastings. One needs to commit to its length, but is rewarded by doing so.
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- Grumpy Jack
- 30-11-18
Superbly detailed and informative
Superbly researched, written and read. This is not simply a chronological history of Vietnam, rather a thoughtful, carefully balanced and evidenced overview of the history of the conflict through the eyes of French, American, South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese, civilian, soldier and political eyes. With careful consideration of the events at the time that they occurred as well as with hindsight and from the perspective of both sides.
A truly remarkable, occasionally harrowing, enormously informative and thought provoking book which is read in a manner and tone that perfectly befits the subject matter. The many and varied personal accounts are particularly enlightening. Anyone with an interest in the conflicts of the 20th century or modern politics will enjoy this book; if one can truly say that such a sad story can truly be called enjoyable. You will come away feeling for all sides and all participants, with a level of understanding that you’ll be hard pressed to gain anywhere else.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 13-06-19
A great analysis from a more human perspective.
Whilst I really enjoyed this, I think having listened to Ken Burns/Geoffrey C Ward, "The Vietnam War" before meant this probably had less impact than it might, but I certainly don't regret the 33 hours spent adding more detail to my understanding of this fascinating period of history.
Max's version is exceptionally thorough, but possible slightly lighter on factual detail than Burns/Ward with a greater focus on the people involved and a more personal analysis of those affected on all sides and at all levels. Similar to his treatment of WWII in "All Hell Let Loose" which I thought was excellent, it adds to the Burns/Ward version rather than duplicates which is great.
Without doubt a fantastic account with Max's incredible attention to detail, I would recommend it as a great listen for someone wanting to know more about this tragic story, the incredible course of events and the unbelievable attitudes and actions of those in the highest seats of power at the time.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alan Wicks
- 20-01-21
Well researched:
If you want to have a good understanding of the Vietnam War this is for you. Well written and unbiased.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Dr. John Grierson
- 09-02-22
HARROWING AND HEARTBREAKING
Never less than masterful. Another triumph for Sir Max and the story of a lesson unlearned.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Avage
- 28-08-22
Excellent but needs more POW/MIA analysis
Excellent and captivating, save for the lack of objective analysis of the ongoing POW/MIA issue, including ready acceptance that Robert Garwood “voluntarily stayed on in Vietnam”. Otherwise, hugely insightful and brings forward first hand accounts from those who lived it.
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