America and Vietnam, 1954-1963: The Road to War

by Michael M. Walker , Col., USMC (Ret.)

Overview

The conventional narrative of the Vietnam War often glosses over the decade leading up to it. Covering the years 1954-1963, this book presents a thought-provoking reexamination of the war's long prelude—from the aftermath of French defeat at Dien Bien Phu—through Hanoi's decision to begin reunification by force—to the assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Established narratives of key events are given critical reappraisal and new light is shed on neglected factors. The strategic importance of Laos is revealed as central to understanding how the war in the South developed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476689555
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	09/14/2022
Pages:	391
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.78(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michael M. Walker, Colonel, USMC (Ret.) served in the Marine Corps for 26 years as an infantry and intelligence officer to include three tours in the Pacific–East Asia region, one in Europe, and two in Southwest Asia. He lives in Meridian, Idaho.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Abbreviations ix

Preface 1

Part I The Path to War 9

1 Going to War in 1959 11

2 Fight for Survival in South Vietnam 28

3 The 1955 Battle for Saigon and Diem Consolidates Power 49

4 South Vietnam Under Ngo Dinh Diem in 1959 62

Part II The Combatants 79

5 A Comparison of the Two Vietnams, 1959 81

6 South Vietnam's Military in 1959 99

7 The People's Army of Vietnam and the Entry of the Viet Cong 118

8 Who Were the Viet Cong? Part 1 134

9 Who Were the Viet Cong? Part 2 155

Part III What About Laos? 169

10 The Agony of Laos 171

11 Geneva, the Battle of Nam Tha, and Hanoi's Logistics War 192

12 End of the Laos Crisis: A Solution that Doomed the Peace 207

Part IV How the War Went and the Fall of Diem (1959-1963) 227

13 The Vietnam War in 1959-1961 and the CIA's Secret Wars 229

14 The Vietnam War in 1962-1963 and the Battle of Ap Bac 251

15 What Was the 1963 Buddhist Crisis? 268

16 How About a Coup? 287

17 The Murder of Diem and Its Consequences 304

Chapter Notes 319

Bibliography 359

Index 371

Editorial Reviews

Michael Walker has written a truly groundbreaking, factual, unbiased and thoroughly researched history of the key years leading up to the beginning of the American phase of the Vietnam War.”—Col. Andrew R. Finlayson, USMC (Ret), author of Killer Kane and Rice Paddy Recon

From the Publisher